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 2005-06-04 11:09 AM |
Extreme Veteran 438  |  Subject: DNF :(Some of you asked for me to post how things went in my first OW triathlon. Well, the subject line says it all. I didnt even make it to the halfway spot in the swim before I had to be helped out of the water. I was really freaked going to the race site, in fact, I even tried to turn around and go home until my wife talked some sense into me. I got setup, got into the lake and felt fine initially....breathing and everything was ok. Then I felt like I had lost all my energy about halfway in and couldnt continue. I guess triathlon isnt for me, which sucks because I have enjoyed the training to this point.....look for a big sale in the classifieds soon |
| 2005-06-04 11:20 AM in reply to: #168507 |
Resident Curmudgeon 25290  The Road Back Gold member | Subject: RE: DNF :( Dude, you're going to give up, chuck a whole endeavor that you have "enjoyed... to this point," because of one minor aborted attempt? Treat it as a learning experience, get out there and try some OW swimming in a controlled environment, and, when you're comfortable, give it another try. |
| 2005-06-04 11:31 AM in reply to: #168507 |
Master 1791  Raleigh, North Carolina | Subject: RE: DNF :( Very sorry to hear about the tough swim...but don't you hang up the towel yet! OW swims are extremely tough not only physically, but mentally the freak out factor is high. And its way different than that huge MAP tri pool swim. You're logs show that you can handle the distance. Easily!! How close are you to me??? There's a couple other BT'ers in the High Point and Winston area...we're just dying for an excuse to drink some beer...err...get in some practice on the OW, and I've got a buddy who wants to get his kayak wet as well. I'd be happy come out some weekend and we can get some OW practice in together. I really think that some OW practice will knock down the freakout factor quite a bit. |
| 2005-06-04 11:35 AM in reply to: #168507 |
Expert 997 North Central WV | Subject: RE: DNF :( I am sorry to hear that your first experience with a triathlon was a bad one. I really feel for those of you who panic in the water. It is my favourite part of the race so I cannot even begin to understand what you are going through. But I don't believe there is any need to give up. If you enjoy the training, keep at it. I was swimming, biking and running for pleasure long before I started competing. It hadn't even crossed my mind to do a triathlon until my town hosted a new sprint. You don't have to compete in the races, or, as Bear said, just wait until you are less afraid of the swim. Alternatively, look for some duathlons. Are you able to find some other people to swim, ride and run with? Perhaps some encouragement would help you reach your goals. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Put it down to experience and set a new goal. Mal |
| 2005-06-04 11:42 AM in reply to: #168507 |
Pro 4174 Keller, Texas | Subject: RE: DNF :( The fact that you did not turn around must tell you that somewhere deep inside you want to do this. I agree with what everyone has said, keep practicing, maybe do a few duathlons and find a race where the swim is in a nice calm lake with no waves or current. You've come so far and I am proud of the fact that you got in the water to begin with.  |
| 2005-06-04 11:47 AM in reply to: #168507 |
| Extreme Veteran 348 Honolulu, HI | Subject: RE: DNF :( Sorry to hear about the DNF! OW swims can really be brutal. I swim in either a pool or the open ocean, and the difference between the two is night and day. I got really panicky during my first race which also an ocean swim... you've trained well and done the distance, it's really a matter of confidence and building experience with OW swimming. You can do it - just keep swimming in OW as much as humanly possible until it's second nature. Don't quit!! Just think how awesome it will feel to finish the next one! |
| 2005-06-04 11:49 AM in reply to: #168507 |
| Veteran 209 | Subject: RE: DNF :( At the risk of sounding corny....Did Not Finish beats Did Not Start every day of the week. Take this one as part of your training. Get out on the OW right away. (Don't let this memory get too big in your mind) Before you know it, you'll be registering for your next tri. And whatever you do....DO NOT have a big sale! |
| 2005-06-04 11:56 AM in reply to: #168507 |
| Elite Veteran 781 | Subject: RE: DNF :( DO NOT GIVE UP! You've been on the boards long enough to know it happens quite frequently. You just need to keep at it with respect to OW swimming because it really does get easier. The bottom line for me is that I race to keep my training honest. Just keep training and don't let this one bad race keep you down. |
| 2005-06-04 12:00 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Expert 1180 Iowa | Subject: RE: DNF :( Wait just a darn-tootin' minute ... doesn't your signature say, "Be not afraid of growing ...? Then be not! Get back on that horse and ride again. Look around you at all of the people doing triathlons ... they're no different than you. If they can do it, you can too. Give it another go! |
| 2005-06-04 12:02 PM in reply to: #168508 |
Resident Curmudgeon 25290 The Road Back Gold member | Subject: RE: DNF :( |
| 2005-06-04 12:03 PM in reply to: #168528 |
Pro 4100 Wherever the trail takes me, WA. | Subject: RE: DNF :( triman50 - 2005-06-04 12:00 PM Wait just a darn-tootin' minute ... doesn't your signature say, "Be not afraid of growing ...? Then be not! Get back on that horse and ride again. Look around you at all of the people doing triathlons ... they're no different than you. If they can do it, you can too. Give it another go! PERFECTLY SAID... It is not about about you do on race day.. it is the commitment you make to TRAINING, that makes the difference.. you can't stop.. You will look back on this some day, and say I can't believe I almost quit!!!!!!!! GO FOR IT! |
| 2005-06-04 12:10 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Extreme Veteran 617 Covington (New Orleans), La | Subject: RE: DNF :( Don't give up. Get some (more?) practice with open water swimming and you will become more and more comfortable with it. The first time I went swimming in our local lake I almost hyperventilated just putting my feet in the water. Just finished my first OW tri and I also was so freaked out about the swim. I just paced myself and went as slow as I needed to in order to stay calm. I was one of the last people out of the water, but it was the only way I was going to make it through the swim portion. Keep up with swim trainng in open water if you can. Also, not sure how long the swim was, but maybe shoot for your next OW tri with a short swim distance? You can do it! |
| 2005-06-04 12:17 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Master 1989 New Jersey | Subject: RE: DNF :( Personally, I think the swim is way more a mental challenge than physical. You have to keep those negative thoughts out of your head. I count strokes - for example, I'll try to breathe to one side for 25 strokes, then switch to the other. Or break it up ...take a couple breast strokes every 25 strokes. Just something to occupy your mind. The Total Immersion book (Tri Swimming Made Easy) has a great recommendation. Concentrate on what the author calls SSP - Sensory Skill Practice. He has a list of specific points to emphasize - hiding your head; or pushing your chest down; or swimming silently. Aside from keeping your form correct, it also keeps all those demons out of your mind. My first tri - 1/4 mi swim - scared to death - thought I was going to drown. I drank half the lake and coughed it back up. But, I breaststroked / treaded water for a bit till i calmed down, then continued. And the bike/run part of it was awesome. Find a "beginner friendly" tri - with shallow waters, short swim. And start in the back, and off to the side, so you don't have to worry about others. Don't give up. You CAN and WILL do it. |
| 2005-06-04 2:09 PM in reply to: #168507 |
| Subject: RE: DNF :( You have a WONDERFUL WIFE!!!! 'Course you already know that! When it comes to having a great partner in life, you are in the winner's circle. Don't give up on tri training. I hope you can hook up with your BT friends that are close by and wanting to do group You enjoy the lifestyle, and your wife obviously enjoys seeing you enjoy tri training. So stay with it, who cares when the next race will be...you got lots of time, considering the healthy life you are living |
| 2005-06-04 2:21 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Expert 738 Alabama | Subject: RE: DNF :( oh you poor bugga, now, pull yourself together and get back up on that horse and ride! OWS is so much harder than people even know, unless you`ve done it. I love the swim because it is my strongest leg, right now, but even still I have problems with the demons in my head telling me 'it is to far' and that' I`ll never get there'.... I guarantee that at least 50% of the people swimming with you are feeling exactly the same. Please don`t give up just yet, we are here to help, and someone even offered to go do some training with you...gosh, I would jump at that chance. Swim, swim, swim as much as you can in different climates, different times, different places and I bet the next race you will be fine. You are not alone out there in the water I promise. Please reply and let us know how you are feeling today. |
| 2005-06-04 2:23 PM in reply to: #168507 |
| Veteran 129 Ashburn, VA | Subject: RE: DNF :( You now know more than u did yesterday, learn from it and become better because of it |
| 2005-06-04 3:37 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Champion 11641 Fairport, NY | Subject: RE: DNF :( Are you really someone who gets completely defeated after one try? Last Friday you had an OW swim that went fine. The only difference was your state of mind. Think about what happened. Look for what you could have done differently, what you WILL do differently next time. Learn some visualization and relaxation exercises. Go back to the lake. Do more practicing in it. To paraphrase Gen. George Patton: "Do not judge a man by how high he climbs, but by how high he bounces back after hitting bottom." It's time to bounce. |
| 2005-06-04 3:41 PM in reply to: #168507 |
| Extreme Veteran 438 | Subject: RE: DNF :( Guys, all I can say is wow....thank you all so much for the nice words and kind thoughts. I actually do have another tri coming up in August, and it happens to be OW. I am going to try and get my ass out there and get comfortable (luckily they have 4 practice swims before the tri) and hopefully I can keep at this. I think all of you are right, mentally, I just wasnt there today for some reason. My father actually passed away when I was a child as a result of drowning in a lake, and last night was the first time I had thought about that in a long time, not exactly a motivating factor when you're swimming. At least I can now say I can swim 330m in OW more than I did yesterday, I will try and keep at it and hopefully things will just click. |
| 2005-06-04 3:53 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Elite 2706 Hurst, Texas | Subject: RE: DNF :( THAT is the right attitude Joseph! You will get better, and the best thing to take away from the experience is how far you have come since you began this journey...NOT how far you had to go to finish this one race. Keep it up, and keep us posted! |
| 2005-06-04 4:03 PM in reply to: #168587 |
| , Alabama | Subject: RE: DNF :( joscon - 2005-06-04 3 I am going to try and get my ass out there and get comfortable (luckily they have 4 practice swims before the tri) and hopefully I can keep at this. MUCH better attitude! Stick with it. You have a couple hundred of your closest friends looking out for you! Also, don't forget to get a good warmup swim in the morning of the race. Water conditions (i.e. temp, visibility, etc) can change from day to day and it's much more calming to know exactly what's going on right before you race. Sharon |
| 2005-06-04 4:10 PM in reply to: #168507 |
Coach 10487 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: DNF :( You had the right attitude to practice the OW swims. If your next Tri is on August.Don't do only 4 OW swims, do as many as you need for you to feel comfortable on the water and realize that YOU CAN DO IT! |
| 2005-06-04 4:21 PM in reply to: #168587 |
Expert 936 Westchester County NY | Subject: RE: DNF :( That's the spirit! Don't let one bad experience get you down. Practice, practice, practice. Turn the thing around about your Dad. Think about how proud he'd be knowing that his son is getting in the water and swimming in a race! |
 2005-06-04 4:53 PM in reply to: #168587 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2005-06-04 6:06 PM in reply to: #168507 |
| Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: DNF :( You can do it... I panicked in my first Tri which was Open Water in the Ocean. It freaked me out....I saw my HR was in the 160's and that freaked me out too. I found this issue with swimming is all mental like others said. My second Tri was a pool and I was surprised I felt panicky. I went into doing sweet spot (a total immersion recover position....so you can breath and regroup). I was happy that I figured out how to get it back. Last Saturday I did my first OWS of the season...and hung out in the water but didn't do much swimming. My Tri today was 1045 yds....and after Saturday thought no way I could do it. I shared on BT and others encouraged me and gave me some help to get my mind okay. I did two more open water swims...one with my swim coach and one with an encouraging Tri team friend...and guess what I did it... I swam 1045 yds or .6 of mile. I came out of the water last...wasn't last but who cares..... I was calm and enjoyed myself and I was really really slow. But I didn't feel panicky at all...I didn't hyperventilate. This was only the second time I've swam that distance. I feel I beat away my swim demon...and I do have lots to work on. Two Tri friends and I are going OWS twice a week on an ongoing basis. I tried to come up with ideas that would help me keep positive during the swim including: 1. counting strokes visualizing number flashing beneath me with each stroke 2. having fun and enjoying the moment 3. If you have little kids...and have seen Finding Nemo...Dory tells Nemo's Dad to keep on swimming over and over while they are in a dark and scary place. I watched that last night on the ride up to NH. 4. Try to keep upbeat and not think negative thoughts. 5. I knew I could stop for as long as I needed and was safe and warm. 6. Don't start doing freestyle and get caught up in the ruckus of so many swimmers....take it easy at first...getting winded puts negative thoughts into your head faster/more often. If I can do this...so can you....keep on trying and find supportive people to swim with you. Others are right...your wife is great....you can do it. Keep us posted! Kathy |
| 2005-06-04 6:12 PM in reply to: #168529 |
| Expert 1180 Iowa | Subject: RE: DNF :( the bear - 2005-06-04 11:02 AM On second thought, you wouldn't have a set of Speedplay pedals I can get a good deal on?
LFMAO |
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