Open Water . . . Panic

Happens to tons of people. You just gotta breathe. Were you exhaling in the water, or were you paranoid about getting lake water in your mouth? When you start thinking about all the other stuff, generally you start panting. I would start there.

Good luck.

Edited by tjfry 2009-06-22 10:19 AM

Exhaling in the water, just like the pool. The lake was shallow (8-10 feet) so no deep water concerns, either.

Most everyone has a crappy first OWS. Keep doing it as they get better. It's just a lot different from the pool so you have to get used to it.

It seems to be a pretty common thing.  My wife had an major anxiety attack during an ocean swim with me last weekend which completely affected her breathing and made the whole workout a bit of an ordeal for her.  She's a very experienced swimmer with three ocean tri swims and numerous ocean workouts under her belt.  For whatever reason, things started to escalate from leaky goggle to general discomfort into shortness of breath.  A week later--on Saturday--we went out again at the same beach (same temperature, same wetsuit) and she had her longest, most comfortable, ocean swim ever.  Maybe someone can explain it, but we see this sort of narrative a lot here.

I had a really big problem last year during a clinic. I was in some pretty rough and cold water and, as with the post above, things escalated for me and I pretty much gave up and resigned myself to drowning. I was/am a physically strong swimmer and physical fitness wasn't the issue. What I lacked is mental fitness. I think you have to get it in your head that you can and will do it and don't let anything else get into your mind. I had done that same swim 2 weeks prior without incident and, 2 weeks after the incident, had a strong performance during the race. What I've learned is to respect the water, stay calm and keeping stroking.

Just happened to me yesterday in my first tri. Just a short swim of 375m. I couldn't believe how much I panicked!  I was practically hyperventilating.  I was kicking too much, trying to stroke too fast, kept getting water in when i would turn to breathe ... it was awful. I ended up doing a rough combo of front crawl, back stroke and panicked doggie paddle.  Ten minutes beforehand i was happily doing some warm up strokes. I don't think i have EVER panicked the way i did yesterday ... anyway I chalk it up to a fear of that deep water ... honestly, I didn't even know it was that bad.

Anyway, it hasn't beaten me. I signed up for the next race, I am buying a wetsuit (no more renting) and I am going to OWS as much as possible! I am certain it can be overcome!!

Very common to panic in open water. My first few ow swims were horrific, now no big deal. The reason? I've desensitized myself to them and now it is by far my favorite workout.

Also, during a race you have to find a way to get your nerves/excitement under control. For me, it is starting VERY SLOWLY. I pretend like it's just me and I'm just having fun until to find my rhythm and then I go a little faster.

I've noticed that when the water is cold, my first 3 or breaths are pretty shallow and I have trouble breathing out fully but after a few strokes, I'm good to go.

I had the original panic as well.  My first OWS was in the ocean, straight out.  Nothing to sight far off, just the sky meeting the water at the horizon.  Very disorienting.  While I am by no means a fast swimmer, I am over the panic.

For me, focusing on counting strokes and breathing.  I would count strokes, breathe every three, sight every 18, and then restart the count.  Allows you to focus on getting the next sighting stroke, and not on why you are swimming off to the horizon and away from a perfectly good beach. 

You can also count the number of buoys, divide by the distance, and the realize that you are never more than X yards from a buoy you can hold onto.

You will get used to it.

Gordon

Thanks everyone. Good to know I am far from alone! I appreciate the support and advice.

I have my 1st tri in August and have been training in a pool because i am scared to death of the swim, i am not too excited about the swim part but i keep telling myself that i can do it. I am glad that i am not the only one that goes thru this feeling. Buying a wetsuit this weekend and will try it in ocean this summer, i have been told that the wetsuit adds buoyancy, god i hope so.  lol

I have had lots of issues with open water swimming even up through last year and to a lesser extent this year and this is year six of doing tris. I have a rough month or so when I first get back doing open water swims.

I have some things that worked for me that I'd like to share if they might be helpful..

1. I have a time that swimming in open water is really uncomfortable and it is somewhere between 8-12 minutes. After that time I feel okay. Knowing that helps me me suck it up as 12' of being uncomfortable is okay.

2. First Moose I did I was freaking about the swim before the race. My coach called me and said if I dropped you in the water 1045 yds (it was 1/4 IM back then) from shore you would make it to the shore. I knew that was true. I have a wicked dog paddle and side stroke. Being in the water doesn't make me uncomfortable but doing free does. Giving up the idea that I would only do free helped me know I could do the distance. I was last out of the water and finished last overall at the race but it was a huge mental accomplishment.

3. For me more ows helps and swimming at race site before race helps. I'd swim Friday to get used to taste, look and feel of the water before a Saturday race. It makes the day of race better for me. Also race morning I get in the water to get used to water. When my wave goes off I wait in the back and let everyone go before I start. I avoid the chaos that brings more anxiety.

I suggest when doing ows between now and race day try to figure out what makes you uncomfortable and how long that feeling stays. I find knowing my triggers helps me cope with my swim issues.

Maybe these ideas will help you a little.

My first race was a full-on panic. In any panicky situation, it helps to make yourself breathe deeply to calm yourself down. Breast stroke, sidestroke, whatever will help you see and think clearly, is fine. I decided that I could make my way to the shore and have a strong bike and run, which is what happened. My issues probably stemmed from both choppy waters and overall fitness. Vowing to get to the pool more often and come to the next race a stronger swimmer definitely helped. So did a smaller lake and calmer waters! Swimming tends to allow weird, evil thoughts come into my mind more often than the other two disciplines, and it usually happens when I'm pushing hard and allow my need for oxygen to begin to dominate my thoughts. In my second race, I kept telling myself, "Keep your head down, and keep going." It worked. Don't feel bad if you freak out. Take the time to calm yourself down, and you'll be okay.

Oh, I remember well.  Practiced the OWS route many times, yet the big day brought the big panic.  I got in the water and floated on my back to calm my nerves before the start, so I thought.  The start of the race was everything everyone tells you about....CHAIOS!   For me flipping on my back and self talking, telling myself, you have done this route over and over, you can do this, flipping back into free style, still not ready to go, flipped on my back, now telling myself  "what the f...you can do this" FLipped back over into free style, started counting my strokes, and repeating slow is fast, slow is fast, ended up coming in 2nd in my age group in the swim.  Expect to be out of sorts for the first 50 yards or so, take it slow until you get into your rythme and then let it go.  Good Luck!

PS  Unilateral breathing in times of panic is easier than bilateral (for me I only do unilateral) something to consider.

yep, sounds normal to me.  i bombed my first OWS last month.  880 yds in 25:44 (85th out of 89 coming out of the water).  hyperventilated.  panicked. couldnt breath.  but stuck it out.

Hi, not sure I can add much here. My only suggestion is to learn to enjoy OW.
If you have kids, I would say, go to the beach or lake and PLAY in the water with them.
If you ever go tot he beach, but don't go in the water, start going in and splashing around.
Do things like kids do-practice rhythmic breathing by dunking yourself in water that is just above your head and coming back up.
Practice the dead-mans float
Anything you remember from when you first learned to swim.
I haven't had a full on panic, but in my second sprint, I was trying to fix leaky goggles, caught some water and spent a minute or two just doggie paddling to get reset. Rather than focusing on being competitive, stay to the outside and try to pretend like it is a practice swim. The crowds can be scary.
Hope some of that helps. Good luck, and don't let it keep you out of the water!

I had my first OWS a few weeks ago and it was awful.  I'm not afraid of OW either - I just panicked.  So, I vowed the next one would be better.   And it was.  Here's what helped me:

1.  Wearing a wetsuit - I know I'll float so it takes away some stress.   
2.  Practice sighting in the pool.  Figured out a breathe, stroke, sight rhythm to try in the lake. 
3.  Calming pep talk beforehand.  Waiting for everyone else to go ahead.  (Not an option in races, but in training, yes.) 
4.  Getting wet before the swim...not just jumping in and going.  I think the cold water shocked me when my face hit it. 
5.  Figuring out something to focus on in the lake.  For me its the sound of my bubbles/breathing out underwater.  Focusing on that and the breathe, sight, stroke rhythm really helps.  There is so much to worry about (other people, seaweed, fish) that it really helps me to have that focus.

I hope this helps.  Good luck and have fun! 

This is a great thread - very helpful and reassuring for us newbies.  I did my first tri last weekend and my swim was abysmal.  I never considered myself to be afraid of water so I was shocked by my own degree of panic and my lack of ability to get through it and actually SWIM.  It was quite shallow so I walked/bobbed along.

It's helpful to know that we can get past this with practice.

So many great tips--very helpful. Makes me anxious (in a good way) to try again!

So I am not a Triathlete though I am training for one in Aug. What I am is a fish... I spent 15 years in the Navy as a Search and Rescue swimmer and totally understand stress in the water. So I feel comfortable commenting on OWS and stress while in the OW.

Though I have never been in a Tri start I believe stress in the water is stress in the water. Most of us bi pods don't spend a great deal of time in the wet environment until we come across a sport like Tri. So we don't equip or noggen with the tools we need to with respect to confidence in the water.

You need to equip yourself with the tools to deal with the upcoming stress. Anxiety is a nasty creature and we all experience it somewhere. So you already have the appropriate tool you just need to locate it.

Relaxing is the key to OWS. The ocean being a fluid environment you need to become fluid with it. Zen huh? :^)

Reach in your tool box and find the tool you have used somewhere in your past to help deal the anxiety long before you get near the water.

Trust yourself... You have trained in the water and you know you can go the distance so believe. Pool or OW they are still the same fluid dynamic.

Trust your training... If you spent the time and effort to get to the start line prepared for the distance then you covered that base.

As long as you have the conditioning then the rest is mental. The mind is the worst enemy or the strongest ally we have. Relax and believe and it is the ally....

Good luck...

I panicked during the swim in my first tri too.  I thought I had done everything I was supposed to do to prepare.  It wasn't my first OWS, wasn't my first swim in a wetsuit, and I got in the water before my wave went off and swam around for a bit. Then, the horn went off. I put my face in the water and I freaked out!  I wound up finishing the swim by doing the backstroke for most of it.  I couldn't even breaststroke my way through because I couldn't put my face in the water. Second tri, a month later, no problems at all.  

Another suggestion (one that I read on the forum after panicking during my first tri and it was really helpful for me) is to glance at your watch when you start to feel panicky.  If you're struggling to breathe and you see that you've only been in the water for 3 minutes, it feels like an eternity, but really it hasn't been that long at all.  I knew I could swim for a lot longer than that without stopping in the pool, I just needed something to help me mentally snap out of the panic in the open water.

Edited by vball03umd 2009-06-25 12:51 PM