HELP!!!!!!!!!!! Swim

Plain and simple:  It's all in your head.

You just discovered what many newbie triathletes discover:  A race as your first open water swim never works out very well.  You can do all the pool time you want, but unless you get out and practice in the open water...  FAIL!  Would you do all of your bike training on a trainer or rollers inside and never once ride outside until your race?  No.  Would you do all of your run training on a treadmill and never once run outside until your race?  No.  So why do it with the swim?

Have a friend with a kayak or rowboat go with you and at least once a week get into a lake and do an open water swim for distance.  If you have no friends, tie a surfboard, inflatable raft, something behind you.  I pull a 'Surfster' about 10 feet behind me when I'm alone.  Then whenever local swimming groups or the YMCA announces a group open water swim practice, SIGN UP!  They're only about $5 and you'll swim in a pack.  GREAT practice for your races!

This is the training you HAVE TO DO for an open water triathlon swim!  You can't just be exclussively in the pool and then your first OWS be the race.  It NEVER works out.  Who knows?  You may begin to like it more than the pool.  I do.  No constant changing directions and walls.  It's refreshing and free to simply pick a spot a half-mile away, go straight there and back in an environment without chlorine chemical smells, artificial lighting and loud echos.

If you need some additional mental help to relax in open water, might I shamelessly plug my wife's services?  She's helped many triathletes, especially for this:  http://www.lakesidetherapy.com

Hope this helps!

Totally agree - which is a good thing, because you can overcome this.  Practicing in open water will give you confidence.  I always advise warming up first, so I am glad you did that.  Then you just have to believe you can do it.  Don't listen to the voices that say things like "it's an uphill swim" or the voices in your head.    You've done the swim workouts, you will practice more, YOU CAN DO THIS.

You are tiring yourself out with the nerves, flailing, etc.  Next time at the start of the race, hang back a second and let the group go.  Don't "race" the swim.  Just take a deep breathe, rememeber you are trained, and start swimming calmly.  With the wetsuit you barely even need to kick and you will NOT drown if you trust the suit.  You can mostly float in it, I suspect, if you trusted it.  Maybe light treading water if you need a break.  In fact, when you practice in it the next time stop and see how easy it is to float. 

I absolutely have been there, so this is not the advice of a good and confident swimmer.  In my first Oly swim I panicked for about 6 minutes right at the beginning.  Then I "muscled" my way through the .9 miles, and left the water totally spent.  This year I did the same race and took 10 minutes off my time.  The main difference was finding a calm place before I dove in and not rushing it. 

Good luck!

Don't give up yet. I've spent the last year trying to figure out what my OWS problems were.  Over a series of races we went through a checklist of common OWS problems related to breathing and panic attacks. I can swim in a pool, OWS alone in a lake, mass starts with friends and a coach. But for some reason once I got into a race situation I had the same problems as you did.  You can and will work through this just hang in there. I  swam in the Escape from Alcatraz tri a few weeks ago with no panic problems. 

We think we finally nailed down what my OWS problems were. I have to warm-up in the water before the race. My coach said when I start a race without warming up that it puts my body into a fight or flight position. Which pretty much describes the beginning of most triathlons IMO. Your HR is already higher because of the race. Add in the mass start and it is really difficult to not go into a panic/breathing situation.

Before each race I swim or do something to get my HR up really high for a few minutes. That way the race start isn't the first time my HR/Breathing elevate. This has really helped me out a lot. I also have to start out slower than I need to. If you need to float on your back then do so until you can get your breathing under control. Then flip over and swim as long as you can.

To prepare for OWS, I'm not allowed to push off the wall at the pool or even touch it. I turn around at the end of the lane without pushing off. Actually it is pretty funny. You wouldn't believe how many people have stopped me and told me how much easier it would be if I pushed off from the wall! Not pushing off has made me get used to swimming without a break. One of these days I'll learn how to do flip turns.

IMO the shorter beginner sprint type races are harder for those of us with OWS panic/breathing problems. Too many people are crowded into a small space. The longer swims are easier because you can get into your rhythm and find a space to swim.

You can and will work through this.

John,
Keep at it.  I had nearly the same experience.  Last out of the water and was on first name basis with kayakers.  Fast forward to this weekend with no Wetsuit.  Was freaking out because the bouyancy of the wetsuit was my crutch.  No crutch.  Survived and feel better about OWS's but not 100%.  My Tri group has had 2 OWS practices with a qualified swim instructor leading it.  It has made the world of difference and you need to find similar ones to practice.

Keep trying, you will get there.

Been there... done that - several times.

I just had a discussion about this very subject with the leader of the tri club to which I belong. He told me that part of it's in your head, but part of it is an actual physiological response to the combination of anxiety, stress and the cold water.  One of the tips he gave me was to pull the neck of the suit out while in the water to let water get into the suit.  This supposedly will help combat that "constricted feeling" the suit gives you.  The other thing I do is to make a conscious effort to actually go slower that normal at the start so I won't get out of breath.   

glad to hear you remedied the situation...

you may also want to let your wave go ahead for about 15-20 seconds to insure that the race gets off on a good foot...

it really allows for you to get into a rythym and set a nice pace to start

good luck!