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Feeling down...
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 2009-07-03 1:27 PM |
Member  10 Carson |  Subject: Feeling down...So I'm doing a tri on July 26 (spring) and trying to get as much ocean swimming in (Of course practicing my stroke in the pool) at work i decided to take advantage of my lunch break and went for a swim a the beach... The lifeguard warned us of rip currents near the area... Went went out (with caution in mind of course)... swimming horizontal to the beach and started to get tired..so i turned and started heading towards the shore... I think i might of swam straight into a rip current. Having no knowledge of what to do in that situation (didn't even know i was in the rip current) all i knew was that i was getting real tired and i was going nowhere...I would gain 15 feet and loose 10. I was trying to control myself and not panic...Decided that if i keep trying I'm gonna get TOO tired and wow, drown...soo... Signaled the lifeguard, he swam in...i was sculling trying to maintain a float and he got to me, threw me his buoy and pulled me out... by swimming across... once we got out of it he went his way i said thanks!!! This happened Wednesday, i haven't ran swam or cycled since... I've been feeling down, like a total noob which i guess you can say i am, it was my first time going without a wetsuit... I feel like i shouldn't even be trying :/ But after i eat I'm going to the pool. Kinda iffy going to the ocean :/ I've never felt that way in my life...Completely helpless, and almost defeated... probably defeated from fear... No one probably wants to hear this but I need to vent to athletes. Normal people just say wow. scary. and dig me deeper into my downness <-- not a real word... I've now done alot and more research to come regarding rip currents... Almost forgot...has anything like this ever happened to anyone? I mean, should i just put it past me and continue training? Edited by tri1984 2009-07-03 1:29 PM |
| 2009-07-03 1:53 PM in reply to: #2260426 |
Master 4119  Toronto Bronze member | Subject: RE: Feeling down... Keep training!! I am way more of a noob than you. Completely panicked in my first tri a couple of weeks ago and it was in a nice small lake. I managed to make some forward motion and finish. :D I was shocked at how my fear totally gripped me. And I wondered if i even should be bothering if I was that scared. But i haven't trained this hard to give up and neither have you!! Get thee to a pool to ease back into swimming. It's nice, controlled conditions. Lots of people wouldn't know what to do in your situation and you were very smart to ask for help!! If on race day there are dangerous conditions the swim will be cancelled so you won't have to worry about that! |
| 2009-07-03 2:22 PM in reply to: #2260426 |
Veteran 318 Indianapolis | Subject: RE: Feeling down... Hey you're still here! The ocean is a huge beast that will do with you what it wants. x2 on you did the right thing, you signaled for help and now you can train again another day. I have not had an experience like that, but sometimes I get dicouraged. There are days that I go for a bike ride and have so much trouble climbing a hill, I wonder if I should just give it up. I read a lot of the posts on here, one thing is for sure this is a long process to get this stuff. Usually every day I take something away from this site that has helped me in some way. When I started (this year mind you) I figured hey, I'm already in shape I can jump right in. Wow, it was eye opening. It takes years to become a properly trained distance athlete. As long as I keep that in mind, that I am on a long road to constant improvement, I keep a good attitude about it. Someone posted a quote from a coach on here a while back that I thought was really great. "When you see a great distance athlete, it is the result of years of little decisions over years of training for them to be at that level." (I may have butchered that, but it's close)  Anyway, my point is don't give up, get out there, go make peace with the ocean, and get back to it. I know when one of those hills kicks my butt on the bike, usually the next time out I storm up it with no problem. So go swim at the gym and get that victory under your belt, then just build on it. Hope that helps! Oh and since that was your first post, welcome to BT!! |
| 2009-07-04 8:36 AM in reply to: #2260426 |
Expert 640  Sun Prairie, WI | Subject: RE: Feeling down... You learned a valuable lesson and got off with nothing more than a bruised ego. Try to take a positive spin from the experience, it could have been much worse and you learned how to handle a rip current in the future. If you are anything like me I would suspect this will bother you until you get back in the ocean and overcome what gave you problems. I would recommend a swimming partner or group for some support though. Remember that which does not kill you only makes you stronger. You are stronger from the experience, you just have not realized it yet. Take some of the frustration from the experience out during some intense training and it will soon be forgotten. If you stop training it will only make the event that much worse as you will continue to dwell on it. |
| 2009-07-04 9:11 AM in reply to: #2260426 |
Iron Donkey 38643  , Wisconsin | Subject: RE: Feeling down... No. I don't have the opportunity to swim in an ocean, much less be near an ocean. I have to deal with blue-green algae which can kill, but I digress. Thankfully, you had your wits about you and signalled the lifeguard. Chalk it up as a learning experience which you will have over many other persons. Glad you're alright, most of all. Keep working away, don't let it get you down, and don't worry anymore about it. |
| 2009-07-04 9:17 AM in reply to: #2260426 |
Expert 1557 Austin, TX | Subject: RE: Feeling down... That EXACT same thing happened to me years ago. I wasn't swimming, but was just body surfing and playing around with some friends. We got tired and decided to head in. So, we all just lowered our heads and started swimming towards the shore. We were probably a good 50y out. Swam for several minutes, looked up, and I was FARTHER out than I was. Did it again...same result. Now, I was really starting to panic. My friends were all on shore by now and I was further away. Tried several more times and still nothing...except further away. I too began waving and signalling to a life guard. However, mine did not come out. He motioned to me to swim sideways (parallel to shore). So I did. Just began swimming. I guess I finally got out of the rip tide b/c as I was swimming parallel I was slowing starting to drift closer to the shore. The guard now motioned me to head straight in and I did and made it. I was exhausted and shaking. I still get a little nervous going too far out in the ocean. But I learned a big lesson. Most of those rip tides are not too wide. The key is to swim out of it first then head in. Check with the guards before you swim and they can tell you where the worst tides are and areas to avoid. I am glad you are ok and feel your pain. It's something that will probably stay with you, but you can choose to let it eat you up or use it to make yourself a stronger swimmer and learn from it so you will be ready next time.  |
| 2009-07-04 9:20 AM in reply to: #2260426 |
Pro 4608 Brooklyn, NY | Subject: RE: Feeling down... Don't let it get you down, we have all had bad swims or bad runs or bad rides that make us question why we do this but you have to learn from it and move on. I had to bail on an ocean swim last summer after Hurricane Bertha. I had successfully managed it the day before but when I went back the following day it was brutal. I got flipped over repeatedly when trying to breathe and then got repeated jellyfish stings that caused me to panic a bit. I had to call it quits and was totally exhausted. But I kept going back and practicing and have learned each time how to better deal with conditions. Hope you are feeling better and at least you stayed safe, you did the right thing. |
| 2009-07-13 1:19 AM in reply to: #2260426 |
Member 10 Carson | Subject: RE: Feeling down... First off, thanks everyone for sharing and the suppot. Since this post i've been running and cycling, and swimming in the pool. Finally got back in the ocean and swam 1.3 miles in 46 minutes which i was pretty proud of... Got my first tri in 12 days! Thanks! |
| 2009-07-13 2:26 AM in reply to: #2260426 |
Expert 2180 Boise, Idaho | Subject: RE: Feeling down... Way to go...Get back on the 'horse' that threw ya! Glad your OK. I still panick a bit during races but I'm getting better. |
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