Help me not quit!

"I'm pretty sure this is totally psychological and don't know if I can fix it by race day, no matter how much extra swim practice I put in. "

Hey!!! You just said it right there!!!

Not knowing whether or not you can FINISH the swim is 100% completely psychological, and any psychological belief like that is fixable in a matter of minutes. This might sound really lame but I 100+% believe that if you think that you can do something that you can imagine is possible, you CAN!!! BUT it is going to be 1000% harder if you have doubts.

For my first 5 years in triathlon I had similar problem as you - I was fine practicing in open water, but once race-situation hit, I hyperventilated like crazy (often to the point where my extremely persistent and determined mind was teetering on quitting because I felt like my heart was going to give out). To get over this I would switch to breast stroke for 5-10 counts, then crawl for 5-10 counts, then back and forth until my breathing got more under control.

I have a youth triathlon team here in Korea and I teach them to count when they panic as well, and it has really helped a few of them - I find that it takes your mind off of the race and onto getting from 1-5 or 1-10 for if nothing else, a few seconds.

Bottom line - you need to find a way to get rid of the doubt, because if you have doubt, the chances of quitting in the middle of a race if you are in a tough spot are very high, and while that's not the end of the world, you might look back and kick yourself. Seriously, I find that just saying out loud, 'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this!' or variations of that, really help convince your subconscious.

Good luck - I hope you decide to do the race, because in the end, every experience is a good experience, because you will have learned something from it either way

Man, that's tough.

I would say that, race day, if you have any doubts about being safe on the swim, don't start. That's not the place to test your tough-person persona.

But I would agree it's in your head, and if you train both the brain and the body, you can overcome it and race well. It'd be a shame to throw away something you enjoy for a fear that's conquerable.

ps just for your info the race that I hyperventilated the worst in was a half IM, 1900m (where I nearly had to go to a boat to get pulled out or at least rest), and 2nd worst hyperventilation was an IM.

If you start way off towards the side with no one on one of your sides, you will at least have 180 degrees of non-splashing, if that is one of the things that makes you panic. I used to do that and while it didn't completely quell my anxieties it definitely helped a lot.

Two things you can do. First, make sure you do a thorough swim warmup a few minutes before the start. Second, and most important, count slowly to five after the horn goes off before you start to swim. That will keep you out of the mad rush at the start with all its accompanying adrenaline rush. Start slowly and swim by people as you catch up to them. The extra five seconds will make no more than....5 seconds difference in your overall race time.

I have been battling OWS anxieties all season. Like you a first timer this year. I have noticed I have more anxiety the first time I swim in a new place because I do not know what to expect. My first race was a few weeks ago - I swam the lake the day before my race so there were no "surprises" and I knew what to expect. I am racing again in less than 2 weeks and plan to swim the lake the day before to get me comfortable in the new water.

I practiced swim in a pond filled with weeds that would tangle around you - you could not even breathe to put your face in the water for this one section that was about 25yards long - my heart rate would get so high I had to learn how to control my anxiety and HR to bring it back down. If I start to get panicky - I just try to "center" myself again. ie "There are no big fish"; "There are no turtles that will snap and bite"; "Those are just rocks"; "Water grass and weeds are just that"; "Those fishes are tiny" -

Anyways - those stupid little phrases help me keep my thoughts from getting out of control and help me keep my heart rate down. If I can do it - I am sure anyone can. I am the same person that is TERRIFIED of swimming in my wetsuit in the ocean for fear of being mistaken to be a seal. 

You can do it.

In the pool, I can swim 2500m without breaking a sweat. And I have completed 1500m OWS, but only in a practice situation.

The thing is that I really did not expect to have a problem yesterday. I felt prepared and calm. I knew I wasn't going to be fast, but I thought I'd be fine. Then I really wasn't. So I agree that I need to stop talking myself out of it, but on the other hand I didn't talk myself out of anything yesterday and I still freaked. I just want to be safe - I can make up some time on the bike and run, but I can't guarantee my safety on the swim.

Hello

Go get one or two swim lessons from a real swim coach.  Their insight & tips will help you with your breathing technique and get you on the path being comfortable in the water.

I went from not being able to swim 25 meters to Sprint-Tri in four weeks with 3 lessons and a lot of practice on my own.

You can do it!

Kevin

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Edited by deathbyzamboni87 2009-08-18 8:35 AM

So can you break down what happened to you yesterday? Can you figure out what exactly it was that caused you to panic and/or have trouble breathing? My first few races I got caught up in the "race" and went out way too fast (for me) and had similar issues. That could be the problem, or maybe swimming in a crowd with all the arms and legs moving around you causes you to panic. Really think through it, and see if you can figure out what's causing your feeling of panic/anxiety, and what you can do to alleviate or minimize those factors. If it's going out too fast, start in the back, and really MAKE yourself ease into the swim. If it's swimming among loads of people, start to the back and off to the side, and let the crowd go out a few seconds ahead before you start so you're not in the midst of the great washing machine.

It sounds like you can definitely swim the distance, so your safety should not be a concern. I assume your race will have rescue personnel in kayaks or some similar water craft. Remind yourself that it is okay for you to grab hold of one of the kayaks, or a bouy, or to stop and float on your back for for a few seconds to catch your breath. I think the key is to try and keep keep things slow and steady, at least until you get over this feeling of panic and anxiety in OWS race situations. You could try repeating some kind of simple mantra while you swim - something like "Slow and Steady" or "Swim Easy" that you can repeat in your head to both calm yourself and slow your rhythm might help.

Good luck.....

I agree that if you can comfortably swim the distance in the pool and OW then you should explore what is setting you off at races. 

I understand that weeds can set people off - and it's definitely creepy.  Do you know how the water will be there?

Also - when I started back this year at races, it's really important for me to get in the water, go under and blow all the air out of my lungs under water - just to relax.  I was worried about panicking in the water even though I'm a very strong swimmer - it was scary getting back into the race scene.

The other suggestions have been good - I always start out slow and steady - I can always speed up later.  Plus - I start off to the side because I get panicky if there are a lot of people around me all at once.  What about swimming in some different locations with more people?  We could organize some group swims in water you haven't swum in yet?

Also - what about swimming off a boat?  I know that induces panic in some people - being in water way over their heads.  But getting out a couple times where you know you can't touch with people who are there to help might let you ride through the panic and feel more comfortable in the water?  Kinda like desensitization? 

I think you should do it.  I think you will be fine.  Part of anxiety is that it tends to build on itself and it is easier to be scared in situations where you have already been scared.  Recognizing the fear and understanding where it comes from and how it is affecting you is hard - but is also key to stopping the cycle.

I understand completely.  What helped me was to constantly remind myself to breathe (while waiting to enter the water) and holding back a little so that I wasn't in a mad rush of people and reminding myself to breathe while entering the water.  Once I got going, it wasn't an issue for me.  It was that starting part that was the problem.  Just reminding yourself to breathe (and then doing it) does seem to have the physiological effect of a bit of calming.  In my limited experience.  But don't give up.  Just remember to breathe and go out and do it.