Drowning your open water demons
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() There are a lot of threads on here about the open water swim, many of which deal with overcoming fear. I have to admit that I was more or less freaked out about the swim at my first 5 races, Buffalo Spring included. Fear has some physiologic effects that are both hard to overcome and not conducive to swimming. It's hard to swim when your body wants to breathe 40 times a minute. Mentally you can be afraid and still make yourself do the thing you fear. Courage has everything to do with being afraid and going anyway, not being fearless. With regard to the swim, I've managed to make some progress. I am by no means an swimming expert or even a novice swim coach. And honestly I know I have to go out and have another decent swim at my next race to convince myself I'm getting better. But I can tell you what results I've had personally to date, and what I did to get to a point where I can swim on race day (at least once!). Maybe it will help.
1) I took lessons. I did a TI workshop and I had four different people give me lessons. I learned something from each of them. 2) I focused a lot on form. I did drills for months... and months. I did so many drills that I can't stand the thought of drills now, though I know I still need to do them. I make deals with myself and when I am swimming my long sets I throw in the occasional drill to break things up. 3) After the lessons, after the form work, I swam a lot. No brainer. But I made myself swim more than I wanted to swim. There were a few days when I got in the pool, swam 200 yards and went home. But there were more days when I didn't want to swim and once I got in the water I had a great workout. 4) I trained in my wetsuit occasionally, in the pool and in open water. I swam in open water with and without it. I put little stock in working on sighting and race tactics because I knew if I couldn't just SWIM in open water none of that would matter. Once I got comfortable swimming (finally), then I did some work on sighting and it came to me easier than I expected (and I can still improve a lot). My worst swim ever was at Cactus and I blamed my wetsuit at first because I had so much trouble breathing. After some self-evaluation (and pool swims in the wetsuit) I realized the wetsuit was not the problem... 5) This is controversial, but I cannot deny that it helped me tremendously. I started using a SwiMP3 player and listened to music while I swam. I know a lot of people whom I respect disagree with the use of music in training. Mental training and all that. I know one thing. On race day from the time the gun goes off until I cross the finish line... I'm mentally locked in to every stroke, every repetition... all of the rhythms of the race. My mind is there. So I don't see music in training as a crutch for me. One IMMEDIATE effect of the SwiMP3 was a major increase in my swim volume. I liked being in the water with my favorite tunes. I have no problem focusing on form. In fact I think it helps me because I'm not thinking about how freakin' bored I am! There is no denying that it has helped me. Make up your own mind on that one. Don't let me convince you to get one and don't let anyone convince you it's bad. 6) I suppose I believed that I would eventually get it. I had enough supportive people telling me that and I trusted them so despite my skepticism and naturally self-critical outlook, on some level I believed it would happen. Pool swimming was a struggle for me. Day in and day out I went to the pool and I sucked. I got discouraged. I kept with the drills. One day, after about a week out of the pool, I went to swim and I felt like I'd been swimming for years. It literally was like someone flipped a switch and I could just swim. The same thing happened last weekend. After a thought provoking with my BT buddy Dennis at the start of the BSLT IM 70.3, I decided it was time to just get in there and swim (read our race peorts... pretty funny). I felt like I was a veteran swimmer. I drafted, I passed people, I rounded buoys... I was in a pack of people and I was totally comfortable the entire swim. Ultimately it boils down to seeing that it's an acquired skill and like anything else it can be learned with the right approach. My approach seems to be working for me, and hopefully some elements of what I'm doing can be helpful for other people in the same boat (sorry....). Stay out of the boat. Swim!
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() What a great post and what great perserverance you have! This should be quite an inspiration to many of us who struggle with the swim. |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I've watched your swimming come along and it's definitely been VERY inspiring! You've worked your butt off and proved it can be done.
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Congratulations! As a fellow suffer of OWSFS (open water swim freakout syndrome), let me say that I am very impressed and inspired. . . . but I'm not sure that the title Drowning your open water demons makes me feel much better. ![]() |
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Elite Veteran![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() That's Great!! Your hard work's paying off!! |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Bill, thanks for the great info and inspiration. It couldn't have come at a better time for me since swimming is the only thing I can do right now with my injury. I'm ready to try your suggestions out. But I know I personally need to seek out more detailed, step by step information on such things as what drills to do, how in tarnation do you sight, and other pertinent things. It's been amazing to watch your progress, and it makes me have a ray of hope that I can get over my ows demons too. |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Hey, Bill, I'm reviving this post - good stuff - and adding one thing you did: *DRAFT. You drafted very effectively at Buffalo Springs Lake, am i right? It's good to remember that drafting is LEGAL during the swim and can help a LOT! All the other stuff you did is true too - it got you to a point where you were ready to take advantage of the race situation, stay strong and just excel. So cool. (But San Jacinto... ugh. I remember feeling nauseous for the second half of the swim. So gross.) |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Yeah I guess I undestated the value of the draft. I know it helped. It's hard to have an intuative feel for how much it helped, but I know it did. ![]() |
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Master![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I agree with SN. I'm not sure I'd like to think about drowning at all. I'd rather BTich slap my OWS demons 'cuz this is BT and its what we BTers do Today I went out and bought a wetsuit. Hopes it gets my in the open water more as the lake at my cottage is kinda chilly year round. But keep it up! All OWSFS(?) need former members of the club to look up to. |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Great post! You improved your technique through tons of drills and then you swam A LOT to reinforce that new technique...that's the way it should be done. I'd suggest to anyone that decides to make a serious effort to do something similar that they swim very little (or not at all) for at least 4-6 weeks while doing drill work. It's hard for your mind and body to learn a new way to do something when you still spend time doing it the old way too. I took about 8 weeks after my TI clinic this winter and did nothing but drills 3-4 days a week for 30-45min at a time. Swim technique/form improvement takes time and determination but pays off in the end with more relaxed swims which leave you feeling fresh when you hit T1. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I also appreciate this post. It is encouraging to see someone overcome the OWS demons. That is my number one goal for this season. My progress has been slow, but I have been moving in the right direction. Thanks for the update and the insight. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Had to go back to catch up on this post by RGRBILL, thanks for the encouragement. Much needed to us "water woosies"... |
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Member![]() ![]() | ![]() Great post! I hope I have the same success with swimming you have had. My story is exactly like yours (even hyperventilating in a race...kind of hard to swim while doing that isn't it?) - up to the BSLT part. My chance at that is in three weeks at Vineman. I'll be thinking about your post in the pool this afternoon... |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Awesome post! Thank you very much for sharing. I am having huge issues with this, especially the hyperventilating in races. It's funny, I can handle OWS without issue, but put me in a race and I am through. Like you said, it's hard to swim when you want to breath 40x per minute. It got so bad at my race last weekend that I seriously considered giving up the sport. I've decided to stick with it and really work on my swim and overcoming my fear. It is very helpful to know that I'm not alone and others have overcome this obstacle. Thanks for your advice and post - congratulations on your success! It gives me hope. Now, I need to get to the pool. Edited by captantony 2006-07-13 10:05 AM |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Good luck guys. I'll be checking your logs to see how you're coming along! By all means PM me if you have any questions. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Great post, thanks! It's kinda like Bear says about cycling, "Ride lots." To get better at swimming, ya gotta swim lots. (After getting the technique down first mind you.) While I am by no means a great swimmer, I remember the day clearly when swimming "clicked" and I could just keep going. I took lessons too, and WOW! what a difference! Thanks for the encouragement. ![]() Edited by KSlostStar 2006-07-14 12:06 AM |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Thanks for this post! It gives me some hope! Lots of your experiences sound really familiar ![]() Maybe one day I'll be able to flip that switch! ![]() |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Great post, Bill! I'm among the masses that have had some not-so-good OWS experiences. Tomorrow, I'll be doing my first full OLY at the same race that started this tri business last year. While I did the swim as a part of a relay last year, I should still beat my time by more than 20 minutes when I race like I've planned and trained. I WILL race as I've planned and trained. DEMONS BE GONE! Cheers! Tom |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Bump for 2007. ![]() |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Nice job and heck of an inspiration! I need to get off my rear and find a TI workshop!!! |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Kick @$$ post Bill. Thanks for the bump. Iit's going in my swimming bookmarks. Decided all I was going to do was drill, drill, drill for the next few months and this just makes me feel all the better about the decision. |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Bump... again.
Edited to update: I managed to follow up with a 37 minute (and change) swim at a 1/2 IM relay last month. So I guess I can still swim. Edited by Bill 2007-05-02 2:12 PM |
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Coach ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() LOL, while doing my swim today I was considering posting how I’ve been improving my swim times since I return to tri training but ya beat me! (And for sure you did a better job describing what it takes to swim faster ![]() ![]() Quick Q: do you find your swim style moving away from what you learned through TI as you swim faster? |
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Elite ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() amiine - 2007-05-02 2:38 PM Quick Q: do you find your swim style moving away from what you learned through TI as you swim faster? Actually yes I do. I'm not sure I can fully-quantify how it's changed, but it's different. Mostly my hands are turning over a lot faster, I do a three-beat kick with my big toes in close and my heals out, and I don't do quite as much of a body roll as I did with TI. I knew you'd "veto" #5! I can't help it. That thing is like a crack pipe. But I don't miss it on race day. I'm so into what's going on in the pack that my brain is plenty busy! |
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