General Discussion Triathlon Talk » OWS public service announcement Rss Feed  
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2018-07-30 9:47 AM

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Subject: OWS public service announcement

I just completed the swim leg of a relay for an Ironman branded HIM event. 

The lack of preparedness I heard from people at the event about the swim was alarming to me so this post is for the beginners. You need to prepare to swim with 2,400 other people in the open water. I am a confident swimmer with a decent stroke. but I spent a lot of time this summer preparing for this particular event. 

Prior to this summer I had not swam in open water for 4 years but I swim regularly at the pool. I realized pretty quick in my OW practices that I needed to work on how to sight and swim in a straight line. I entered 2 OW swim events to practice swimming in a crowd, pacing and sighting and swam OW weekly with a group at a local lake for further practice. 

Talking to other athletes at the event I heard comments from people who had never swam in open water, who get motion sick swimming in open water, who had not swam at all for a year, who placed themselves in a corral with people who swim much faster than them. 

Don't wait until the day of the event to be your first open water swim ever. That's not setting yourself up for a good day at all. The only way to prepare for open water is to practice in the open water. There are no walls and no lines. You will be surrounded by feet and arms. You will swallow water you don't want to swallow when you turn your head to breath. These things don't happen in the pool. 

If you get motion sick you don't want to start right in the middle of a pack of 2,400 swimmers no matter what you think your projected time will be. There is NO chance of getting any still water in the middle of a pack of this size. 

Learn how to sight properly. I had to try to avoid swimming over the top of SO many people who were stopping, lifting up their entire head and shoulders out of the water to sight. 

And last, seed yourself CORRECTLY. If it is really going to take you an hour to complete the swim don't get in line with the faster swimmers. You are just setting yourself up to get run over repeatedly. 

Good luck, have fun, get prepared. 



2018-07-30 9:59 AM
in reply to: trigal38

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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement
Well said. There's really not much more to add in terms of a Beginner approach to getting acclimated to OWS.

The questions I typically post to those who ask about OWS and are considering triathlons is the following:

a) Can you swim in water that is completely dark?
b) Are you prepared for cold water swimming?
c) Have you tried a wetsuit? Have you practiced with it?
d) Can you handle even a little accidental water swallowed? It will happen; maybe not a lot, but it doesn't take much to upset people.
e) Can you handle a swimmer in front you kicking hard to get you "off their tail"?
f) How would you handle if your goggles got accidentally knocked off-kilter?
g) Do you know how to sight?
h) Can I offer up some "beginner friendly" outdoor triathlons for you?

I typically finish that the swimming part can be daunting, but when approached and prepared in the right manner you can get through it.

2018-07-30 10:21 AM
in reply to: trigal38

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement

Originally posted by trigal38

You will be surrounded by feet and arms. 

Great post. I would add that you will most likely come into contact with other "matter" in the water. The water I've raced in often has seaweed, sticks, moss and of course you know that we share the lake with other living creatures. Which is why it's so important to get in the water to practice beforehand so that you don't freak out when something other than a person brushes your leg. 

2018-07-30 10:57 AM
in reply to: lisac957

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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement

Originally posted by lisac957

Originally posted by trigal38

You will be surrounded by feet and arms. 

Great post. I would add that you will most likely come into contact with other "matter" in the water. The water I've raced in often has seaweed, sticks, moss and of course you know that we share the lake with other living creatures. Which is why it's so important to get in the water to practice beforehand so that you don't freak out when something other than a person brushes your leg. 

Yes how could I forget! One of the events I did this summer was in a shallow canal. I saw 3 dead Koi floating at the bottom along the course. At least I didn't have to worry about them brushing my leg! 

2018-08-01 6:52 PM
in reply to: trigal38

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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement

"seed yourself CORRECTLY."

Amen.  Doing otherwise is incredibly annoying and DANGEROUS.

2018-08-02 11:37 AM
in reply to: trigal38

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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement
Preaching to the choir.
PREACH!

Why do you think IM developed the swim initiative? TT start. Kayaks, buoys and divers to hold on to if you need a break., etc. Unless they do something wacky like prove you can swim in open water (like having a USAT card), people with little to no experience will still line up on race day.

But, I see it as an opportunity to get new people into the sport, we just need to reach them to educate them on the basics to succeed on race day.


2018-08-05 3:04 PM
in reply to: trigal38

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement

I had to reply again to this thread after the swim I had at Lake Logan 70.3 yesterday. The Race Director kept warning everyone that there was a "DEBRIS FIELD" due to recent rains and whatnot. Here's how I described it in my race report:

I kept thinking "I've encountered a LAKE MONSTER* before... no biggie with some sticks and leaves." I ran into a few things here and there and thought that's it? That's what all the talk was about? But then about 1500 yards in, I found it.

THE DEBRIS FIELD. OK this was not only a wall of "matter" like sticks, leaves, who knows what, but it was SWIRLING around and around. I would hit it with every stroke, the debris pelted my face left and right. It was the stuff your nightmares are made of. It lasted maybe 200 yards and it was kind of crazy.

*Not an actual lake monster. But an "unknown" something swam/floated/ran into me underwater during a practice OWS - I was in the middle of a lake, at the furthest point from the dock, and my swim buddy was way ahead of me. Whatever hit me rolled down my body and I kicked it with my foot (which was bruised for days after). It was big and solid. My honest guess is either a turtle or a big piece of driftwood, but my story is that it was a lake monster and I survived haha.

So... just a note that whatever you've swam in or whatever's brushed your leg... it's probably not as bad as what I swam through yesterday. LOL!

2018-08-05 3:25 PM
in reply to: lisac957

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Subject: RE: OWS public service announcement
Yikes....reminds me of the time I hit a palm tree....yes, really. Not a frond but an entire TREE during one of the Singapore Sprint races. Apparently there'd been a tropical storm several days before and there were just some out there floating around.I started to say "Sorry" because I thought I'd just whacked a person (Singapore water is black, totally opaque; you can't even see your hand), then realized I was apologizing to a tree; dove under it, and carried on.
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