It seems my tri-related posts lately have all been stories of doom or disaster or idiocy. I have been able to find humor in some of my other training mishaps, but not this one.
The tri group I joined here held a open water swim clinic this morning run by none other than Nicole DeBoom. I had been psyched about this event since I first heard about it a few weeks ago. So at 8:30 this morning, I and about 45 others were at the Chatfield gravel pit suited up and ready to go. I wore my QR full body wetsuit, which I've worn for three years with no problems whatsoever. After about 20 minutes of general tips, it was into the water. Swimming has never been a problem for me. I swam competitively as a kid and although I was slow, among tri folks, I certainly can hold my own and my pool workouts have been going fine. So it was much to my surprise and dismay that as we began to cross the pond (probably no more than 150-200 meters), I started to hyperventilate. I couldn't seem to shake it and had to finish by breast stroking my way across. Another little talk and we swam another 100-150 meters along the shore line. No problems. Nicole then demonstrates proper sighting technique and we're off, back across the pond. This time, I'm hyperventilating worse than before. I turn over on my back, but don't feel at all soothed. I start again with the breast stroke, and the beach seems miles away. I couldn't even tolerate goggles on my face and raised them up. The pond is way too small for any kind of current, but I feel like I'm swimming against one. I was awfully close to panicking and kept thinking about how it would suck to drown. I do finally make it to the beach and decide to bag it for the day, humiliated and depressed.
I'm trying to figure out what went wrong. I may have put my wetsuit on a little off, which could have made it seem tighter than usual. The water was quite cold (65-66 degrees) and probably colder in the middle; but, I swam the Ann Arbor tri for the past three years and that cold water never gave me any problems. I didn't eat breakfast. I haven't been drinking enough water lately and have been dehydrated (can that affect a swim???). I woke up this morning three pounds heavier than yesterday; when I got back from the clinic this morning, I'd lost two pounds -- is something out of wack with my body? Did I get creeped out by the deep water? Other than the initial minute or two of an open water swim, it's never happened to me before and, frankly, a psychological cause for today's disaster is my worst fear as it could affect my ability to race. Could the altitude still be a factor?
I'm hoping this is a one-off event. I plan to be back in that gravel pond as soon as possible.
The tri group I joined here held a open water swim clinic this morning run by none other than Nicole DeBoom. I had been psyched about this event since I first heard about it a few weeks ago. So at 8:30 this morning, I and about 45 others were at the Chatfield gravel pit suited up and ready to go. I wore my QR full body wetsuit, which I've worn for three years with no problems whatsoever. After about 20 minutes of general tips, it was into the water. Swimming has never been a problem for me. I swam competitively as a kid and although I was slow, among tri folks, I certainly can hold my own and my pool workouts have been going fine. So it was much to my surprise and dismay that as we began to cross the pond (probably no more than 150-200 meters), I started to hyperventilate. I couldn't seem to shake it and had to finish by breast stroking my way across. Another little talk and we swam another 100-150 meters along the shore line. No problems. Nicole then demonstrates proper sighting technique and we're off, back across the pond. This time, I'm hyperventilating worse than before. I turn over on my back, but don't feel at all soothed. I start again with the breast stroke, and the beach seems miles away. I couldn't even tolerate goggles on my face and raised them up. The pond is way too small for any kind of current, but I feel like I'm swimming against one. I was awfully close to panicking and kept thinking about how it would suck to drown. I do finally make it to the beach and decide to bag it for the day, humiliated and depressed.
I'm trying to figure out what went wrong. I may have put my wetsuit on a little off, which could have made it seem tighter than usual. The water was quite cold (65-66 degrees) and probably colder in the middle; but, I swam the Ann Arbor tri for the past three years and that cold water never gave me any problems. I didn't eat breakfast. I haven't been drinking enough water lately and have been dehydrated (can that affect a swim???). I woke up this morning three pounds heavier than yesterday; when I got back from the clinic this morning, I'd lost two pounds -- is something out of wack with my body? Did I get creeped out by the deep water? Other than the initial minute or two of an open water swim, it's never happened to me before and, frankly, a psychological cause for today's disaster is my worst fear as it could affect my ability to race. Could the altitude still be a factor?
I'm hoping this is a one-off event. I plan to be back in that gravel pond as soon as possible.