My second triathlon. I just don’t get the swim. I completely panic and freak out. I got out before the race this morning and actually swam the damned route (650 yards). I’m thinking this is going to be easy. No big deal. The distances are insanely smaller than what I do everyday in the pool. At lunch, every day, I do 2000 - 3000 hard yards. I can do a good 15-20 100s holding 1:25-30. I’ll swim a mile in 26-28 minutes. It’s not great but its faster than others I just got my ass kicked on this morning.
Then I get out there in a tri swim and completely panic. I’ll take 10 strokes, get hit in the leg or back, hear a bunch of groveling, war like sounds, and pop my head up. I tried to go way out wide to avoid people but others had the same idea. This did no good. Then about every 5 strokes, I’m thinking okay, I’m drifting off the course. I have to stop and look up. Then, invariably, “WHAM,” over my back, comes somebody.
After today, some guy said, I ought to be looking up with my head every sixth stroke to see where the buoys are.
I really, really don’t see how pool training is EVEN RELEVANT to triathlon swims other than just basic aerobic conditioning.
I guess the thing to do is just get out front and haul ass and let the man beasts just run over you at the last part of the sprint.
What you really need to do at the pool is go out and play a couple games of sharks and minnows or a half hour of water polo with the junior high/high school kids.
Seriously, there’s no better pool training for open water swimming than playing polo against a bunch of 13-15 year olds. The girls in particular are vicsous things that will beat the crap out of you until you give up the ball.
I love you and your type! I love kickin’ your (your type) butt in races because you psyche yourself out. Please come and race where I race so I can beat you!
I’m not gonna give you any advice how to reach your potential. I prefer to finish the swim ahead of you. You’ll pass me on the bike anyway so why should I help. I’m sooooo chilled during races I sometimes find myself just cruisin’ and getting passed. Then I fire back up and pass people again.
I swear I think “Tarzan” swimming with your head up, if you could figure out how to do it fast, in a sprint, you’d be way ahead of everybody. Its just slower than effective freestyle and would wear out your arms and shoulders and neck, but you could navigate. But surely someone could come up with a Tarzan swimming stroke just for triathlons.
I won’t pass you on the bike, either. But Its interesting. I think so much of this is mental. People sort of discount the swim. HOWEVER, a bad, panicky swim, I think, for some, just freaks up the whole day. For me, it does.
Get out the the outside for the start. Swim like a hell for 50-100 yards (don’t kill yourself), then slow down and try to cruise.
Everyone curves. Find out which way you curve and, if possible, get on the sidewhere you will curve into the crowd. Keep checking out the people on that side, with occasional attention to people on your outside. You can use them to help you navigate, so you don’t have to look up but every 50 strokes. (unless, they are swimming crooked .) (Of course last time I kept ending up on the wrong side.)
Don’t freak if someone hits you, just keep stroking. If it happens again, take a quick peak and try to meneuver away, then use that person to draft. I don’t usually kick much, but if people are touching me feet lot, I through a few extra firm kicking sequences to discourage that. If they go over the top, just shove them away.
Sounds like you need to practice siting in the pool. Pick your head up just a bit and look forward to site then turn to get your breath and erturn to your stroke. You should definitely not come ot a stop. In an open water situation this should prevent someone from swimming up over you. I also recommend practicing swimming straight in a pool- either closing eyes occasionally or using the swim lane divider. It really helps reduce the military swim style, you know Left Right Left Right Left Right …
I think it will get easier when you do a few more group swims. I panicked for the first few and then became a lot more comfortable. You get used to the clutter and it doesn’t get you as flustered. My problem is the technique…I’m just too slow…
Like parkito said practice siting in the pool also go to a lake and practice there you can pick out different objects in the distance and swim toward them and site every 3-5 strokes which ever you need. Everyone is a little different at how often they need to site. Get a group of friends and go for a group swim to get the feel of swimming with others and bumping and getting bumped. Anothe rproblem some people have is being uncomfortable in open water so just get in open water and just play swim around and get very comfortable in that environment. I look at it kind of like running a road race all the traffic is stopped for you and your running down the middle of a usually traffic congested highway. good luck and RELAX!!
Take a different approach to the swim. Anyone can swim in a pool in designated lanes. I know this may sound silly, but enjoy the pushing and shoving and getting pounded a few times, you’re a triathlete for God’s sakes. When you get kicked or smacked with an arm just keep swimming and doing your thing. It’s what sets triathlons apart from all the other endurance sports. Don’t be an asshole and get aggressive but just accept the swim for what it is. Good luck.
DEfinately agree with the water polo suggestion. I started tris with two friends from swimming. Of the three of us, two had also played water polo. Our friend who hadn’t played water polo had a lot of trouble in his first couple swims (he was a finalist at CIS, which is Canada’s NCAA). My self and the other guy, no problem. In water polo you do a lot of close quarters swimming and must be very aware of were you and the ball are. Many larger areas have a waterpolo masters type group. In T.O we have one that plays every thursday night. This would be a great adjunct to your regular swim training.
I agree with Jill. I used to play water polo with some early teens-mostly girls-and they are bloody rough.
But, I still do not understand why some people think swimming over another participant is necessary/acceptable. It rarely, if ever, happens among elites and pros unless it is intentional. This weekend at Disney a guy swam over my buddy, and a nasty 15 second wrestling match ensued. So stupid… Anyway, I still think a class on Triathlon rules and behavior prior to a first race should be mandatory.
I’m no swim god, but I would suggest that you hang at the back of your wave start, and play catch-up. If you are swimming 1:25-1:30/100, that puts you probably in the top third of the field. The thing that freaks you out is the contact. So it’s probably better for you to let the animals go ahead, and then swim up and draft off of them.
As far as sighting goes, just follow the bubbles. If you can swim pretty straight, you don’t need to sight more than every 20+ strokes. If you’re drafting someone, just follow them. You really shouldn’t need to sight more than that.
I was a little freaked out by the contact at my first tri last year, but it’s mostly jostling, and no one is trying to hurt you. I found that doing some group open water swims, where we were intentionally swimming close and bumping each other, really helped my comfort level during races. Keep in mind that race ferocity of the swim start varies from race to race. Some are quite tame, some are pretty rough.
I’m still a little anxious about the mass start for Lake Placid, but I hope that I can find a good place to draft and let myself get carried around the course.
Anyway, in time, your comfort level will increase. It’s all mental. It sounds like you’re a pretty good swimmer, you just need to get more experience in the washing machine.
Join a masters swim class. There you will get used to sharing a lane with five or six other swimmers. They won’t swim over you and you will get used to contact and rough water.
I agree, don’t help others , just kick their b_tts . AND if possible drown them just to watch the bubbles. If they are newbies be sure not to give them any help. After all the sport hasn’t given to you. ; )
Totally agree with the water-polo idea. I played when I was younger, and it mde me tough! I am not intimidated one bit by people swimming all over me, for the most part, I am the rough one, hitting, pushing and kicking:) I think it helps a lot.
How much open water swimming are you getting? The biggest difference between my first tri swim (total panic-fest, really pathetic) and second (just plain slow) was doing my swim workouts in open water 100% of the time.
I think it is totally normal to have a freak out, especially if you are new. It does get easier. My swimming is poor, but my approach now is to treat the wet bit as a great big warm up. I let the fast people go, then I set off myself. Towards the back half of the field I have never had any nonsense - the odd ‘oh, excuse me’, as someone bumps into you, but nothing more.
The water can be a dangerous, and scary place. You have to find a way to be relaxed in it, and treat it with an amount of respect. Given time, though, you can get to enjoy the swim. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
