French Linen

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Overcoming Triathlon Swimming Anxiety (Part 2 of 2)

What is your fear?

A. "I could never do a triathlon because I can't swim"
B.  “I’m afraid of sharks”

C. "I can swim miles in the pool but the open water freaks me out"

D. "I'm nervous about swimming with all those people"

There are many reasons behind the anxiety associated with the triathlon swim.  I've heard them all and experienced all of them myself.  And since I've had more than one friend expressing their anxiety to me lately, this seemed like the appropriate topic for my Day 6 vacation blog.  So the good news is that I can attest you can overcome your fears and actually really love swimming in open waters.  I can also tell you that you may have one fear only to discover that that fear will not affect you but something else will.  While I’m not a psychologist, I think getting to the source of the fear and having a logical plan to overcome it can help. 

Tackling Fear A
If you have Fear A, go back to the start of my blog history, and begin reading!  I once said this and I'm now regularly doing one mile open water swims.
Tackling Fear B

Many people who fear the ocean, fear not the little fish but the big ones with big teeth, much I think is sometimes due to our childhood remembrance of the movie Jaws or some other recent “entertainment”.  I’m surprised at how many people have Fear B, although given a lot of recent media coverage and some real threats, it’s not something to take too lightly.  But it also shouldn’t keep you out of the water when and where there is not a true threat.  I'm happy to report that Jaws truly was a mechanical shark - and not a very sophisticated special effect!  He currently resides around the corner from my Martha’s Vineyard house at the restaurant Sharkys so that is one less barrier for you to worry about.  That said, there have been recent shark sightings and attacks in Cape Cod and Western US waters.  I wouldn't recommend swimming too far offshore where they reside (as the Cape Cod victim did) and avoid areas where there are seals, who really are their preferred food over us humans.  But if your destined beach hasn't had any sightings, you should take that off your worry list.  And, with all the prep that goes into setting up and manning the swim course, have faith in your race organizers that they will be doing the shark sighting for you and would not permit a race to be held in dangerous waters.

Tackling Fear C
If you have Fear C, you are clearly ready for a triathlon -- you just need to get yourself in the open water and get comfortable getting salt or lake water in your mouth and swimming amongst seaweed, fish, and critters.  Besides the advice in my previous blog post, here are some tips:
·         Don't wait for the perfect sunny calm water day (this is a do as I say not as I did piece of advice -- if you read about my first open water swims, I waited for the "perfect day").  Of course, your first attempts should not be when the surf is up and you should never swim in a thunderstorm, but I now don't let a rain shower or some amount of waves stop me -- after all, we can't choose our race day weather.
·         Practice swimming out and off shore against the current for those triangular and rectangular swims.  But for everyday endurance training, it's best to swim parallel to shore so you stay within swim zones and close to shore, and it helps you to swim straight if you can spot the shore.
·         Bilateral breathing is an important skill to have in open water so you can avoid getting a mouthful of water from another swimmer or waves coming at you in one direction.  Bilateral breathing can also help you swim straight and sight.  Practice breathing from your "wrong side" every 2 strokes as well as bilateral breathing every 3rd stroke when in the pool and open water.
·         Try to swim in the same waters (or at least same type such as salt water or fresh water) in which your open water swim event will be at least once.  You will then get accustomed to the exact situation - plant foliage, rocks, shells, types of critters, etc.  I didn't have that option for my first race and the lake seaweed surprised and freaked me out a bit.  For my third race I did have the opportunity and was subjected to a different type of plant foliage and it made a huge difference just expecting it to be there.
·         Likewise, the first time I swam in the ocean with my goggles on, I was surprised to see crabs - I shouldn't have been, of course!  And to think they were there all those times I didn't wear goggles!  The best way to overcome your surprise and fear of our sea habitants is to get friendly with them and take joy in sighting them.

Tackling Fear D

Being afraid of the "swim mob" (Fear D) is completely normal and a situation that will be unique to race day.  In a pool or open water, try to swim closely to others to simulate it.  Purposely bump into one another in multiple ways and create waves and splash.  Some open water clinics will also create mock situations and trial swims.
For your first open water swim, start at the back of your wave and to one side of the wave (I recommend the side closest to the buoys you have to round so you have a shorter course but then you must be sure to sight often so you don’t go off course) and let everyone get in front of you.  Some races will also have a first timer / beginner wave you can voluntarily sign up for rather than being placed in your age category wave.
Note that shorter distance swims (e.g. .25 miles) have the benefit of less time in the water but they can also cause swimmers to be much more bunched up in the race.  Both my husband and I felt rather beat up from the swim mob after our first open water swim, which was .25 miles.  He actually enjoyed his next half mile swim much more.

Preparing for Your First Event

While you can't anticipate and simulate every situation you may encounter, have a plan to mentally and physically deal with anxiety on event day.  My first race I had no such plan and I suffered as a result.  By my second race, I had practiced just flipping over on my back and doing the elementary back stroke while taking deep breaths.  It made a world of difference. 

When you check out a swim course, know the placement and number of buoys you will pass and/or round.    I was grateful my last race that a fellow athlete had done that and told me how many there were -- even on a point to point swim it helps you know where you are in the race and pace yourself.
You should also know that most races will permit you to hold onto a buoy or kayak provided you do not advance forward.  Keep in mind that swimmers can really crowd around the buoy so that may or may not be a good option.  Also, if you require too much attention from a lifeguard on a kayak, they may disqualify you.  I think the buoy or kayak options are good for dealing with any equipment malfunctions and just knowing they are there for you if you need them should ease your anxiety.  For actually lowering your anxiety, I recommend the flip over on your back option and breathe deeply.  You will keep moving and not further raise your anxiety dealing with a concerned lifeguard.

One of the drills you can do in the pool to prepare for and deal with anxiety is to raise your heart rate by doing jumping jacks before getting in and / or swimming all out for 25-50 yards and then practice flipping over on your back and getting your heart rate down (my swim coach had me practice this).  During your open water swims, also practice this, particularly when you do feel an elevated heart rate.

In summary, there are 2 major things you can do to tackle anxiety:
1)     Just get in practice in open water
2)     Have a plan – know what you will do to tackle anxiety and practice it!

The rewards can be tremendous!  Once you become a fish in water, you will enjoy your beach days so much more and find a great source of exercise.  Becoming a competent and confident open water swimmer may also just save your life, or someone else’s, someday.

No comments:

Post a Comment