Open water swimming..the report

OK, I went, I swam, I am not sure if I conquered.

I arrived at the lake after an hour and half drive. Long drive for a short swim, but waht are you gonna do.

So I met a nice lady in the parking lot. She was preparing for her first ever race. We went to the rest room together to suit up. We had to make our way around the nests made over the winter by the critters. We struggled and grunted and wiggled our way in to our wetsuits and made our way out to the water.

The "clinic" part of this clinic was really in name only, it really is more of a gathering of nutcases that want to train, and need someone to watch their back when the water is freezing.

So we went on down to the water, and were joined by a few men. Everyone tippy toed in, YIKES..cold.....ok, dunk under.....Cold water rushes in to the zipper...YIKES...

The other people dipped and hemmed and hawed....I just rolled over and started swimming.

COLD FACE....YIKES...stroke, stroke, breathe, stroke, stroke breathe...hey this is not so bad....stroke, stroke...PANIC...wetsuit is tight..tight around my neck...tight, cannot breathe....UGGGGHHHHH....

Ok, relax...here comes a nice triathlon dude...Hey, I yell over...is this normal...panic, chokie feeling. Oh yea, everybody gets that.

Well I managed to swim about 1000 yards. All that work I did this winter on my pretty feathered stroke...out the window. It just became, breathe every stroke.

By the end I was feeling a bit better. I will suck it up and go back next week. We have a lake much closer, but I need someone to be there with the water this cold.

The good news is that I was warm. Toasty warm inside my suit.

So, I give it a 5 on the scale of 1-10....

That's sounds like a pretty sucessful first open water swim in a new wetsuit in cold water. I think you get at least a 7 for getting in the lake.

I agree it sounds very successful! I think the hardest part of the open water stuff is dealing with the different sensations one gets while in the water... imagine if you had felt all of that during a race??? :eek: Now you'll know what to expect!!! :cool:

You are a STUD!! I was thinking that 68 degrees was chilly on my toes a couple of weeks ago! SHEESH!!
Good job! And that panic chokey feeling, yeah, Nanci told me that is normal. Just concentrate on relaxing. She used to ice dive (another stud) so she should know.
Me, I like HOT HOT HOT!! :D

To make it easier to pull that wetsuit on, fill a spray bottle, or a squirt bottle (like ketchup in a cheap restaurant) with a good squirt of baby shampoo, (or creme rinse, hair conditioner works too) then fill it up with water, and close it up. Shake it well, then squirt or spray into the legs and arms of your wetsuit. It will slip right on.

This would work well for your open water swims, but the swimming pool people will not take kindly to this. Then again if you are in a pool you really don't need to be wearing a wetsuit.

Brrr... good job. More time in the wetsuit will hopefully make the feelings a little less nerve wracking. :)

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COLD FACE....YIKES...stroke, stroke, breathe, stroke, stroke breathe...hey this is not so bad....stroke, stroke...PANIC...wetsuit is tight..tight around my neck...tight, cannot breathe....UGGGGHHHHH....

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That is EXACTLY how I felt racing last weekend... the water was 68 degrees.

I have never felt PANIC in the water... but gosh, I did during that swim during my race.

I hope I don't feel it again during my race in May!

I am so glad that I went for that very reason. I have worked so hard in the pool this winter, the last thing I would want or expect would be a panic attack on race day.

Good for you! It really does get easier, believe it or not. This is my 2nd tri season, and I'm noticing less hyperventilating, more swimming in the open waters. (Last season = LOTS of hyperventilating with frantic doggie paddles, not so much of the swimming.) There really is something to getting your face in the water and getting it comfortable, too.

Congrats on braving the cold. I would think it would feel very strange to be warm inside your suit but have your bare face exposed to the cold water.

Congrats on braving the cooooold water- I'm in awe of you!!! I just can't stand the frigid water- even in a wetsuit.
Glad you got that first OWS in- the first one is always a little nervewrecking.
Good luck next week.