Open Water Panic

[Bluetree]

Holy carp, Bluetree!!!!! That might send me with my wetsuit tucked under my hind legs running back to my car. I've never ocean OWS, and the thought of the salt alone icks me out (because I always swallow water), not to mention tackling waves like that! Yikes!
Good thing the nearest ocean is 9 hours away. I'll stick to icky green lake swims, thank you very much

I asked four buddies how they dealt with those waves.
Two of them waited a few minutes and were able to get past the break between sets (as surfers, they were familiar with swell patterns.)
The other two were after Top 5 placings and dived right in. One of them, a USAT coach, explained that when the waves are that choppy, it pretty much churns all the way to the bottom, making simple dive-thrus harder. He dived straight through to the bottom, to the point where his chest touched the ground and he actually grabbed onto the sandy bottom and pulled his way the through.
All of them, no matter how seasoned, said that the waves were so choppy past the breakwater that they couldn't help but swallow seawater. Yuk.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread... but getting back to the original post, EBD brings up a good point. I think I will have to start training in a wetsuit to get comfortable. I didn't even think of it as an issue until I started reading this.

[Bella]

It is race jitters. I do fine in OWS not in competition but the minute I hear the gun, my heart rate is through the roof and I cannot swim to save my life. In the Half Ironman I did in August, I turned over and backstroked the entire 1.2 - allowing myself to breathe the whole way.

Believe it or not, I had a PB in swimming that day. I think it is more about race confidence than your swim skills. Stage fright almost. The cure is repetition. I read a great quote somewhere that said, "You trained a long, hard time not to end up a wall flower in your triathlon - so put the doubts aside and do it."

[Lise]

Bella, how do you sight when backstroking? I cannot backstroke in a straight line to save my life.

[Bella]

I first try to make sure my stroke is equally powerful on both sides - so that one isn't dominate and cause me to drift to the left or right. In the Steelhead, it was a point to point and the lighthouse tower was at my feet. Every several strokes, I lifted my head up slightly to see I was in line with the lighthouse and that there were other swimmers behind me or around me. Even freestyle swimming requires sighting and popping one's head up every now and then - so this is the same. It is pretty unconventional for a race, but it saved my skins that day.

[run it, ride it]

I'm kind of the other way around. I freak in swimming pools, but I'm fine in real water, especially with a wetsuit on.

I'm in the same boat. I grew up right next to a lake, swam off our sailboat in open water no prob, capsized and righted dinghy boats in rough seas without batting an eye.

I absolutely panic in pools. The goggles impair my vision, I'm anxious that people will run over me, that I will swim into the wall. The humidity tricks my asthma. I feel completely trapped. To top it off I've always got lifeguards hanging over my shoulder thinking I'm drowning when the asthma hits.

[cheleB]

Congrats on your first Oly. That's my plan for next year and my only hold back is the swim! I did my first sprint 2 yrs ago and had a terrible swim experience. It took the entire winter of coached masters' swimming to get over. Coach told me his was glad his original college major was psych! The in-water panic attacks came back in the spring when I got back into OW. I trained with a great and very supportive group and learned to love OW. The best tip I got was to sing while I swim! It's a great distraction. I even did an OWS in a pond last Sunday, north of Boston and it was in the 50s. That is how much I love OW right now!

Getting back in the pool now, the attacks are back! Tuesday night, I freaked but calmed myself and finished the work-out. But last night, the panic hit in my Masters session. I totally freaked and got out of the pool! I had to wait an hour for hubby to finish! Coach offered to do a one-on-one today! I am so anxious!

Sorry, I have no advice but I feel your pain!