Yesterday I swam half a mile in a lake.
Well, sort of. More like panicked way across and back.
I’m doing the Franklin Lakes/Wyckoff Triathlon next weekend for the second time. I had trouble with the open water swim last year, so I thought that Jen (college roomie) and I would get an open water swim in this year before the race as practice.
This looks so nice and peaceful, right?
I was sort of nervous, so I tried to do some deep breathing exercises before getting in the water.
There were three different races: a 2.4-mile, 1.2 and .5 mile option. The 2.4-milers went first and then the 1.2-milers were off. Both of those groups were doing 1.2 mile loops; the crazies were doing two 1.2 mile loops. The group doing the .5 mile swim swam in a much smaller area.
Just a nice, calm lake, right?
The race dude counted us down – 2 minutes to go, 1 minute to go, 30 seconds to go, 10 seconds to go…and GO!
Uh oh.
I started off running into the water with everyone, but I was already freaking out inside. As people started putting their heads in and swimming, I started freaking out. OMG. WHAT am I doing!? I had no specific fears – it wasn’t that I was afraid of drowning, or not being able to see, or not being able to make the distance. Nope, I was just terrified.
I watched as everyone swam off, and I stood there, frozen. I saw someone else who hadn’t yet started either, and was thrilled to see someone else who was afraid like me.
I contemplated bailing. Maybe I couldn’t really do this. But then this quote popped into my head. If I think I can’t do it, I’m only going to psyche myself out. So, I need to psyche myself into doing this. I tried to change my perspective and tell myself I could do it, and it gave me some power to start swimming.
But the second I put my face in the water, I freaked again, but I made myself just keep going. I tried to ignore my fear and just push forward, but I succumbed again and flipped over to my back to do the backstroke and hopefully let my shallow breathing and high heart rate calm down. Once I felt a bit calmer and flipped over, I saw a rescue boat.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” some fresh-faced little lifeguard asked. While I was tempted to yell back “don’t call me ma’am!” I told him I was okay…although this was the second point in the race I contemplated bailing.
I inched forward, doing some freestyle, some doggie paddle and some backstroke. FINALLY, I reached the buoys. I had a hard time hearing the directions as we began, so I’d thought that we were swimming to the buoy and just turning around. Nope, like last year, we were swimming out, across to another buoy and then back in. Once again, as I reached the first buoy, I started panicking again. It felt SO far. I saw another rescue boat, and again contemplated bailing. My breathing was still shallow despite my best efforts to swim slowly and breathe evenly.
FINALLY I reached the second buoy and headed back for land. THANK GOD. I knew I was going to make it, and I knew I was going to finish, and the swimming became much easier, though my breathing was still shallow. I tried to speed up to make up for lost time, but then realized I really just wanted to finish and I didn’t need to be putting any more pressure on myself. I finally was able to touch the bottom, stood up and ran in and across the timing mat.
We finished! And goggles are hot. I finished in a tortoiselike 26:21, which also put me 13/13 for my age group, 86/93 for the whole race, and 38/43 for all women. But hey, I wasn’t last!
So…swimmers/triathletes. Please please please tell me your best don’t-freak-out-on-the-swim secrets. Speaking of swimming, Victoria swam across the freaking Chesapeake Bay today. NBD. That sounds so absolutely terrifying.
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It did occur to me at about mile 2 that the bottom was really, really far away. And then I started singing Muppet songs to myself and forgot about it.
Maybe that's the secret? Singing Muppet songs?
If you don't want to do that, I think familiarity with the water is a big help - my boyfriend is new to tris and swimming, but did a lot of scuba diving, so he's cool with just chilling out in the water. Maybe get in a few extra swim workouts, even if they are short. Try spending some time on some drills that help teach you to relax your stroke and control your breathing rather than fighting the water. Email me if you want some ideas.
@Victoria: That must be where I went wrong. I'm definitely just going to sing Muppets songs to myself the entire swim next week :)
Good job! I had my first sprint tri today with an open water swim and it was SCARY. Those buoys looked so far away...
I see nothing wrong with doggie paddling - as that's all I can do in the water;)
@Kat: Pretty sure my dog could swim across faster than me!
Not only were you not last you were among a small group of people even willing to tackle this. You won't see me doing a trip! :)
I'm impressed that you did it!! I would love to do a triathlon except the swim scares me to death - I hate to put my face in the water (any water!!).
Good job!!
I totally know that feeling! When I did my first tri last month, I thought I was going to cry before getting into the water. It was down in Florida, in a salt water river near Kennedy Space Center. I have never wanted to cry and leave something so bad. Okay, I remember feeling this a few times when juries would come up as a music major in college, but this feeling was something new to experience doing something athletic. I was definitely most proud of the swim portion of my first tri, after it was all said and done.
@Sierra: Congrats to you for finishing! It's so weird to me that while I definitely freaked at my first open water swim, I freaked even more at this one.
The first practice swim across a lake I did, I totally panicked halfway across when I swam into some weeds or plants or something (thought they were hands coming up from the depths to grab me!!!!).
When I actually did the swim in the tri, I was scared before - my friend Susan and I held hands when we were about to start. Anyway, I decided I didn't give a shit, took my own sweet time and it was fine.
@Niamhy: That's finally what I decided on the way back. Yes, it was technically a race, but I wasn't racing it myself. At that point, I honestly didn't care if I was last. That's really sweet that you and your friend held hands :)
I recommend getting in the water ahead of time to splash around and get comfortable with the temperature, put your face in, blow bubbles, do a few practice strokes, etc. — but I know not all races will let you do that. Something that can be almost as good is doing some little exercises to get your heart rate up before you go in the water (jumping jacks, situps, running in place, etc). It looks a little funny, but it weirdly keeps my heart from racing if it's already working a little harder when I start swimming.
Repetition, just going out and getting some open water swim practice. I have competed in many triathlons and seen many people freak and those are the ones who don't get the open water swims in. I've pulled many also at the first buoy of triathlon's too.
It's nervewracking. I have always been a swimmer and still get nervous going into an open water swim too. I had on my HRM for my last open water swim and my HR was over 100 just standing there looking at the ocean to swim in. I went snorkeling on our trip to the Keys this past week, and that was even more nervewracking because we were out a lot deeper and the visibility was terrible. I guess as we keep doing it we get better at it...at least that's what I'm hoping.