Simple Steps To Becoming A Fearless Swimmer

You should not be wary of the swim. It is one of three elements that you have practised over and over again, and the chances are you are probably better than you think you are. But what should you do if the start of a triathlon ‘scares’ you a bit?

Focus on the essentials: breathing, being able to deal with murky water and knowing how to keep your wits about you. The skills below will teach you the essentials. Master them in the pool first, then take them to the open water so that the swim leg of your next race will be remarkably better.

Written by: Ingrid Loos Miller

Smart Breathing: Breathing Breaks
You’ve heard of taking walk breaks during long runs. How about taking breathing breaks during your open-water swims? You are used to pausing every 25 yards when you swim in the pool. It’s OK to pause in open water too.

Use planned breathing breaks as a race strategy. Take them early and often as a countermeasure to keep your heart rate down and diffuse anxiety, especially in the first five to 10 minutes of the swim. Just make sure you swim off to the side so you don’t obstruct others.

You can pause for a moment and sight, or you can pause long enough to get into belly breathing mode. Don’t roll onto your back unless you take comfort in doing so. In time you will be able to shorten the pauses, then to eliminate them altogether.

Bilateral Breathing
Bilateral breathing is a fundamental open-water skill. Aside from helping you swim straight, it allows you to breathe opportunistically in rough water. Breathe more often when it is choppy so you are not air-starved when you get splashed in the face. Make your mouth a smaller target by pursing your lips like you are going to whistle and don’t be afraid to make some noise. Exhale forcefully through your nose like a whale.

If you find that you get lots of water in your mouth you are probably pulling your lead hand back too soon on the breathing stroke. Keep it extended forward an extra beat when you roll to take in air.

There is no magic way to learn bilateral breathing. You just have to do it. Get comfortable with it in the pool before using it in open water.

Swim Blind, Swim Straight
Swimming in murky water triggers the fight-or-flight alarm for two reasons: You can’t see and you are suffering cold shock.

Let’s deal with vision first. You rely heavily on sight to know where you are going and to gauge body position and speed. When you look into murky water, this input is snatched away and you get disoriented. You know this will happen on race day, so prepare for it. Teach yourself to swim without visual cues.

A swim tether will help you develop your ability to swim blind in the comfort of a heated pool. The tether will keep you from swimming into lane lines and other swimmers. Attach it around your waist and anchor it to a starting block or handrail. After a short warm-up, swim easily to get the feel of the tether, then close your eyes for a few strokes. It may be hard to keep your balance at first, but with practice you will adjust. Don’t proceed to the next step until you can comfortably swim for at least 30 strokes with your eyes closed.

Next, position yourself over a fixed object on the bottom while still tethered. Swim 20–30 moderate strokes with your eyes closed. Now open them: Are you still in the same place or did you veer off? Which way did you turn? Swimmers tend to pull harder on the side they favor for breathing. Bilateral breathing can help you swim straighter, so try it. If that isn’t enough, try pulling extra hard with your left hand (if you favor your right) every 10 strokes and see if that keeps you on your mark. Experiment and keep practicing so you can stay on your mark with your eyes closed for at least 30 strokes.

When you get into open water you will be dealing with cold water and limited visibility, so take it slow. Wear your goggles and start by looking underwater for a few seconds. Then lift your head, take some belly breaths and when you feel calm, repeat. Slowly increase the amount of time you look underwater. When you feel entirely comfortable looking underwater, swim five strokes, then pause. Add strokes when you are comfortable. Return to a state of calm during each pause and try to stay there when you are swimming. Make this process part of your open-water warm-up.

Eventually you will be able to swim the race distance in comfort, but it will take several open-water sessions to get there. Be patient and don’t rush the process.

Manage The Dive Response
When cold water touches the thermal receptors around your nose and eyes, it causes a reflex known as “cold shock” or the “dive response.” The colder the water, the greater the response. You gasp. Your heart rate slows by about 25 percent and blood vessels constrict in the extremities to keep oxygenated blood in your vital organs. Trying to swim in this state places enormous stress on your cardiovascular system, and you will feel very anxious. Don’t start to swim until you have worked through the initial shock. Always splash your face and neck before you put your whole face in.

By planning ahead, you can also better prepare your body for cold shock by taking these steps: Submerge to the neck in water that’s 60 degrees or colder. Don’t wear a wetsuit. Stay in the water for three minutes (a cold shower does not work).

On race day, get in the water and swim for at least 10 minutes to warm up before your wave goes off. Swim long enough to find your swimming groove.

Sight Effectively
Lifting your head to sight makes your feet drop, which slows you down. Lifting your head quickly (aptly known as “heave” in nautical terms) can also make you seasick, so it is important to keep your head down as much as possible. To minimize heave, lift your eyes first and let your head follow. Let your eyes clear the water but not your mouth. Find your target, then turn your head to the side to breathe.

There are visual points of reference everywhere above the water and below, to the side and behind you: paddlers, kayaks, shoreline and other swimmers. Use them all.

When you must look forward, you need a target that you can find quickly. No matter how big and how orange the buoy is, it will be hard to find. A landmark works if there is one, but you need one for every change of direction on the course. The easiest thing to spot is the crowd of swimmers converging on the buoy. Let them do the sighting work. All you have to do is follow.

Love Your Wetsuit
An inefficient swimmer in a poorly fitting wetsuit is a recipe for disaster. When a wetsuit vendor tells you the wetsuit will loosen up when you get into the water, don’t believe it. Even a properly fitted wetsuit feels more constrictive in the water than on land. Water pushes against the air in your lungs, and you feel this pressure even more when you are in a wetsuit. So before you start swimming, take a few moments to get comfortable with this feeling. It is normal and OK. Give yourself ample time. Don’t start swimming until you feel relaxed and calm.

On race day you will be breathing hard because of the excitement of the day, so practice some high-intensity sets in your wetsuit to get the feel of it. You don’t have to keep the wetsuit on for an entire workout. Wear it for your warm-up or some intervals and be careful to avoid overheating. Wear your wetsuit often, so that by race day you know every nuance of how it should feel.

Enjoy The Mayhem
Mass starts are a physical challenge, but handling them well is more of a mental game. There is nothing you can do to change the behaviour of others, so turn the negative into a positive by having fun with the rough-and-tumble. Yes, fun. Think of the crowd as a protective family group. Welcome every jab and kick as a reassuring pat on the back and let them energise you. Don’t be startled by body contact; expect it and roll with it, literally. Swimming with more body rotation makes it easier to slip between other swimmers and also it makes it harder for others to go directly over you. Be considerate of others and forgive their trespasses.

In practice, cram your buddies together (the more the merrier) and swim in a tight group. Then hit the gas and take turns moving through, around and over each other to the front. Have a good time. Mob swimming is fun in practice. Let it be fun on race day too.

FILED UNDER: All / Training TAGS: advice / cold-water / fear / fearless / Fight / how-to / scared / swim / swimmer / tip / train / Triathlon / white water

Paul Moore

Paul Moore is the Online Editor for Triathlete Europe. When not glued to a computer he can be found writing books - most recently Ultimate Triathlon: A complete training guide for long-distance triathletes which you can buy on Amazon

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