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Cr@p Swimmers R Us
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Oh dear Molly, just what I said earlier about getting panic attacks. You need to practice, practice, practice - is there a swimming lake anywhere near you where people go? Or can you get some more sea swimming in? I only wish I was near so I could go swimming with you. Believe me when I say it really does get easier. Been there, done that, so I know. I used to be really nervous before OW swim starts but now I've learned to love OW swimming. You will too, I promise you. My favourite tri of the year is the last one of the season, up in Remagen near to Bonn. The swim is in the Rhine river with a very strong current. We are taken on a ferry 2.8km upstream and then dive into the river to swim back. There's a line of canoes down the middle of the river because there's shipping coming up the other side. That makes a lot of waves so it's just like a sea swim. It's very fast, I do the 2.8 in the same time I normally swim 1km. Love it.
We have several swimming lakes near us where we practice, even a small one up in the woods where we swim with our dogs.
Reading back random posts from this thread, I came across a post from Blisters, assuring people that 2xweek for 6 weeks and I'd be able to do 400m front crawl. I'm taking you up on it!
I did 500m with a good rest every length, letting the heart rate recover. It took twice the time of my continuous BS, but after a few lengths it felt easier, so I'll persevere.
Pete I only take half a breath in and out if you imagined running expelling all your breath each time you breath you wouldn't last long same goes with swimming also try to begin your exhale a fraction of a second before your face re-enters the water this will stop the slight pause in your breathing that could be leading to your other issue.
thanks glasslegs....my brain is telling me to fill up with air as I'm underwater and I noticed that I was breathing ever stroke...todays task is calmer breathing. When I was running last night I did think about how I breath...I'm not taking massive lung fulls of air so I'll try and mimic that in the pool.
Thought I would pop back in as I managed a 1K swimble tonight! Furthest by 600M since 2012 I think. Slow, but steady pool swim. Dusty is back, sort of!
PITH, when you breathe out, hum. That ensures exactly the right rate of breathe out and you body will adjust to the rest assuming it isn't broken LOL. And sloooow down, u too plod. Think like fish, effortless. Don't fight the water, use it. The fast ones will no doubt disagree but if you are struggling on 400M, you won't be up the front and they are made of paddles and sherbert fountains!
Molly, that may have been cold water shock the not being able to breathe thing. Like IW says, practice. Get into OW, take it slow and easy. Acclimatise first, even if it takes you a few minutes. Feel free to do girly squeal when the cold bit goes down your back. (Guilty your honour) At least if you can't see the bottom you can't see the turds swirling about ;O)
Swim round with someone. stop for a chat and tread water, do a hundred yards and stop again, swim in the rain (uber orsum) just get used to it and the rest will follow.
Thanks DB...is there any particular tune I should hum?
I've been to the pool for 3x30 minute sessions this week. I have slowed down, I draft behind the slowest person and concentrate on breathing and getting my arms to work. Although slowing down my arms and breathing has actually allowed me to swim further...
Yesterday I was getting cocky and went back to my bad habits for a while until I gave myself a mental kick and slowed down. Next week I'll actually try some of that pyramid breathing I've heard about.
Ta-Dah!. Except if you removed 'although' you would have the perfect sentence
IMO, I wouldn't try anything new just yet. Yes, you've realised that slowing down your arms and breathing has helped you go further but by your own admission you went back to your bad habits for a while.
You need to consolidate on what you have learnt and swimming memory. When you are breathing and stroking correctly it should come naturally ie you don't have to consciously think about it. Only when you are at that point would I consider doing things such as pyramid breathing
Good advice Schmunks. Don't try and run before you can walk, Pete.
thanks for the advice...I'll keep it going as I am. I think I'm lifting my head out of the water as well as turning to breathe so I'll work on that too. I'm starting to believe that I might not be last out of the pool at my next triathlon...
It's a twist of the neck rather than lift the neck, if that makes sense?
A tip I was given was to twist my head to look no further up than the side of the pool. Or imagine someone walking poolside and look no further than their ankle.
You're making good progress and finding areas for improvement which is good so keep up the good work and rememebr to keep us updated
50:50 vision is another... rotating your head along the axis of your spine you should have one eye in the water and one out.
Surely that depends on how quickly you sing it though
Nelly the Elephant was always the tune for CPR when I trained as a lifeguard (at least for 15:2)
unfortunately as an ex-new wave/punk the only version of nelly the elephant I know is by the toy dolls and that's pretty quick...
The problem I have with turning my head and keeping one eye in the pool is that half my mouth is in the water and I suck in water and drown. I've tried to shape my mouth to that I breathe out of just a bit of it, but I'm stupid and usually I'm trying to breathe from the bit underwater...
I'll get on youtube tonight and have a look...I'm not back in the pool until Monday so that'll give me a chance to research it and practise in the bath...
If you're smooth in the water and rotating properly, then you will almost be sipping air from a "pocket" that is formed behind the bow wave from your head. Look at Mr Smooth:
http://www.swimsmooth.com/
It's all a bit reliant on those things coming together at the same time, I know, but once that clicks it becomes very natural.
Any advice on how to look where you're going? I swam FC in the'open' pool (only one lane. And they're a bit serious). My stroke and breathing are okay, I think, but I was relying on others seeing me and getting out of the way! I could see legs slightly ahead, but I wasn't looking ahead, if it makes sense. Luckily, not very busy!
Is like the engineer says Pete you've got to be in " the trough " when you breathe the position of your head should be that if somebody was walking along the side of the pool you would be looking at their shoes any higher and you'll likely over rotate or get a mouthful of water
Slow people struggle to make a trough sometimes. But there IS a sweet spot. Usually easier on one side than the other.
The other way of visualising the movement is to imagine a javelin driven down your body through the top of your head and you can only move your head along the javelins line of penetration. Personally, I also look a tiny bit down towards my feet which helps form the trough for me.
I'm the same as you Pippi, don't look where I'm going. Can see legs just in front of me. I tend to look for a clear run before I set of and sight where I think there might be a problem.
I don't swim in open pools much at all anymore. Very lucky to have a laned pool that I can swim in, or I just swim in the sea.
If it really is a problem then adjust what you are doing so that you can sight every few breaths. Pain but will avoid some collisions. You can only do what you can do.
Thanks - I waited till there was a clear route, but I'm sure there's a technique for when it's busier! (or swim in the fast lane ...)
Trough? What's that?
Swam UK open water for the first time this year. It appears that I've been a nonce for a month, as it was apparently 18C in the lake, although only 11 outside. The rain was my motivator. Since smashing 2 teeth out on a bike crash I've not been too keen on group rides in deluge conditions. The swimming was all I hoped. I've not got the crocodile technique, it's more of a porpoise for sighting. Anyway, the rain meant that it wasn't at all choppy. I was even breathing every FIVE strikes at points. Clearly that was when I was cruising.
Anyway, I'm waffling. Get your ass wet.
I'm sure you know Blisters, but for anyone else, the "trough" is the bit under your raised elbow when you are pulling your arm back, that's where you should be breathing.
I've heard of the trough. I've read about the trough. I've seen other people generate a trough. Every now and again I even manage to get a breath of (damp) air when one goggle is still in the water. But that might be on two or three occasions in a mile swim set. But I certainly can't consistently generate a trough of my own. Maybe in 10 years time I'll get it.
Help!! I'm panicking as I've got my first ever half IM on Sunday...now all women set off with the pros at 12.00 then every 10 mins a different wave sets off......how di I cope with people overtaking me, will they swim over me? Should I swim very wide so people will avoid me?
MM, don't panic. Make sure you start towards the rear.The pros will vanish and you'll never see them again. After 10 minutes, you'll be 400m up the lake. After 20 minutes you'll be 800m and anyone who is fast may start to catch up. In the open water they won't deliberately swim over you, but may tab your feet as they go past. At the turning buoys you would be advised to go a couple of metres wide, so that those in a hurry can make a tight turn. After about half way you can start to use the over-takers to your advantage, by drafting their wake, even for just a few metres.
Pippa
I forgot that you asked about sighting. It's a bit of an art that you ought to practice. Lots of advice on line. I need to practice more. Don't look every stroke, but about once every 6. Ideally, on a non-breathing stroke, pop your eyes up like a crocodile. Alternatively there's the porpoise style, where you look on a breathing stroke. Roll normally, and start to breathe sideways normally then quickly look forwards. Alternatively, look first then rotate, breathe and plop back. (I drown by this method).
Another key tip is to spot the buoy you need, even from dry land, and check what the background trees/landmarks look like.
One thing I discovered from trial and error, is that if you have to make a significant course correction, double check on the next few strokes as it's all too easy to over-correct.
In the pool at lunch practising my breathing...no trough to be seen. One of the better triathletes was there and he came over afterwards to advise me. He also said stop mucking around in the slow lane and get in the middle lane! So basically I've got to MTFU, and spend my lunches been chased from one side of the pool to the other...I'm looking forward to it...