More swim angst from me

[katinthehat]

Really, I promise I do other stuff than bitch about OWS on here, but apparently not lately.

So I scoped out the oly swim course on Saturday.  It was choppy, but pushing us in towards the swim exit and so, I told myself it won't be too bad.  I know the wind can change in five weeks but this is pretty typical for the beachside in the end of summer.  Anyway.

The course was not even measured.  My friends with the fancy watches all were getting between 440-470.  The course was supposed to be 300.  No bueno.  But I could/did handle that.

What I couldn't handle was the chop.  Chop chop chop.  And it was pushing across us so the swim which was just and back, so the chop never helped you.

My time, all things considered, was probably my fastest OWS if you make an assumption of 450 y.  It was 10:33.  I actually had the 17th fastest swim time out of the 51 in my AG.  (For reference, the winner of my AG did it in 8:23.)

Here's my angst.  There is no way on God's green earth I could have swum that course twice more.  As it was, I basically took a nap in T1.  I feel so defeated.  This training cycle, I've been swimming twice a week in the pool (1800-1900 yards each workout) and one OWS a week.  My longest continuous OWS has been 1200 meters.  I was going to do 1600 m at the lake Friday night but got rained out.

I feel 99.9% certain I can cover the distance in September, I just don't know how to deal with the conditions.  I can swim in the pool or I can swim in this lake, those are my two swim options.  But the lake is protected and gets only the most gentle of breezes.  I just have no other reasonable options for swimming, yet I feel every time I race, I have conditions I haven't been able to prepare myself to deal with them because my swim choices are limited.

So here's a list of things to tell me.
1.  STFU about this and just swim.  Trust the training.
2.  Do more swimming.  Add in days, add in more distance to your workouts, just build swim strength and that will translate to OWS strength, regardless of the conditions.
3.  Give up trying speed workouts and just focus on distance.  If you can swim two miles in the pool, you can swim 1500 OWS.
4.  Even if it means driving an hour, go swim in the "ocean" and just deal with it.  I use the term ocean loosely but the Gulf of Mexico is 45 miles away.  (The oly is in a brackish bayou off the Gulf.)
5.  If you're stressed out about it this much with five weeks to go, you're not prepared and should just drop down to the sprint distance.

I just had built it up in my mind that I was more prepared for this swim than any other that I've done and I left the water feeling totally defeated.  I have another sprint tri on Saturday, it's a 500 m course in brackish water.  I've got to get it mentally together before that race and have the best swim of my life for me to have any confidence in my ability to do the olympic on Sept 22nd.

[joenali]

Water gets choppy. Put your head down and swim. Choppy water isn't easy for anyone!! It's hard to swim in windy, wavy conditions!

What about trying the lake early in the morning??

[emilyj]

This is going to sound ridiculous as shit, but it helped me tremendously.

I panicked during the swim portion of one of my races in April. When I got back to masters and was being a total baby about it, my teammate, who has done a lot of OWS, said she would work with me. This meant that she would swim in my lane with me and either a) splash water at me to mimic chop or b) grab me/hit me like people would do in a race.

We did this about 5 times, and the 'getting splashed' portion was a HUGE help to me. It made me realize that yes, I could take a face and mouthful of water and not die. It made me get better at gauging conditions quickly and adapting my breathing pattern for them. And it made me just relax a little bit more overall.

No, it's not the same as OWS. But in my next race, 3 weeks later, I dropped 3 minutes off my swim time.
So something there worked for me.

Like I said, ridiculous, but for me it helped.

[reginaphalange72]

It's pretty amazing what you're capable of doing on race day, simply because it's race day.

That said, try to get some practice swimming in rough water, or getting a mouthful of water here and there. I know it took me a few times to get used to that, but once you do, it's not so bad.

You'll be alright! Keep at it!

[kams]

Don't panic yet. Water gets nasty and choppy, and you need to be prepared or that, but that doesn't mean you're going to have those conditions on race day. Get your swim workouts in, try to get some ows in if you can, and then trust your training.

One thing I do, which might not actually help but it calms mr down, is to try to use the chop in any way I can - like when giving birth, you don't want to fight your body, you want to go with it. Hahaha, just like that

[katandkevin]

The water you swam in yesterday and the water for your oly are completely different. The water at moody gardens is a protected cove, so it never gets as choppy as lake houston. I have swam in there twice and it was not bad at all, I promise. Try not to worry about it, I know easier said than done.

Are you doing clear lake this weekend?

[Susie]

You said you swam in the afternoon this weekend, right? And your race will probably be early in the AM? Not that it can't be choppy in the AM, or that you shouldn't be able to deal with it if it is, but the odds of it being that choppy on race day are slim.

Bottom line, with chop, is that it sucks. Doesn't matter how good or experienced you are, it is no fun, breaks your rhythm, makes breathing harder, and takes your easy speed. Practicing in a pool in a lane next to a youth team practice is good for getting used to it.

[texassmith]

Aug 19, 2013 6:50:05 GMT -5 Susie said:

You said you swam in the afternoon this weekend, right? And your race will probably be early in the AM? Not that it can't be choppy in the AM, or that you shouldn't be able to deal with it if it is, but the odds of it being that choppy on race day are slim.

Butting in...the conditions she described were at a sprint tri yesterday morning.

[trigal]

The fact of the matter is that even the strongest of swimmers get frustrated in a choppy swim. It's like having strong winds on the bike. They slow everyone down and they mess with your head. So, what you are feeling is totally normal.

I think you'll be fine for your race. The biggest thing is to not allow yourself to get frustrated. You cannot control the conditions, just your response to them. If you tell yourself to keep calm and let it go, then you will. And, even if your time is slower than you want, you will head into the bike leg with more energy and less aggravation.

[taffy]

That swim sucked. Bad. The swim is usually my strongest leg and I really struggled. I was breathing every stroke, panicked because I was afraid if I held my breath a wave would hit me when I tried to breathe again. It was also really crowded and the course was definitely long which messes with your head because you think you should be done. I looked back at my times for previous races and they were 1-2 minutes faster. I'm pretty sure they don't measure the course. Also be proud you finished. My friend was in the boat and he pulled 10 women out.

The Oly course you are doing shouldn't be as choppy. At least it wasn't the year I did it. It has waves but nothing like those. I'm serious when I say you'll be fine, you are putting in the OW training and aren't shying away from it.

Oh, and you said you don't think you could have done yesterday's course 2 more times....me either. I would have cried like a baby. As it was when I got out of the water I gave my husband a very WTF look...he has it on camera!

[katinthehat]

thank you thank you thank you all. I feel much better already and especially after a good night of sleep.

katandkevin - I am doing Clear Lake. Just the sprint though. Although I think if they'll let me switch to oly at packet pickup, I might do that. I know I can do the distance, it's just this irrational fear of the swim at Moody Gardens. I just need to get this monkey off my back about it. Are you racing it?

[starryfish]

You are doing the Galveston Oly right at Moody Gardens? You can totally practice swimming there! I have a map that shows you where you can practice and still be safe.Also, I have swam the sprint version of the course in Moody Gardens 2 years ago and it wasnt that bad, chop wise.

[katinthehat]

starryfish YES! Please tell me where!!

[katandkevin]

Aug 19, 2013 8:40:56 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

thank you thank you thank you all. I feel much better already and especially after a good night of sleep.

katandkevin - I am doing Clear Lake. Just the sprint though. Although I think if they'll let me switch to oly at packet pickup, I might do that. I know I can do the distance, it's just this irrational fear of the swim at Moody Gardens. I just need to get this monkey off my back about it. Are you racing it?

I am not racing anymore until ironman. All the races fall on days that I have long rides and it is a pain to move my schedule around.

The swim at clear lake is more like what the swim at moody gardens will be. It is open-ish water but it isn't too choppy. I promise the swim for the 5150 will be fine. I did tri girl last year when the water was super choppy and it is nothing like that at all.

I thought you couldn't practice in the water behind moody gardens or at least you used to not be able to.

[starryfish]

Aug 19, 2013 12:29:06 GMT -5 katandkevin said:

Aug 19, 2013 8:40:56 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

thank you thank you thank you all. I feel much better already and especially after a good night of sleep.

katandkevin - I am doing Clear Lake. Just the sprint though. Although I think if they'll let me switch to oly at packet pickup, I might do that. I know I can do the distance, it's just this irrational fear of the swim at Moody Gardens. I just need to get this monkey off my back about it. Are you racing it?

I am not racing anymore until ironman. All the races fall on days that I have long rides and it is a pain to move my schedule around.

The swim at clear lake is more like what the swim at moody gardens will be. It is open-ish water but it isn't too choppy. I promise the swim for the 5150 will be fine. I did tri girl last year when the water was super choppy and it is nothing like that at all.

I thought you couldn't practice in the water behind moody gardens or at least you used to not be able to.

Yes I agree that it is more similar to Clear Lake Tri.

I have practiced in the "docked" area. so staying between the starting dock and then swimming to the paddle boat dock. There are no boats in there, so its "danger" free.

[katinthehat]

really really glad I signed up to do Clear Lake then! SF - let's make a date for the swim!

[starryfish]

Ok just let me know!