Run For Sarah : Great Scottish Run 4th Sept 2011

If you don't know Glasgow and you're aspiring towards your 1^st half marathon. Then you could do a lot worse than plan for the Great Scottish Run. The start at George Square, in the very heart of town, is turned over to a sea of runners – all shapes and abilities – some who have no intention of even running but who will jog/walk as they fundraise. It's down to earth, it's accessible and you should do it. You get to run on a bit of the M8 before turning into Pollock Park and ending up in the park at Glasgow Green.
I've missed this race for a few years now and was inspired by Sarah to push back to the half marathon distance. The course is fairly flat and good PB potential – but alas not for me. I'm more sprint-triathlon orientated just now and have just been extending the Sunday long run to hopefully cover the distance. I think it will hurt !

Sarah and Alec

Sarah chose the Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke Association (NICHS) as her charity for this race and I am proud to represent her at the event. I so hope I don't let her down. Northern Ireland (NI), like Scotland, has a terrible reputation for coronary health and poor diet – perhaps NI didn't actually invent the deep fried Mars bar – but it's got a similar “chips with everything” fondness for the deep-fat fryer. As a son of the Province I have this tendency "in spades". I think the chances of hearing “no chips please I'll take the streamed kale” is in the realms of lottery-winning likelihood. Lets review the stats provided by NICHS:

• Stroke is Northern Ireland's third most numerous cause of death and the greatest single cause of disability. In the UK 67,000 die annually from Stroke.
  
• Annually there are 2,300 emergency admissions to hospital due to Strokes. 300,000 people in the UK are living with a disability caused by a Stroke.
  
• In 2008 there were 2,096 deaths in Northern Ireland due to respiratory illness.
  
• An estimated 150,000 people suffer from respiratory illnesses, resulting in 28,000 hospital admissions a year and costing £47 million.
  
• Respiratory disease is the fourth biggest killer in Northern Ireland and includes any disease which affects the lungs, such as chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and lung cancer. Many people live a long time with chronic respiratory illness.
  

According to NICHS it seems that Northern Ireland (having once led the UK in terms of the number of stroke units/population) is now lagging in terms of provision. The final report of the National Sentinel Stroke Audit shows that only half of patients spend 90% of their time in a stroke unit. As far back as 2006, six out of ten patients had this level of access to such specialised treatment. While brain scanning within 24 hours has increased from 40% in 2006 to 57%, Northern Ireland still lags well behind England, which achieves 71% - This is crucial in determining the kind of stroke the person has suffered. NICHS are campaigning to reduce the effects of respiratory illness in Northern Ireland and support those who suffer from it as follows …

• NICHS aims to change Government and Health Service policy for the better, to improve the lives of people suffering from chest, heart and stroke illnesses.
  
• They speak out on behalf of all those who rely on our services, persuading and applying whatever pressure we can. This has resulted in - among other things - healthier school meals and shorter surgical waiting lists.
  
• They are also members of the Long Term Conditions Alliance Northern Ireland, an umbrella body that works to improve the well-being of people with chronic conditions.
  
• They operate an extensive network of support groups in every area of Northern Ireland for people affected by stroke, cardiac illnesses and chest conditions.
  
• NICHS invests for the future by funding ground-breaking research at our hospitals and universities. All the research we support is local, and benefits local people.

There is indeed some ground-breaking R&D being supported by NICHS :

“ Researchers in Belfast are investigating a ground breaking new technique to help stroke survivors regain the use of disabled limbs. Previous studies have indicated that the brain has the capacity to "rewire" itself to cope with damage. Now, psychologists at Queen's University are hoping to show that non-invasive stimulation of the brain, coupled with contractions of the muscles of the unimpaired arm, will assist the recovery of movement in the affected limb.

The project has the potential to transform the recovery of stroke survivors and others who have suffered brain damage. The research, led by Professor Richard Carson, has been funded to the tune of £45,000 by Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke. Prof Carson said: "Although the areas of the brain damaged by stroke cannot recover in the same way that skin can heal itself, other parts of the brain may be able to make up for the lost capacity. This process can be accelerated by painless, non-invasive stimulation that uses magnetic impulses applied over the scalp. We believe that this brain stimulation can be enhanced by simultaneous use of the muscles in the unaffected arm and that it could transform the recovery of the 50% of stroke survivors who are left with disability in one arm."

"Team Dylan" Running For Sarah

I think the NICHS approach is deeply impressive and holistic. Amazingly dedicated staff who are involved in life-changing provision of equipment, educational support, changing the mind-set of decision makers, befriending patients, educating a whole population to enable rapid diagnosis of stroke – and even suporting

Sarah has encouraged me to run for NICHS and in doing so she has probably assisted in my own risk of stroke being reduced. Researchers in McMaster Univerity (Ontario, Canada) found compelling evidence for 10 risk factors that are associated with 90% of the risk of having a stroke.

This is summarized here. The top 5 factors actually accounted for approx 80% of stroke risk. 

• High Blood Pressure
• Smoking
• A Fat Stomach
• Poor Diet
• lack of Excercize

The “lifestyle” of the runner or triathlete would seem to immediately reduce at least 3 of these risk factors and I think triathlete or marathoner smokers are few and far between - which nails a 4th. Let's think about that a little further. Steve Walker (son of Glen) in his outstanding podcast Phedippediations 245 (here) summarized the very special and persuasive work of Stanford researchers (here) who undertook a 21 year longitudinal survey of recreational runners from California. The study followed the runners from a mean age of 59 years to an age of 78 years in 2005. When they were compared to a control group there were some astonishing findings:

• mean disability levels were lower in the runners
• the progress of disability in the runners was lower

You really should listen to Steve's podcast to get the full story but for this blogpost the important point was that Cardiovascular-related deaths were significantly reduced in the running group compared to the control. Aerobic training improves cardio-vascular fitness - and it seems it extends the duration of life and the quality of life. Other studies cited in the same paper have previously pointed to reduced incidence of dementia and several cancer types among groups of regular excercizers compared to controls. Lets look at what data Age-NI published concerning the activity patterns of Northern Ireland people aged 55 or over :

Courtesy of Age-NI : Aging Well

So an alarming 43% of the 65+ age group are "sedentary" while at best 73% of 55 year olds are doing too little exercize. What a challenge to the leisure / fitness community ! There is an urgent and compelling need to raise your game - there need to be products and opportunities to enable this demographic to get activity into their lives. If you manage a leisure centre or are personal trainer - this means YOU need to think outside the box and connect. Bevan James Eyles (multi-time New Zealand Fitness Professional of the Year) is quoted as saying "The fitness industry is losing the war".
The context here is also alarming through age-related demographic change. Check this out...

Increase of 50, 60 and 70 year olds in Northern Ireland : 2010-2050 

Which means ....

• by 2030 there will be 770,00 people in Northern Ireland aged 50 or over
• 34% of the population by 2030 will be over 60 !

An aging population that is more sedentary is bad news both for the people themselves and the tax payer. In all this we have been considering physical health and not even touched on the "quality of life" improvments an active lifestyle can bring. So what NICHS are leading today will be ever more important as Northern Ireland ages in the decades ahead. Simply put we need more education and more initiatives on the value of aerobic exercise (I'd start with triathlon - obviously). Here's specifically what Chakravarty et al. (2008) concluded ...

"Our findings of decreased disability in addition to prolonged survival among middle-aged and older adults participating in routine physical activities further support recommendations to encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity at all ages. Increasing healthy lifestyle behaviours may not only improve length and quality of life but also hopefully lead to reduced health care expenditures associated with disability and chronic diseases."

and that's backed up with what Age-NI had to say :

The link we're making next week by undertaking the Great Scottish Run and fundraising for NICHS is a perfect combination. For the good of half a million people in Northern Ireland I hope those responsible for policy and fitness in Northern Ireland follow Sarah's example. I am endebted to those who are supporting this at a Scottish Sea Farms corporate level or by personally donating at JustGiving.Com/DareToTriLife (here). A "heart-felt" thank you to all.

So what are you getting for the cash ? Well today seemed to the 1st day of Autumn and while it might be August somewhere it seems it's seems, to be October in Argyll. Beware those Men in Tights !   So it's the last long run -managed 22k through the forest trails today - I think a little slower than last week - see what you think (Click on view details and you can re-run the whole route).

Kelso Sprint Triathlon

New challenges, new approach. There's a triathlon distance for every lifestyle - and like so many others I find I'm very much "Time Crunched" just now. So that (and my Open Water Monster) is directing me away from longer distance and towards the "high octane" Sprint format : 750m pool, 20k bike, 5k run. This is a dangerous shift as it puts me in the infested pool of hungry sharks that are Peter, John, Stephen, Matt and Tim. These are the amigo's from March's Stirling Duathlon and I hate to admit that they are very talented and very committed. So if the Mid-Argyll Sprint is an "A" race goal in Sept I'd better get some experience and not be a 1 trick pony (as happened last year). The race options for a mid season realignment  have been few but one was Kelso.

Kelso is just about in Scotland, which is more than can be said of my accommodation - which turned out to be in England ! Situated on the banks of the River Tweed at its junction with the Teviot, Kelso is an ideal base for exploring the Scottish Borders, the Berwickshire Coast and Northumberland. Apparently described by Sir Walter Scott as 'The most beautiful if not the most romantic village in Scotland'. With the Lammermuir Hills and the Cheviots to the south, it lies in one of the most fertile valleys in Scotland. Being within ten miles of the English border, past history dealt the town a very hard time during the Border Wars of the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. Kelso has a ruined abbey dating back to 1128. The landscape on the journey south of Edinburgh was of rolling hills and quality agricultural land and the trip from Argyll took almost 4 hours.

I'd been seriously looking forward to the event. The change in training plans away from longer (slower) endurance and towards higher intensity has been challenging - there are no "easy" workouts. So it would be good to test this methodology and see if I'm adapting. Race week had been "stressy" at work - laden as it was with complicated "people" things. "Fish" things by contrast are relatively easy and just take sufficient time and work to get right but the "wheels within wheels" of human relationships often defies straight-forward interpretation and you just have to cut your own path to the best possible solution & trust your own judgement. Anyway the focus on Kelso was a little blurred as work cast a long shadow into the weekend. The final training sessions all went well : brick session on Tuesday with fartlek run intervals thrown in was somewhat extreme but a training PB for 750m in the pool and an ok showing at the Mid-Argyll bike time trial on Thurs set the week up nicely.   

                              

The square : Kelso

Dearly Beloved is somewhat cultured and on Saturday had been invited to a Jolomo art exhibition held at the Archway in Lochgilphead (here). For me this this proved an excellent carbo-loading opportunity with classy nibbles and complimentary drinks. As she gazed I grazed. While she interpreted, focused on the intricate brushstrokes and considered the deeper meaning within I must have scoffed 5-600 quality calories of  crisps and matured cheese on cocktail sticks. I love this art thing. It seems Dearly Beloved's favorite painting was of a house obscured by blotchy plants (below). Astonishingly the price tag for this was much the same as a Specialized Shiv - the bike Chris MacCormack rides (with 1" upper and 1-1/8" lower H/set Cr-Mo cartridge bearings, S-Works Aero stem, S-Works Aero handle bar, S-Works Aero integrated front and rear brakes, Tektro Shiv brake levers, S-Works FACT carbon 53-39T, OS integrated BB w/ ceramic bearings, Shiv Aero Seat post with integrated-with-frame seat clamp). If I had the cash I don't think I'd be up all night wondering which to choose. But judge for yourself ...

Blotchy House

Thing of Beauty

Tillmouth Country House

Bit of culture, quick puppy walk, back to base, cuddles and off to Kelso. I'd recommend Booking.Com to anyone. I've been very lucky with accommodation booked through them and despite the fact that the "country house" surprizingly turned out to be in England - which is a country unrecognized by my Garmin Sat Nav (a bit like the Libyan Government). If you are needing overnight accommodation while attempting the Kelso sprint in years to come the Tillmouth Park Country House Hotel should be 1st on your list (here).
I had requested a breakfast to be early and available in the room - this was no problem. The Duty Manager could not have been more accommodating and conjured bananas out of nowhere. For £75 I had B&B and was upgraded to half a gate lodge - eat your heart out Holiday Inn Express.

While very very comfortable I don't sleep well away from home (and without Much Beloved) and, after all, there was the excitement of a sprint tri tomorrow. I should say that from the Argyll/Stirlingshire border it had rained, and rained, and rained and then rained some more. It rained during the night and it rained the next morning. There's a theme here ? I felt really at home - an Argyll in the East.  On the way down on Saturday evening I stopped off and drove the cycle route and... it's challenging. A lovely steep climb from Ednam to Stichill then a fast descent back into Kelso. It's an honest cycle route (23k) with a quality road surface -  and is quite a contrast to the Mid Argyll Sprint (flat, bumpy bits). The standing water from all the rain was likely to be a challenge and perhaps demanded caution on the faster return legs. You complete the cycle loops twice to cover the distance - and indeed you also loop twice for the 5k run. The run too is notable for a set of steps you need to climb not long after existing T2.

So what happened ? The tri is based from Kelso swimming pool - which does just what it says on the tin - it's a very basic clean 4 lane 25m pool with no frills. The staff are very friendly and it's informal. No race number - you just shout your number out as you pass the officials - no chip timing and no fuss. Very inclusive: the Sprint ran a half distance "Try a Tri" as a final heat in the pool and I'm sure the new cohort found themselves hooked on this amazing sport. The race information meeting gave a whole new definition to the word "briefing" - it was the most utterly minimalist I have ever heard. But there were handouts with maps available and athletes really know they need to view the course for themselves. So it was fine and actually the routes were well marked and marshalled. The cheering and support for athletes within the pool gave a lovely atmosphere and locals were singled out for encouragement. There seemed to be a club mantra of "10 steady, 10 build, 5 peak and 5 sprint" to cover the 30 lengths. I hadn't heard that before. The pool itself seemed a traditional design - with straight sides and a large gap from the water surface to the surrounding walkway. Some athletes struggled to exit the pool due to the height and a few elected to swim to the steps in the corner. There seemed to be no standing ledge at the deep end and the flush sides and extra height proved a bit tricky with open turns. As a consequence of the height the traditional "tap on the head" with a float (with 2 lengths to go) was replaced by a stab on the shoulder with a pole.
As there were only 2 of us in my lane we agreed to swim up & down on our own side rather than in a clockwise direction. This took away any draft potential though. The nose clip came off on the very first lap and it probably remains there even now. More worringly my heart rate monitor strap worked loose and was suddenly at my waist, then knees then ankles. It too joined the nose clip. I honestly thought it was my trishorts that were coming loose and was very relieved it was just the HR monitor. Access to T1 was fast but it became a fairly long transition area due running down the building to the mount/dismount zone on the main road. 

The challenge was the climb from Ednam to Stichill and I was happy to have a compact ringset - it was 6 or 7 minutes of pure grind per lap. However the descent was a perfect recovery and my aged Specialized Transition coped beautifully with the wet conditions. The fastest km split of the day was 54km/h recorded at this point. I did expect to be passed on the downhills but wasn't.

The run was to be "ground breaking" for this was to be ....  SOCKLESS !  Yes, the time had finally come to shave precious seconds from T2 and it worked out just fine. Don't be afraid to make this move but do break your feet in and don't do this for the first time on race day. Remember Vaseline though. Tried to stretch out the legs by a few bum kicks and I think that really works. Feet were numb from the cold & rain and it took a few km to get the feeling back. Was very happy with the run overall and managed 2 of the km under 4min pace - which for me is encouraging. Two run loops and it's over. I didn't manage to catch the leader of our heat and I regret not working harder to do that .

I made 19th overall and thoroughly recommend the race to others (here). A race PB for the swim distance and good progress on bike/run transitions. The cycle alone is a terrific challenge and well worth the trip. It's low key, old school and very friendly. Check it out in 2012.

        

MacQueen Brothers 2011 Athletes Companion Podcast

Race Director Stephen Whiston and A.N Other discuss the up & coming Mid Argyll Triathlon. Lots of tips and skullduggery. What should you eat on race morning ? Is Marks & Spencer smoked Lochmuir salmon enough or should you opt for porridge as well ? Does Triathlon Scotland permit your puppy in T1 ? Where is the best location to power into your bike split. Did Stephen wear Speedo's in 2002 ? All this, and more, in the 2011 athlete's Podcast Companion to the MacQueen Bros. Mid Argyll Sprint Triathlon. We left the cave and improved the sound - load this onto your MP3 and take us training. You won't regret it - well, you might but it passes the time !

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Open water swims - Don't Panic

Before creating this blog my race reports were occasionally posted on the famous Mid Argyll Tri and Cycle Club website. These event descriptions from club members are generally positive and informative. My report of the Middle Distance Triathlon at Bala, Wales in 2010 was, however, in stark contrast (here). I must confess to being fished out of the swim in Bala and recorded my 1st ever DNF. Ignominy. 

Ladies Wot Swim

In 2011 I have been swimming more, been attending early season open water swim (OWS) group sessions as well as dragging much beloved to our local loch (lake). The OWS folk are a very nurturing group of (mostly) ladies who are intrepid, fearless and, in the case of one amazing lady, even wetsuit-less.

This is Argyll, Scotland & the sea temperature is 9C so you'd have to agree wetsuit-less is distinctly "hard core". Having diligently kept up pool sessions and braved 4 previous OW swims over the last month I have been feeling positive about my swimming progress - until last Tuesday evening. The water was cold for sure - but I thought I'd warmed up sufficiently. I did the "roar" (see later) and introduced water into the wetsuit. Thought I was warmed up sufficiently in secure and shallow water - then set off for the buoys distant. There was a very modest swell - nothing really of note. Started well enough but perhaps after 150m paused to tread water and sight the group. Repeated this 50m further on but this time started to get noticeably short of breath and that spiralled out of all control. In no time found myself taking very fast quite shallow breaths, losing buoyancy and feeling very restricted by the wetsuit. Decided that I had to make back for shore but there seemed no way I could use freestyle to do it. Flipped over onto my back and headed back. At one point I was able to rest up on a mooring but never seemed able to regain control of my breathing. Two kind souls from the OWS group joined me and escorted me safely back to shore - trying supportive and distracting conversation on the way in. As I said - a very special and considerate group.

So what's going on here ? Not even 4 years ago I ran into a Canadian lake for a 3.8k Ironman swim with never a care in the world. Sure my first OW swims were daunting - jumping off a boat in the Firth of Forth to swim ashore under the famous bridge - or even repeating mantra's ahead of the mass wave start in London. There is no way I am a less skilled swimmer than I was back then. Lets review. Treefrog on 220Triathlon.Com forum wrote :

Open water swimming is so different to the pool. Wetsuits give extra buoyancy and therefore a a little more confidence re. safety. Nothing prepares you for the ...

1. restrictive nature of a well fitted wetsuit, this causes hyperventilation and therefore increases HR

2. the cold shock of open water in UK in May

3. the adrenaline rush of competition (no matter what you tell yourself it's a race and you are in it to do your best so "go slowly" does not happen)

4. the mayhem of a full field of flailing arms, legs, heads etc as they head across the lake

5. the inevitability of going off course.

These are good observations. I started with the assumption that the wetsuit must be the problem. It's 3.5yrs old - but it's a top-end suit and very flexible. So I visited (for the 1st time) the Tri Centre in Edinburgh (here). I got great advice, was able to put on my old suit and have it assessed. The staff were excellent and talked though the problem, shared their experiences and looked at the fit of the suit. They took loads of time and I could not recommend them highly enough. Triathlon definitely attracts quality people ! Wetsuits should feel restrictive when ashore & dry - they will loosen up in the water and with use. The suit is close fitting but that is not the issue. The issue seems therefore to be me - again !  Oh dear. The parting comment from the Tri Centre was that people have to deal with many challenges and barriers - for some that's the open water swim of a triathlon - use it as an opportunity to grow - growth is so much of what the sport's about - find a way to deal with it. I get that. OK time for growth : so what are we dealing with ?

 

Courtesy : renjith krishnan



Dr Sarah Myhill wrote (here) : We inhale most of our recently exhaled air...there is a good reason. Life evolved over millions of years in an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide, the waste gas of respiration. Carbon dioxide became essential for normal cell metabolism because cells used carbon dioxide to maintain their optimal pH (acidity). When levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere fell, cells had to develop a mechanism for artificially bathing themselves in the right level of carbon dioxide for their efficient metabolism. And so lungs evolved. Lungs are necessary to keep carbon dioxide levels high in inhaled air and therefore in the blood. The blood is very efficient at gathering oxygen and all arterial blood is 100% saturated with oxygen. But here comes the crunch! Oxygen is only readily released from red blood cells to supply oxygen to the tissues in the presence of high levels of carbon dioxide. So what does this mean in practice? Short of breath ? Breathe less ! Many patients, particularly asthma patients... have a sensation that they are not getting enough oxygen to their tissues. Their response to this is to breathe more deeply. However blood cannot become more than 100% saturated with oxygen. All that happens is that more carbon dioxide is washed out of the blood.  Paradoxically, to improve oxygen supply to the tissues you have to breathe less! Breathing less increases carbon dioxide levels and improves oxygen delivery.

To get high oxygen into our blood stream we need high C02. So the short fast breaths have to be brought under control. In a less damp environment than 150m into Loch Fyne you might use the paper bag method to control hyperventilation. The bag traps CO2 rich exhaled air which you re-breath. The "extra" CO2 now hitting your bloodstream re-balances the deficiency and your breathing returns to normal. I get that. That's what's happening - what might the causes be ? Temperature and adaptation to the cold seems a popular candidate. Dan Empfield on Active.Com wrote : 

The solution to this problem is to warm up. I always warm up in the water prior to the race, and I'll first get into the water 20 minutes prior to my wave going off. This takes some planning. I'll usually start the whole hassling of pre-race paraphernalia about 90 minutes prior to the gun, and 30 minutes prior I'll be ready to head for the water.

Mike Trees (here) agreed : Triathletes often complain of hyperventilation or panic attacks after about 200m of swimming in open water. This can be due to several factors: water temperature, nerves, the unfamiliarity of wearing a wetsuit and a lack of pacing. It is important to enter the water slowly and to put your face in the water before commencing swimming to adjust your body to the temperature of the water especially in early season when the water is cold. Rob Popper (here) indicated how thorough to be with your acclimatization : When you get in the water, flush your suit before you start swimming. This is the process of opening up the neck of the suit and letting in some water, then stepping out of the water (or into the shallow end) and squeezing the water out of the suit through the torso, arms and legs. This can help get rid of air pockets in the suit that might bulge out and slow you down later, as well as give you a thin layer of water inside the suit that insulates you from the colder outside water.
So thinking back to Tuesday - was my preparation insufficient ? agarose2000 writing on the Beginner Triathlete forum was insistent that pre-swim prep is critical : I can help you nearly completely solve this panic attack issue. It's very easy - get into the water early. Give yourself at least 10 minutes to just "play" in the water. Make sure you get your head completely under, and take a few strokes, but stay in shallow water where you're comfortable. You'd be amazed at what 10 minutes in the water can do - time yourself, and you'd be surprised at how long it feels like you're out there. The more you can get your head underwater, the more adapted you'll be. Even do a few somersaults and flips just to show that you can reorient yourself. In truth today I've just come back from OWS in a nearby loch. It was very cold (we've had loads of rain these past few days and little sunshine). I tried the advice above and it worked well. Introduced water into the suit, flushed water through the suit, took time before swimming, waited until I could feel the water in the suit warm up. In fact I'd say the most important point was to get your head under - do this by to lifting your neoprene swim cap and flushing that too. I guess it's taking a little time for the blood vessels in the skin to get adjusted. That did take 5-10mins.

I did not have a repeat of Tuesday today but there was a point at which I didn't feel wholly comfortable. Barrett Barlowe writing for livestrong.com wrote : 

Me : Today, Breathing... go figure



Beginning swimmers might be nervous about breathing during swimming, as it can be daunting to swim facing down in the water and to regulate breathing during the stroke. You might react by breathing fast, and inadvertently reducing levels of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream. Anxiety mixed with inexpert technique causes swimmers to overexert themselves during the stroke and quickly use up oxygen supplies.

Same physiology at work but Barrett is raising the issues of pure anxiety and swim technique. Jpanzer on the Total Immersion thread takes this possible cause head on:
Hyperventilating comes from more than just cold water. It comes from nervousness and lack of comfort. I come from zero swimming background and it affects me too. Even though I know I can swim the distance, I still hyperventilated for about 30 seconds in the 1/2 mile swim of a tri this past weekend. Even still I set my own little PR on the swim taking a couple of minutes off my last race this past fall. Keeping a positive mental focus in the water seems to help, but as other people said in the thread, it's probably just practice, practice, practice to get comfortable.

So the psychology of the situation now comes into play. Why might you be anxious ? Well there's drowning of course ! But you're swimming perfectly well in the pool - you know you've trained for the distance, have the skill-set and have the fitness. So you can do this - can't you ?

Well there must be a major element of experience involved and many forum posts suggest that plenty of openwater training is the answer - one suggesting 3 times a week. Clearly the OW environment is quite literally wildly different from the pool. Some people can have issues akin to vertigo if they can see a distant seabed tens of metres beneath them, others find coping with weed or very turbid water a problem - these guys are probably longing to see the bottom. There's unknown things floating out there and the cold must play a part as will a relative lack of freedom that comes from the wetsuit. The imagination of what lurks in the gloom somehow seems very real. There is a chance of losing the odd breath depending on chop and of course you need the self confidence of knowing you have the ability to get back to shore from quite a distant point. This was a good summary from DaveH on beginnertriathlete :

Don't go alone ... ever.

Panic attacks during your first few open water swims, particularly during races, are very common. It's particularly bad early in the year when the water is cold. Get in as much open water practice as you can, wear a wetsuit, and don't swim alone. Start off by just floating, getting used to the temperature, and getting used to having your face submerged. I really like Seal Mask goggles for the extra visibility and they keep water off of a large portion of your face. If I get a little uncomfortable in an open water race, which I still do after 30 races, the key for me is to keep my heart rate low and find some open water where I am not being bumped around. Concentrate on a much slower stroke rate than in a pool, with lots of gliding, and getting into your own rhythm.  On race day just let everyone get a 10 second head start on the swim if you are not comfortable. You will just catch them on the bike    I think Dave hits the nail firmly & squarely. So here's my checklist to lower the risk of OWS panic ....

1. Understand if this is an ear issue - some people get a problem from water ingress to the ear during the swim. Can be fixed with plugs according to some forum posts. I think this is a small minority of cases though. Google it.
2. Have a plan : so ...know yourself and expect to have to deal with this situation. The many blog entries on this subject show it's common and probable. There's a great thread here and a super article here. If you are a nervous person anyway then think about techniques that might generally help you : check out something like this.
3. Get a Plan B. If the panic attack starts to happen - how will you take back control ? While the wetsuit is more restrictive than pool swimming it's so much more buoyant. Practice just gently treading water or lying on your back - taking "time out" in a safe way. This is great reassurance.
4. Know what a breaststroke feels like in a wetsuit - a few minutes of practice per session - just in case. Tamara on trifuel.com wrote : Remember that you don't have to do freestyle the whole time. Breaststroke is slower, but let's you face forward and keep your face out of the water more. It was about the only stroke I used in my first half dozen races since I, too, panicked and hyperventilated out there in the open water. I don't live within easy driving distance of any open water swim locations, so it's always a challenge on race day. Keep at it. Know that you can tread water or hang onto a lifeguard kayak if you need to take a breather. You can do it!

5. Start with the wetsuit - like your bike it's better to have it fitted from a shop rather than bought via the InterWeb. Rob Popper recommended : Try on different wet suits before you buy one, if you can. Many places that sell wet suits also offer open water swimming training (Swim for Tri, SBR, Tri and Run), and they usually offer some sort of “try before you buy” service. Different manufacturers have different sizing systems and “medium” doesn’t always mean the same thing, so it’s worth trying them out and making sure they are comfortable. A good wet suit will last you years and years and years, so it’s worth making sure you get the right one.
6. Take time when putting on the wetsuit & focus on the joints : meaning bend your knees, if there are wrinkles behind then pull the thigh area to get rid of it, do the same by bending at the waist and elbows. This reduces torso restriction. Really work on the chest area - andygates on TriTalk.Co.UK wrote : Once you've zipped up, pull a handful of chest material forward. It's common for the back of the suit to be looser than the front. Give it some wriggly hunchback action and free up the chest as much as you can before getting in, then do it again in the water if you have time.
7. Take time in the water before you start aim for 5-10m - get acclimatized - focus on getting your head into the water. Lift the suit neck and flush with water. Don't be afraid to "Roar".
8. Practice - take all the opportunities you can to swim safely and in a group setting. Don't leave your 1st OWS to race day.
9. Start modestly and work forward. Your early OWS experience could be along a shoreline or you could swim out to a point you are comfortable with and swim back to shallower water - extending the distance as you wish.
10. If it's a race - hold back and choose clean water to start with. Don't add "being swum over" to your list of risks.
11. Be self aware - like a 10k run there is a tendency to start the swim too fast - you need to do the opposite. Start conservatively and monitor your pacing - you can "rip it up" in the last 25% of the distance (if you want) when you'll feel amazing at your achievement. Just relax and chill. You know you'll eat them up on the bike anyway.
12. Expect your stoke to be slower than the pool - not the same turnover rate - the wetsuit will slightly hamper your movement. BUT focus on the glide - the extra wetsuit buoyancy will improve efficiency, lower oxygen demand and improve speed.  
13. If it helps exaggerate the roll during your breath : Chris on trifuel.com wrote : Try looking up at the sky when you breathe, too. Get a little extra roll on your stroke and try to focus on breathing deeper and slower.
14. Self monitor for tension - we do this for fun, remember ? - if you're tense then back off a touch and focus on slowing and deepening the breath : bubble-out or even sing-out your exhaled breath underwater.
15. Focus on the positive. Get a mantra (here and here) or a song and repeat it over and over - don't let the negativity in. You have the skill, the fitness and the endurance. Count your strokes and don't forget to enjoy the experience.
16. Be realistic. Races are typically well patrolled in terms of canoe or boat support. You're in a "floatation suit" of sorts and probably wearing a lurid yellow swim cap. Flip over, call out, and do backstroke and you will be attended to. 

Panic / hyperventilation seems a problem many triathletes will encounter during their career - and obviously the risks are high.  Preparation, mindfulness, practice and experience seem to count for a lot and there are answers. The idea of a wild swim as part of a triathlon is a major draw - there is little need to confine yourself to pool swims or worse still .... duathlon ! You can and will prevail. Remember : never, ever swim alone.

It's worth the preparation