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