swimming and sighting

This covers a little bit of it. I would still like to hear "real person" suggestions. 🙂
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"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey Folks!

I have done a few tri's now and the problem I am consistently having is in the swim part. I know I
am able to easily handle the distances, however, before the race I get so nervous I go anaerobic
as soon as I hit the

water.

Quoted message said:

So it takes me a bit to calm myself down to the point where I can get a
psuedo-rhythm going. Then the next problem I have is trying to sight the buoys while keeping the
swimming cadence consistent. What sort of tricks

of

Quoted message said:

the trade are there? I have heard people say try to sight landmarks I just have a hard time doing
that and trying to swim straight(ish). 😉 Any insight into either of these issues would be
fantastic. I have an Olympic race in 3 weeks and even though I know I can easily handle the
distance (phycially), these other factors (mostly mental I am sure), need

to

Quoted message said:

be addressed before then. Thanks as always to the group! Mark

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hey Folks!

I have done a few tri's now and the problem I am consistently having is in the swim part. I know
I am able to easily handle the distances, however, before the race I get so nervous I go
anaerobic as soon as I hit the water. So it takes me a bit to calm myself down to the point where
I can get a
psuedo-rhythm going. Then the next problem I have is trying to sight the buoys while keeping the
swimming cadence consistent. What sort of tricks of the trade are there? I have heard people say
try to sight landmarks I just have a hard time doing that and trying to swim straight(ish). 😉
Any insight into either of these issues would be fantastic. I have an Olympic race in 3 weeks
and even though I know I can easily handle the distance (phycially), these other factors (mostly
mental I am sure), need to be addressed before then. Thanks as always to the group! Mark

Hi Mark,

I love ocean water swimming and have had the same problems. Here's what works for me.

1. Nerves/going anaerobic: I jog up and down the beach/shore for 10 minutes, sprinting a little, to
get my heart rate up and some adrenaline flowing. Also, I always get in the water beforehand to
get used to the water temp/waves/current/bottom conditions. That way when I hit the water, I'm
already primed, not having my heart pounding and adrenaline flowing for the first time while
simultaneously trying to deal with waves, bodies, cold water, etc.

2. Sighting: I agree on the landmarks thing--this is only useful for not swimming straight out to
sea or some other totally wrong direction. The best thing I've found is to simply lift my head
and look about every 6-18 strokes, depending on the visibility. You can do a fairly decent crawl
even with your head out of the water (lifeguards and old ladies do it all the time). I also try
to see where the race monitors are (people in canoes, paddleboards, whatever)...often they are
easier to see than the buoys and they are generally stationed near the buoys and perimeters to
keep people from going off-course. Less desirable but sometimes the best you can do is just
following the other caps....try to pick people who look like they know what they're doing :-)

HTH. Good luck!

Susan in LA

Just do like you do when your kicking around in the neighborhood pool and slightly raise your head
and keep stroking. Do this every so often to keep on target.

chris

Mark said:

Hey Folks!

I have done a few tri's now and the problem I am consistently having is in the swim part. I know
I am able to easily handle the distances, however, before the race I get so nervous I go
anaerobic as soon as I hit the water. So it takes me a bit to calm myself down to the point where
I can get a
psuedo-rhythm going. Then the next problem I have is trying to sight the buoys while keeping the
swimming cadence consistent. What sort of tricks of the trade are there? I have heard people say
try to sight landmarks I just have a hard time doing that and trying to swim straight(ish). 😉
Any insight into either of these issues would be fantastic. I have an Olympic race in 3 weeks
and even though I know I can easily handle the distance (phycially), these other factors (mostly
mental I am sure), need to be addressed before then. Thanks as always to the group! Mark

(Susan in LA) said:

The best thing I've found is to simply lift my head and look about every 6-18 strokes, depending
on the visibility. You can do a fairly decent crawl even with your head out of the water
(lifeguards and old ladies do it all the time).

As an additional tip - when doing the above, I only take a quick look
- one stroke's worth, sort of a prolonged breath intake. If I don't spot the bouy, I take a few more
regular strokes and try again. Don't get totally out of your rythym looking for a bouy, you'll
spot it soon enough.

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin"

For sighting, there is a technique called lopping. This is what you do:

1. Look forward in the water w/o looking out for a couple of strokes.

2. During the pull phase on the side of your stronger arm, let you body lift slightly, together with
your head. This will put your eyes over the surface.

3. let you head go donw naturally and repeat the head lift during the pull for a couple of strokes.

4. Don't force your head out of the water. Simply allow it to lift during the pull part of
the stoke.

5. Only lift your head when you pull with your strong arm, usually the breathing side.

It will take three or four strokes to sight bouys, etc. However, this is natural and will not break
the rhythm of your stroke, or get you tired. Practice in swimming pool.

Andres

Thanks to all for the suggestions! I will be practicing my a$$ off for the next week. 🙂 M~

"chris freeman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Just do like you do when your kicking around in the neighborhood pool and slightly raise your head
and keep stroking. Do this every so often to keep

on

Quoted message said:

target.

chris

Mark said:

Hey Folks!

I have done a few tri's now and the problem I am consistently having is

in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the swim part. I know I am able to easily handle the distances, however, before the race I get
so nervous I go anaerobic as soon as I hit the

water.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So it takes me a bit to calm myself down to the point where I can get a
psuedo-rhythm going. Then the next problem I have is trying to sight the buoys while keeping the
swimming cadence consistent. What sort of tricks

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the trade are there? I have heard people say try to sight landmarks I

just

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have a hard time doing that and trying to swim straight(ish). 😉 Any insight into either of
these issues would be fantastic. I have an Olympic race in 3 weeks and even though I know I can
easily handle the distance (phycially), these other factors (mostly mental I am sure),

need to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be addressed before then. Thanks as always to the group! Mark

if the water is choppy you can feel your body rising and dropping with the waves. it makes sense that you take a peep out of the water when you're up high. this avoids pulling your head out of the water too high (which would push the rest of your body down, thus losing speed due to greater frontal resistance with your hips and legs dropping down).

and even though it's pretty [censored] swimming with waves, it doesnt matter because everyone else is struggling, but if you can catch a wave into shore that's your reward for bobbing up and down the whole time.

also another good way to look up but with less energy expenditure and without losing much speed is to bring your eyes just above the water-- kind of half-looking: the top half of your goggles is in air, the bottom half in the water. just do it for a few strokes and you'll be right on track.

cheers
Su