I don't know why, but when swimming in the lake, I get this somewhat claustic feeling about not getting enough breath. I am a pretty strong swimmer, and have no doubt I can finish the .5 miles in the triathlons I am doing (my second one to happen this Sunday), but I stop stroking and do a slow *** stroke just to calm myself. This would be OK, but I seem to need to do it quite often. I wonder if this is a problem for others? Granted I have not swum in open water very ofen, and with winter on its way I will probably put that off until late Spring.
Another question: At the end of the swim, as I am standing up to exit the water, I most often have a dizzy feeling and that I am going to fall over. Is this just something to live with? Or is something else going on?
I appreciate this forum and all the advice and help I have gotten in the past. Especially the tips for doing my first triathlon in June. I used ALL the tips, and they helped a lot.
Thanks,
Nancy
Parents
Former Member
I have swam in four or five COLD WATER open water events. You did not mention the temperature of the water in your posts, so I am taking a shot in the dark here. COLD water has a very profound and drastic effect on swimmers balance. Lack of balance after swimming in cold water without the use of ear plugs is nothing more then the inner ear's inability to deal with cold water. Use of silicone ear plugs is the answer to this problem.
I found that in open water swims I simply adjusted my stroke to coincide with the waves as best I could. In that I mean, I attempted to breathe when my stroke was in the correct position to breathe with respect to the waves. Obviously, this is not always possible. I also found that swimming with a higher then usual head position helped me inhale in rough water conditions and navigate at the same time.
The fist year I swam the Golden Gate Bridge Swim I arrived at mid-span on the bridge about two hundred yards in front of a huge cargo ship entering San Francisco Bay. The wake was HUGE and I literally had to swim up hill *** stroke to let this wake pass, other then that I never found it necessary to swim *** stroke in open water swims except to navigate in the fog on my 2nd Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim.
Keep your head position as high as possible and remember to EXHALE all of the spent air in your lungs on the exhale part of your breathing. This will keep your lungs full of good air on the intake part of your breathing. Thus you will not be pulling good air into your lungs that are still 1/4 to 1/2 full of spent air.
Good luck in your swim....
Kindest regards,
Tom Ellison:)
I have swam in four or five COLD WATER open water events. You did not mention the temperature of the water in your posts, so I am taking a shot in the dark here. COLD water has a very profound and drastic effect on swimmers balance. Lack of balance after swimming in cold water without the use of ear plugs is nothing more then the inner ear's inability to deal with cold water. Use of silicone ear plugs is the answer to this problem.
I found that in open water swims I simply adjusted my stroke to coincide with the waves as best I could. In that I mean, I attempted to breathe when my stroke was in the correct position to breathe with respect to the waves. Obviously, this is not always possible. I also found that swimming with a higher then usual head position helped me inhale in rough water conditions and navigate at the same time.
The fist year I swam the Golden Gate Bridge Swim I arrived at mid-span on the bridge about two hundred yards in front of a huge cargo ship entering San Francisco Bay. The wake was HUGE and I literally had to swim up hill *** stroke to let this wake pass, other then that I never found it necessary to swim *** stroke in open water swims except to navigate in the fog on my 2nd Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim.
Keep your head position as high as possible and remember to EXHALE all of the spent air in your lungs on the exhale part of your breathing. This will keep your lungs full of good air on the intake part of your breathing. Thus you will not be pulling good air into your lungs that are still 1/4 to 1/2 full of spent air.
Good luck in your swim....
Kindest regards,
Tom Ellison:)
