I'm getting more and more spooked by algae, seaweed, etc...
Former Member
hello all, i've been swimming in a lake in upstate NY the last few weeks and I'm finding I get more and more spooked when I see algae, leaves, branches, etc. Any suggestions on how to work on this? I found when I concentrated and counted strokes, I could keep my form and do well. But it didn't last. I'd start to spook myself out again and my form would deteriorate because i keep trying to sight what's ahead of me.
How do you deal with the harmless debris you might bump into on your lake or ocean swims?
The lake i'm in is relatively clean, though murky. 3-4 feet visibility. I also have a kayaker accompany me.
Chris
I have swam in the Pacific ocean, as Ron has, and the kelp beds were spooky at first, but harmless. During my English Channel attempt I ran into trash and that was bad. But what spooked me the most happened last week. I came upon a sunk tree and I tried to jump out of the lake, when I saw it. I thought it was a dragon. To overcome the spookiness factor you just have to keep telling yourself it is harmless, it is harmless..it is harmless or at least mostly harmless. There will be times when you do get spooked. This is part of swimming in the open water. When I get spooked I do panic some, and it takes a moment or two to calm down, but then it is back to swimming. Living in Colorado I have very little to fear in the water.:)
I have swam in the Pacific ocean, as Ron has, and the kelp beds were spooky at first, but harmless. During my English Channel attempt I ran into trash and that was bad. But what spooked me the most happened last week. I came upon a sunk tree and I tried to jump out of the lake, when I saw it. I thought it was a dragon. To overcome the spookiness factor you just have to keep telling yourself it is harmless, it is harmless..it is harmless or at least mostly harmless. There will be times when you do get spooked. This is part of swimming in the open water. When I get spooked I do panic some, and it takes a moment or two to calm down, but then it is back to swimming. Living in Colorado I have very little to fear in the water.:)
