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
If you swim in one lake consistently, familiarity might help you deal with objets du lac.
Branches, trees, strainers, and underwater, invisible constructions, such as the old walls and pilings in near-shore Lake Michigan, can be lethal.
The occasional bit of pondweed wrapping itself around my head is startling, as is the occasional dead fish floating by.
Swimming with a buddy will help take your mind offa.
Otherwise, a mantra - "I will survive" - might help, as might, indeed, focusing on the technical parts of swimming. Can the kayaker serve as a second set of eyes?
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
If you swim in one lake consistently, familiarity might help you deal with objets du lac.
Branches, trees, strainers, and underwater, invisible constructions, such as the old walls and pilings in near-shore Lake Michigan, can be lethal.
The occasional bit of pondweed wrapping itself around my head is startling, as is the occasional dead fish floating by.
Swimming with a buddy will help take your mind offa.
Otherwise, a mantra - "I will survive" - might help, as might, indeed, focusing on the technical parts of swimming. Can the kayaker serve as a second set of eyes?
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
