So awhile back at the age 0f 61 I did my first GoTri event, Now I'm hooked, doing another one this weekend. Now here is the problem, I ride and run very well but the swim part is my downfall, I can swim but I don't swim well and for years I was afraid to go in the water after a possible near drowning incident as a child ( I don't remember ) Dr say I may be suffering from a sort of PTSD but because it happen so long ago they can't help me.
Someone told me I could not do the London sprint tri next year, they should not have said that to me, It's like a red rag to a bull, so now I'm determined to prove them wrong.
So my question, I need to learn to swim with more confidence. Any suggestion on how to achieve this would be gratefully accepted.
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Porcia18
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The best thing would be to contact your nearest open water swimming lake (assuming there is one near to you) as they should run courses which will get you used to swimming in open water (which you will do for the London tri). They can also help you to be able to swim in the 'washing machine' start which happens with a mass start but not a rolling start. The other thing to remember is that you will be in a wetsuit which also helps you with your buoyancy.
I'm doing my first triathlon soon, and also have a lot of trepidation about the swim. I just last weekend attended a sea swimming day course, which was very good (Pool to Pier intensive at the Brighton Swimming School), and I recommend it.
The main takeaway was that it is most important to take time to get comfortable with breathing OUT under the water. Empty the lungs slowly, blowing bubbles the whole time your face is in the water, and relax (swim slowly to aid this). When you turn your body up to breathe, your lungs will naturally fill with air. To panic about running out of air is entirely natural (even in those who haven't suffered a trauma in the past), and the response is generally to hold air in the lungs. Unfortunately this action causes the top of the body to float too high in the water (and the legs therefore too low), making the swimming inefficient, and causing more stress. It is a good idea to practice breathing outwards in the pool, and there are various exercises you can try.
Leap In by Alexandra Heminsley is worth a read - she went from complete novice to confident sea swimmer, and used the Brighton school too (nb I don't know her personally and am not trying to plug the book!), but she explains things better than I do
Good luck!
Edit: I realise that you're not talking about sea swimming per se, but most of the techniques we looked at are relevant to open-water triathlon swimming.
I did a sprint tri back in 2014 but it was pool based. I went for a days tri training and they had Speedo coaches for us in the pool. They taught us that Triathlon swim training is all about learning to use as little energy as possible. So we were taught to roll as we did our front crawl and get as much out of each stroke as we could. I usually like breast stroke but I alternate now after learning how to do crawl properly. There are some very good YouTube videos on learning proper techniques. If I was in your shoes I would then spend the next two swim sessions just practicing rather than doing laps. Also most pools have a coach you can book for one lesson to get some good tips.
Try and get some lessons over winter in the pool, which will get you a bit more confident, then look for open water coaching or groups in you area to get a bit of OW experience before your event. You need at least a few swims in open water and with your wetsuit before the day, but you have plenty of time ! Good luck !
The swimming...Well...I had a similar issue... not swimming /drowning.. something else that happened when I was at Primary school..... I did see a Psychologist and had therapy which did actually unearth the problem...and gave me the coping strategies Might be worth a thought?
This could give you a lift maybe too.. I saw it the other day
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