Triathlon - First Ocean Tri!

Hey all, well my first ocean TRI went horribly. Ok, the swim went horribly. I couldn't focus on the bottom so I ended up doing the combat side stroke in a 300$ wet suit. I felt like an idiot guys. I was watching me almost fall back with the guys that didn't have suits and were struggling. I know now I have to practice a hell of allot more. So, there you go. The bike was fine, run was better but if I can't keep up in the swim I can't Be competitive. So, here's a warning for anyone that thinks they can go out for the first time with no problem, be ready for the opposite even if you rock at swimming in the pool, the ocean is way more different.

Let me offer a slightly different perspective. Sure, you weren't exactly a Torpedo, but you also survived. Some people will not swim in the ocean, period. I'm sure the next time will be better. I did my first ocean swim last year sans wetsuit (it was warm), and my biggest fear was that there was something lurking below. Specifically, I'm shark-phobic. Not saying it's rational, but that's where I am, still. That being said, I was able to focus on getting from point a to point b as quickly as possible, and after surviving, it gave me hope for future events. So don't be so hard on yourself, you've done something that in the minds of the vast majority of folks in the world puts you in the category of an elite athlete!

After training in the pool for a while, I was surprised to find that open water swimming is a different activity altogether. Without my usual points of reference, my pace was off kilter and I was going too fast too soon. I tired quickly and, with the combo of choppy, cold water, a kind of weird panicky feeling set in. I had to focus to relax and tell myself to settle in and breathe. I know now that it's largely a matter of time doing it, but it's still surprising how different it is to swim in the ocean (lake, etc).

I'm doing my first triathlon (sprint) soon and it's got an ocean swim, so I'm gonna do some more OWSs to try to get more used to it.

Feartec, when you say you couldn't focus on the bottom, do you mean you couldn't see? Or do you mean you were avoiding looking? I've found closing my eyes when possible actually helps me settle in and find pool pace.

By the way, congratulations! Way to finish!

the things im worried about are sharks(irrational) and not being able to hang in a group, hopefully i can get a good open water group swim in before i do my first tri. kuz i do understand a pool swim is completely different then open water, and single swimming is totally different from swimming in a huge group.

Well I panicked in this order:

Jump in water
Oooh it's cold, breathing issue (thinking: it's ok it's because it's cold)
Gun goes off (thinking: Please nobody hit me)
Stroke it
Start Freestyle (thinking: Awww crap, I still can't put my head in the H2O. Close your eyes, no. That didn't work. Well crap. Ok, take a few side strokes.)
several hundred meters later I was done and swearing to myself. I can't make it up in the bike or run. I'm too behind. Eah, have fun you got up early.

Feartec-- I'd be interested to see how you felt about river or lake swims. Any triathlons around you coming up with those? That may be a way of working into the ocean swimming.

Feartec-- I'd be interested to see how you felt about river or lake swims. Any triathlons around you coming up with those? That may be a way of working into the ocean swimming.

Nope, I'm in Japan and they really only have ocean tri's here. I've swam my whole life in the lakes and rivers of Washington State, the ocean if for some reason the most complicated.

I think it's important to remember that it's all a process. It's a progression, for some people more than others, so I wouldn't sweat it, and take it as a learning experience. As I said in another thread, I blew up and quit my first sprint distance swim at elevation in a lake, but finished my first HIM in the ocean in Hawaii, with 1400 people starting all at once, and with a 20 mph wind that caused significant chop in addition to the wind. As for sharks, it never crossed my mind after the gun went off. I say, if a shark singled me out from 1400 other swimmers and managed to attack me, well then more power to him. I'm betting that the sharks have no interest in entering that blender to take on one of that many humans.

Preparation is always the key, if for no other reason than to let you know in your own mind that you can do it. The main difference in the pool for me is that I don't practice sighting (luckily in Hawaii, the water was clear enough to follow someone else's feet if I could keep up and have them sight for me). We should practice it, but yes, not turning every 25 yards and pushing off the wall makes ocean swimming a totally different experience. Get as much open water swim practice as you can, even if it's not huge distances to complement the yardage you do in the pool.

We can't have it all right away (what would be the fun or sense of accomplishment in that?). I am wiling to bet that your next open water tri will go better for you and that each one will go a little better or teach you something new. If you assure yourself that you can go well past the distance required, you should have the skills to calm yourself mentally and just get it done. Good luck.

P.S. forgot to say that as to sharks, we all take a much bigger risk of death or serious injury every time we get into a car (though don't know about driving in Japan) or certainly every time we get on our bikes to take a significant training ride.

Nope, I'm in Japan and they really only have ocean tri's here. I've swam my whole life in the lakes and rivers of Washington State, the ocean if for some reason the most complicated.

The ocean feels more wild. And bigger. I've lived in western WA--I remember swimming in Crescent Lake in the Olympics! Super clear, blue water and like a fjord. I think it was like 1000 feet deep or something. I agree with senatorw: it's a progression thing.

Hey Feartec, I live in Japan too. I just did the Oshima triathlon last Saturday as my first. I'll do a race report soon. Anyway, what tri did you do? I think Murakami in September is done in a lake (but don't quote me).