Conquering the Open Water Swim

It was my second time swimming in the open water so I didn’t think much of it. I was swimming

with a group of people who were practicing for the Pacific Crest triathlon at Wickiup Reservoir, just

south of Bend. It was a small group so the mayhem I had experienced the week before at the Blue

Lake triathlon would be minimal. This would be a piece of cake.

Our small group posed for pictures and then headed into the water. It was a nice and sunny day

but the water was absolutely frigid. I walked in until I was waist deep and dove on into the water.

The water at Blue Lake up in Portland had been chilly but not truly cold. The water at Wickiup, fed

from the snows of the Cascades was much different. The blast of cold water rocked me like a

vicious slap to the face. I started my stroke but could feel a sense of tightness coming over my

chest. What was happening? I started thrashing about and a sense of panic overcame me. What

was going on? Why wasn’t I moving? After a couple of minutes I realized that I needed to calm

myself. I flipped over on my back and let my wetsuit keep me afloat. I took deep breaths and

began to calm myself. After several minutes of deep breaths and relaxing I flipped back over and

continued my swim. I emerged, much as I had done at Blue Lake, a bit dizzy and disoriented. I

also emerged with a couple of questions that I felt needed answering.

Specifically, why had I panicked in the water? Why did I keep coming out of the water dizzy?

Since I had several open water swims I knew I’d need to find the answers quickly in order to be

able to successfully compete in the open water swim.

The answer to my panic in the water was rather interesting. Prior to the Deschutes Dash I met

Justin, another guy who was just getting into triathlons. We ended up becoming good friends. He

and I had a conversation about my panic in the water. Justin related how a plunge into very cold

water can cause the mammalian diving reflex to occur. This reflex shunts blood and available

oxygen to the heart and the brain. Essentially when the face is exposed to extremely cold-water

temperatures it can cause this reflex. This reflex in turn causes a shock to the system. The body

reacts by tightening around the lips and the chest in order to prevent taking in water. Justin told

me that he had a good friend in Special Ops who went through extensive training in cold-water

conditions. His friend recommended slowly submerging the mouth and then the face while blowing

air out of the mouth. This would counteract the mammalian diving reflex and allow the body to

adapt to the cold water without tensing up and becoming rigid.

On race day I entered the water a few minutes early. I began my routine by slowly submerging my

lips and blowing air out my mouth. With each breath I put my face further down into the cold water.

By the time the race was to begin I had fully submerged my entire head into the water and both my

body and mind were adjusted to the cold water. I was able to swim without panic, fear, or a tight

chest. Ever since then I have used the same technique and never worried once about my chest

tightening or having a panic attack. I found that this time in the water let me calm my nerves, relax,

and ready myself for the beginning of the race.

The answer to my dizziness came from my coach, Jaime Dispenza. In a later training swim in the

Deschutes River he offered me a pair of silicone ear plugs. He noted that cold water in the ear

canal could be the cause of dizziness. With the plugs in my ears I emerged from the water after

my practice session without the dizziness or disorientation I had felt before. Better still, in my next

race I emerged from the water level headed and I was able to run quickly to the transition area

without stumbling or feeling disoriented.

The open water swim is challenging enough as it is, what with the thrashing of bodies, and having

to look up in order to sight. Having one less thing, much less two, to worry about, proved to be the

tonic I needed in order to successfully and confidently complete swimming in the open water.

Sometimes it is best to discuss problems or concerns with other fellow athletes or your coach in

order to learn of possible solutions. Always be open to suggestions and ideas. If they don’t work,

fine, abandon them and move on. Every so often though one of these suggestions may be very

beneficial and help in your training or race day success.

It all boils down the old adage. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.