Second Thoughts..BIG TIME

Where you using a wetsuit?  This will give you a lot of confidence.  Also when you were training for swimming, where you training on a 50 meter pool.  This is the best simulation of OW swimming.   You can do the race but you have to have a game plan.  Are you planning to go all out without stopping?  You should have a game plan like freestyle for 25 meters then back stroke a bit or doggy paddle/breast stroke combo then back to freestyle. 

I am sorry to tell you but you are probubly going to have to do more OWS.  Do you have a friend or know someone who has a Kayak and can paddle next to you while you swim?  Having the security of having something to grab on to if you feel like you are getting in trouble may be helpful at least until you get a little more comfortable in the water.

Sorry - not the confidence builder you were hoping for, I know. The thing that stuck out with me was: "I just didn't like the feeling of being out there."

This is a problem. You need to, at a *minimum* feel comfortable out there. My advice: keep praticing your OW swim until you get more used to it. Go every day if necessary. Be sure you're with friends who can help you out both mentally and with your swimming.

If your still not comfortable by race day - drop out. Not the HTFU choice I know but we're not talking about lack of fitness or "not enough training" or something like that. This is "panicking in the water" and it's not worth the risk. I've been at race where someone drowned. Yup.

It's supposed to be fun.

Good luck.

Not to worry. OWS worry/panic is normal. Temperature differences + the motion can cause dizziness, which feeds into nervousness, which spirals downward.

I would get as much OWS experience as I could, try it with ear plugs and a good cap. If you get dizzy/panicky, do sidestroke, breaststroke, backstroke, or just float for a bit.

If you absolutely have to, you can swim "boat to boat" on the course. As long as you don't get forward progress, nothing wrong with hanging on a boat for a minute to calm yourself.

You can do this, just get some more time in open water.

John

You don't have any training logs completed, so it's hard to tell what amount of swimming you have been doing in the pool.  At any rate, an OWS is a challenge, but like anything else that scares you, you can become more comfortable with it by doing it more often.  It is probably not as convenient as getting in a pool, but if you get a few under your belt each one will be easier.  Take your time and relax.  Try a short distance.  Rest a little and try a little longer swim.  Make sure you know you have somebody close to help in case you get tried or panic.

I've been swimming for 46 years and have had dozens of lessons and I'm still trying to get it right.  So I'm sure you are making good progress if even with OWS anxiety you managed 1/4 mile.  Try it again a couple of times before 7/18 and see if it gets better before deciding whether to pull from the race.  (And if you still don't feel comfortable swimming, maybe the race has a du- option or you could still just do the bike and run portion).

I'm not a big fan of OWS either.  I've done two now and I can tell you the second was definintely easier than the first.  My advice is to try to relax and just remember that there is nothing wrong with changing your stroke if you need time to regroup.  In my first OWS, I did freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and doggie-paddle.  My wife, who is a very strong swimmer, even passed me and she started 4 minutes after I did.  In my second OWS, I focused on taking it easy and trying to focus on my breathing.  I breath every 4 strokes, so I just counted each stroke in my head as I went.  Before I knew it, I was passing buoys.  I still finished behind the main pack, but I felt a lot better about my time (and I didn't get passed by my wife, at least in the swim).  In terms of training, I can do the distance in the pool with no problem so I think it is just getting comfortable in the open water.  Practice a few more times in the lake and you'll do fine on race day.  Good luck -    

Relax-You'll be fine!

There are a million 'horror stories' here on BT about the panic that OWS brings out.  Keep going to the lake/pond, get comfortable splashing around; don't worry about swimming-just play around a bit, then do some short swims close to the shore.  OWS is mostly about confidence.  You've got plenty of time.  I GUARANTEE you will not be the only one with butterflys on race morning. 
Good Luck...now go HTFU! 

I'm currently headed towards my first tri as well.  Here's a few things that have helped me in open water.

-Buy a wetsuit.  I LOVE mine!  The extra buoyancy it gives you not only makes swimming easier but you can literally flip over on your back and take a nap.  It is VERY reassuring to know that no matter how much trouble you get in or if you panic in the water that you can just flip over, catch your breath, and then start over again.  It really is a HUGE confidence booster.

-Take it slow...  set a much smaller goal on your next open water swim practice.  Something like just getting your face in the water with a few very very short distance sets in shallow water.  Stand up.  Catch your breath, and try it again.  My first open water session didn't have a distance in it longer than 25 yards.

-I just did an open water swim in a pond with a friend of mine.  The water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom.  Which made me really uncomfortable.  So I got a little edgy, but all I did was flip over on my back, caught my breath, and then started again.  Don't let the panic build to being insurmountable.  Learn to get comfortable on your back where you can recenter and start again.

-There is no shame in backing out of your tri if you feel your not quite ready...  but whatever you do make sure you give it your best shot.  Get in the open water as much as possible between now and then.  Find a training partner who understands your issues and is willing to be supportive and helpfull as opposed to just taking off to the other end of the lake without you.  Once you settle into it you'll find its not that bad at all.

-Try training in the same place your event will take place so you know what to expect in that water and your comfortable there come race day.

-Oddly enough I find I can manage much longer distances in open water than I can in the pool.  The freedom from the lack of walls is really enjoyable once you settle into it.

-My other trick is to think of something silly to relax myself and slow my stroke down.  Which my personal mantra is "swim like an old lady!"  You know...   the much older women at the pool that are rather round and swim super super slow.  I picture them and try and mimick them and before you know it I'm smiling, distracted, and swimming nice and smooth and relaxed.  (no offense to the old ladies in the pool, I'm jealous that they can swim for forever without stopping and I can't!)

Best of luck!  Hope some of this helps.

Grab a boogie board or a kickboard and just go out for a "play" swim.  Try to pinpoint your fear - is it really your inability to swim the distance, things lurking in the water, or just early "race-day" anxiety?

If you can swim the distance (or more) in the pool, then you will be OK.
 

HTFU?

And maybe swim with people weaker than yourself?  If you have confidence issues, swimming with friends that are fish already probably isn't helping matters.

It's only water.  If you get tired float on your back or tread water.  Nothing to get worked up about.

Now being out on a run with no shade and getting heatstroke or something, that sounds more likely than drowning and much more to worry about to me....

-eric 

Happens to everyone...don't feel bad. First time, I went to the shoreline, headed straight out to the middle of the lake, got hit with a couple of waves, panicked, got back to the shore and was sure I had been out on the water for at least thirty minutes. Looked at the stop watch: 3:40. <Sigh>

Three things helped me get through it:
1)  Practice in the open water as much as you can. Even if it is just for 5 minutes at a time, just get in the water
2)  Swim around the edges. Swim where you can put your feet down at any time if you need.
3)  Wetsuit - REALLY difficult to go under in a wetsuit - made me feel much more confident.

So - keep trying! Don't give up yet. Good luck!

definitely don't watch shows on Animal Planet like River Monsters between now and then...

It's hard for me to tell you to HTFU.  When you truly panic on the swim there aren't many options for coming out of it successfully.  I wouldn't go into any swim race where I was even 1% panicky.  You have to be confident on the swim because it is going to be a lot more chaotic than you can possibly train for.  Unless you are able to get that confidence together in the next month I'd think twice.  Safety is a lot more important than finishing a 1 hour race.

The flip side is that about 80% of triathletes are abyssmal swimmers so you won't do any worse than most people, and half of them will be in a blind panic as well - the ole comfort in numbers scenario.

Edited by aquageek 2010-06-25 1:21 PM

I wouldnt give up hope. Yet. Keep practicing with the intent on getting over this (you can and will get over this fear if you keep practicing).

However if you get to race day and you are still "not comfortable", I would drop out. Its not a "HTFU" type decision, its a safety issue. Your "A" plan should never be "I wil swim boat to boat". Dumb. Practice. Get over this. You can always do another triathlon.
Never, ever, cross the swim-start if you dont think you can do the distance with confidence.

You also have to realize that if you are not comfortable with a fun, no stress swim without the nerves of competition, imagine how you are going to feel on race day when you are in the water with a few hundred people. Not something to fret about, but something to be ready for.

You can do it!

I was thinking you need to play too.  Water is fun.  Go to a lake with a beach.  Take your beach towel and a book.  Go to the beach for a while.  When you get hot, get in, splash around, take a few fun strokes.  Goof around.  Swim for 1 minute.  Stop.  Goof around some more.  Keep it lighthearted.

Try out a wetsuit, they are fun too.  

If you're still unhappy, don't do the tri, or talk to the RD and do the bike/run for the experience...I am sure they don't want you panicking in the water either.  

I think the fact you are having second thoughts shows that you are mature and rational.  Keep at it for the next 3 weeks (you've come this far, shame to pack it in now) and make a mature and rational decision then.  

Good luck and let us know what you decide.  There is no wrong answer.

 

You have 23 days. I think you can do anything in 23 days. Your in shape, you can run xnumber of miles without stopping, you have taken the big step just deciding to try, go for it- put in the time and go for it. I will look forward to your race report.

A friend of mine went through this same thing before her first open water swim tri. She got to the lake to do a practice swim the week of the race and completely panicked and was ready to drop out of the race. We convinced her to practice with us the day before the race and she felt much better. She completed the race but still does not enjoy open water swimming. It is a totally different thing swimming in open water and racing a triathlon in open water. Don't mean to be negative, just realistic. I LOVE swimming any way I can get it but I'm always ready to get the heck out of the lake in a triathlon. Arms/legs everywhere, choppy water, swallowing half the lake, trying to sight the bouys, and I'm a confident swimmer! Just be prepared that's all.

To those saying to get a wetsuit, that would be the LAST thing I'd recommend. First, it is WAY too hot to be wearing wetsuits in many parts of the country. Plus there would be minimal time to get used to it if the race is only 3 weeks away. It took me a good 3 or 4 swims to relax enough to not feel like I was being choked the entire time. 

Last and most important, I strongly believe everyone needs to be able to do the distance without relying on a wetsuit come race day.

To the OP, get as much practice as you can before the race and try to relax (easier said than done I know!). I am a strong swimmer and had a mini panic attack at a 70.3 a few weeks ago. I had to tell myself over and over to relax and slow down and just keep moving, and eventually I'd get there. Eventually, I did
 

While I generally agree with Lisa on being able to swim w/out the wetsuit, I know at least some of those posters were from New England.  I don't think there has EVER been a tri in New England which wasn't wetsuit legal, and some are mandatory!

Now to the OP, I'd say there is a lot of great advice in here.  It boils down to getting comfortable in the open water.  Your story is not a lot different than a many of ours.  I spent the first week late last summer in open water standing up trying to put my face in the water without freaking out.  You can do it.

Spend time in the water just splashing around. go out shoulder high, bring a tennis ball, and throw it to the beach and have your dog retrieve it or something. Just going out and think about how nervous you are isn't going to help. Go have FUN in the water and gradually move deeper and deeper.