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Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both?
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| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? | Rss Feed  |
 2014-07-29 4:39 PM |
 2 Portland, Oregon |  Subject: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both?Hey everyone! I'm very new to triathlons and although I'm a very comfortable swimmer in open water, I'm struggling when the temps are low enough that wetsuits are (if not required) worn. I come out of the gates well, but usually 100-200yds in I struggle to get enough lung expansion to pull in a full breath and I begin hyperventilating and have to revert to a breast stroke because I can't keep my face in the water, exhaling, for a full stroke (single side breather, every stroke). Is this mental? physical? a bit of both?? Any tips/tricks to help me break through this issue?? Not asthmatic, nor have any known breathing/heart conditions....(42, if that matters)....can easily swim up to 1mi in a pool, although I'm sure my form can be improved... What else do you need to know?? Thanks, ASG (3 sprint distances completed to date; all 3 in wetsuits) |
| 2014-07-29 4:57 PM in reply to: ASG52 |
Champion 10018 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? Originally posted by ASG52 Hey everyone! I'm very new to triathlons and although I'm a very comfortable swimmer in open water, I'm struggling when the temps are low enough that wetsuits are (if not required) worn. I come out of the gates well, but usually 100-200yds in I struggle to get enough lung expansion to pull in a full breath and I begin hyperventilating and have to revert to a breast stroke because I can't keep my face in the water, exhaling, for a full stroke (single side breather, every stroke). Is this mental? physical? a bit of both?? Any tips/tricks to help me break through this issue?? Not asthmatic, nor have any known breathing/heart conditions....(42, if that matters)....can easily swim up to 1mi in a pool, although I'm sure my form can be improved... What else do you need to know?? Thanks, ASG (3 sprint distances completed to date; all 3 in wetsuits) It's a little bit of both. A good warmup is key. I swim long enough to catch my breath and get into a normal rhythm. Usually I'm fine for the race, then. Good Luck! |
| 2014-07-29 4:59 PM in reply to: ASG52 |
Expert 3126    Boise, ID | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both?
Very important to get in the water and acclimate a bit before the race starts. Hop in and swim a few hundred yards before the race starts, if you don't have room to swim, get in the water up to your neck and put your face in till you are used to the cold. If the water is really cold a neoprene hoodie can help a lot. It is hard to get going in the first few hundred yards in a race anyway, raceday excitement, mass start, open water, all leads to elevated heart rate, the cold water makes it even worse. So acclimate as best you can, then just remember to take it easy for the first bit till you get comfy and establish a rhythm, save your hard effort swimming for the middle and end of the swim. |
| 2014-07-29 8:41 PM in reply to: ASG52 |
Veteran 2297 Great White North | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? Define cold. If you say under 56 or 13c then physiCal (assuming a wetsuit), above that is more mental. FINA OW rules have a min temp rule of 15c or 60, no wetsuits allowed. If scrawny kids can swim 5k without a wetsuit under 20c ... Warm up helps |
| 2014-07-30 6:35 AM in reply to: ASG52 |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? If the water temps are in the high 60's or 70's as it sounds, more likely you are starting out too fast and it has nothing to do with water temp. Many push the first couple hundred yards too fast and this is the result. |
| 2014-07-30 7:07 AM in reply to: mike761 |
| Member 326 | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? Reactions to cold water vary between individuals, but if its not happening to you until a couple hundred yards in, you went out to fast. The chest tightening/gasping, if its going to occur, is usually a reflex reaction as soon as you hit the water. Even that it mostly mental, you just need to know that it will go away, and to just stay your path until it does. |
| 2014-07-30 7:22 AM in reply to: ASG52 |
Extreme Veteran 933 Connecticut | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? Ah yes anxiety... This *still* happens to me sometimes, and I've done a lot of open water swimming. May or may not be the same trick for you, but I slow everything WAAAAY down for a few strokes if this happens, and then build back up. I think it has something to do with the noise in open water versus the lack of it in the pool for me? Not sure, but the pool is serene and quiet, and the ocean is not. I have very good swims in lakes with one or two others, but on race day I can tense up. However, just knowing it's going to happen can be enough to stave it off. I've also found my form kinda goes to crap if I realize I've gone off my line in open water and panic, so I stay very strict about sighting every 6 strokes (btw you say stroke = one full arm cycle, I call that 2) to stay on line. Crap in that I try to increase my stroke rate abnormally and throw all my timing off. Try to focus on your form above all, it's easy with waves to get sloppy because things feel different. I feel like if I know my form is bad, I have issues, whereas if I feel like I'm swimming with good form, I have none. So, it's mostly mental, but somewhat physical in that sighting is a big part of it and holding form is as well. |
| 2014-07-30 7:35 AM in reply to: #5032263 |
| 271 | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? I have had the same issues and the key for me to overcome it is doing a good preface warmup. I have to stick my face in the water and just keep swimming. It will go away fate than you think! If you have to stop on your warmup to catch your breath that's okay, just start swimming again as soon as you have your breath back. I did the 70.3 in Racine 2 weeks ago where the water was 62 and never stopped or lost me breath in the race at all!! Good luck! |
| 2014-07-30 8:45 AM in reply to: #5032469 |
Champion 6503 NOVA - Ironic for an Endurance Athlete | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? Mental. Keep working on it. |
| 2014-07-30 10:14 AM in reply to: pga_mike |
| 2 Portland, Oregon | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? Thanks everyone! I was afraid that it was primarily mental....I definitely need to add the warmup swim to my pre-race routine! Race like the wind! ASG |
| 2014-07-30 10:25 AM in reply to: ASG52 |
Expert 3126 Boise, ID | Subject: RE: Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both?
Another thing is to just get more time open water swimming. Wetsuit and OW are so different from the pool that you really need a lot of practice before a race. I tried to get at least 1 if not 2 of my weekly swims in open water about 6 weeks out from my big race this year. The first couple swims were ugly even though I had worked hard all winter in the pool, but after quite a few swims I was nice and comfy by the time I got to my race. I even began to prefer OWS as I didn't have to turn around every 25 yards. |
| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » Can't breathe in cold water - mental, physical, or both? | Rss Feed |
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