OPEN WATER SWIM BEFORE BIATHLON

Dear Team,

Apologies for the lack of posts but as the new year starts, I'm pretty buzzed up with all the rescheduling of kids new school timing and also some new students coming in... Anyway, here I am again! I'm gonna sum up what we shared about during the open water swim, sans the running drill part.

There are basically four parts.

1) Before start (check transition entry/exit/start line/finish line versus landmark, Warm up, check tide)
2) Start/Entry/first buoy
3) During Swim - aka THE SWIM.
4) Exit

Before Start:
- As with all multisports with a transition area, reach early and check out where are the exact location the Transition area (any fixed landmark to remember where is your cozy little corner?, if not, count the rows and columns.)
- Walk around to see where the swim start and swim exit is, are they the same place or two different "gates"?
- The route from swim exit to your transition area, visualize yourself running through!
- when you came out of the chaotic swim of your life, you'd like to know exactly where to run to.. and trust me, it is just That easy to get lost when you exit the water with that blurred tattered and torn look... :P

Warmup:
- Should end as close to the start of the race as possible. Usually, they will call you to get ready 10-15mins before start to gather in the flag off area... I usually ignore that and just keep warming up til its about final call. I rather start panting than totally stiffened and anxious. Warmup swim really removes a whole lot of the anxiety when done with focus and proper visualization.

Example of warmup swim for a 1.5km swim.. For myself:
Check out how deep/shallow is the start area to about 50m to 100m out.. Maybe its low tide, you never know.
5x20-30 strokes easy out and back.
practice sighting on the way out and back.
On the 5th time, stay outside for 2 mins to check tide condition (this will determine where to start is good and how to tackle the start of the swim to the first buoy and in some scenario, the whole swim). Again, tidal condition do change, so if you warm up 30minutes before your start time, then when you start, it may be a totally different story again, this is another reason to end warmup around start time.

After which, I'll do some 5-8 x of 12 strokes of acceleration (build) to warm up the legs and drive the heart rate up a little to get ready for race pace swim. The fitter you are, the more you should do here... You can't overdo, remember, your per lap is about 40-50 strokes average and you do 1km as warmup all the time, that is 20x50 - about 1000 strokes as your warm up so whatever you're doing here can't be too much... don't worry. Slightly Breatheless as you walk towards start line = Good.

Start/Entry:
i) Start position:
- Breaststrokers AND GOOD THREADING WATER (note second point is IMPORTANT because everybody thread water for at least 3-5minutes behind) at the back
- Strong swimmers, those who wants to win, please go to the front
- Weak swimmers and ppl who can't thread water well please go to the FRONT + MOST OUTSIDE (why? come to me, i'll explain. Basically, FLANK THEM.)

ii) Porpoise til its about chest deep (check how many porpoises to do during warmup), on last porpoise, take deep breathe and start..

iii) Take 12 STRONG STROKES to establish confidence and BRACE FOR IMPACT
iv) Continue the swim to first buoy while REPEATING IN YOUR MIND "IT IS 250METRES, SO IT TAKES ABOUT 250 STROKES.. GIVE IT TIME.. ITS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME..." and do count your strokes to take your mind off the washing machine. Do all those while braced up for impact.

Rule of thumb number 1: DO NOT SPRINT TO THE FIRST BUOY. SWIM STRONG BUT LEAVE GAS FOR LATER.... If you sprint to the first buoy and get so deeply anaerobic, it'd take you several minutes to recover on the go and it'll end up taking away a lot of your time gained from start to the first buoy.

During Swim:
- Swim strongly, you've done so much practice, if you haven't been putting your brain into the swim, better start this wednesday and have a "quantifying" feeling of how your race distance feel like. For those doing the sprint, you may even feel that you can just push through the 15minutes of swim with very hard effort because it is just 15 laps... just remember you got to leave a little for the run later.
- Sight frequently. Every 6-8 strokes is good.
- Don't expect to be able to see what's in front on everytime you sight.. Wave and swimmers in front of you, especially if swimming in a pack, you may not be able to see at all. Sight higher or more frequently if need be. Going off course is COSTLY not only to time but also energy and mental strength.
- Always look for people to draft. If you find he is slowing you down, go find the next draftee.
- Be prepared to drink some salt water... if it ain't salty, it ain't worth a swim. :)

Exit:
- 100m to exit, build your swim with increasing amount of kicks. This will force the blood to go to your legs and so you won't feel too "jello~" upon exiting. Those who came would have experienced the difficulty running out of water after some disorienting swim.
- Porpoise back if you're at the shallow area or tall enough. It is always faster to porpoise than swim.
- Exit the water with high knee run and not with the legs still in the water while running forward

--------------------------------------

Experience from the open water swims I've done and also from "beginners" or first time sea swimmers.

1) Going off course cost more time than lack of stamina. Swim smart, read the sea, don't bulldoze through.
2) Anxiety comes from many areas, and knowing what they are will help you mentally prep them. Don't avoid running them in your mind and visualizing them happening, because a fear will stay as a fear unless you tackle it.
Examples:
i) Fishes
ii) Jellyfishes
iii) No lanes, don't know where you're going
iv) No turning back once you're in the middle, thoughts of "what if i can't thread water or get a cramp?!"
v) Pure Race Anxiety

First of all, Its really hard to find fishes in singapore, and for those who fish, you'd know if they feel a BUNCH OF 100 SWIMMERS coming through the water, you probably can't catch up with them as they ran away.

Secondly, Jellyfish stings are almost a by luck thingy, to me, I always brace myself up for impact throughout the whole swim, and such "braced up" mindset helps me to withstand stings and punches and kicks... Its the only way to bash through this barrier, don't avoid, because if they float to you, they float to you. Veteran swimmers please take note, you guys usually start VERY EARLY and thank God, you'd probably clear them together with the women waves before youngsters' waves.. WE appreciate that. Thank you. :P

Thirdly, you practiced sighting with your heart and soul when you're in my training right? I'm sure you did. So no lanes.. not a problem what.. even better, no need to care if you're blocking other people, just push them away, the sea is open to public anyway.

Fourth, if you heed my advice and don't bulldoze your way through, hydrate enough before the race, cramp will leave you far far away.. And there's no way you can't finish 30 laps when all your training exceeds 2km and your warmup itself is 20laps already during training. There is NO NEED FOR TURNING BACK.

Fifth, Race Anxiety or butterfly in the stomach is perfectly fine. And from my own experience and also what I read from world champs' comments AND sports psychological studies, if you don't have that anxiety before race, you are NOT READY TO RACE. It is all about curbing that anxiety and really keeping it under control so you can still have enough focus to know what to do and how to react to situations. Warmup helps a lot and it prevents you from stiffening up and staring blankly while waiting at the start line with all the nervous participants.

--------------------------------------------

Last but not least, if you find that after the swim you get very very salty tongue, I personally like to eat a small chunk of banana before start of run and wash it down with water. It kind of "sticks" all the salt down. Sea men like my daddy tells me gum works.. That's if you can bring it in from M'sia la.. but I'm not suggesting anything so don't sue me! :D

Any questions?

If not, please get ready for wednesday swim.. its SIONG... those doing a swim trial this weekend, after the wednesday swim, please hydrate and rest up. :)

50mins for 30 laps means 1min 40seconds per lap. Slowly do breast stroke also can pass la... ALL THE BEST AND GOOD LUCK!

Cheers
KK