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Sharkie Sep 2021 11:36am, 14 Sep 2021 18,577 posts	0 Sharkie Pix -there are loads coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety. You need to find what works for you. Specifically you. If anyone looking in has found anything particularly helpful then do tell. And yes, drugs do work if the problem is serious, ie badly affecting your life. But lots other things work too. Obvs I don't mean see your local dealer! Do not break law please.
EvilPixie Sep 2021 11:39am, 14 Sep 2021 27,893 posts	0 EvilPixie when I was in the water it was a total panic over the ability to breath wetsuit felt tight lots of waves and bodies and splashing I wasn't going to drawn and I could breath but at that moment in time the adrenaline was so high that my body said you are going to die about 20 mins in I threw up big time (after lots of retching) and that cleared my body and I was totally fine then but too late
Sharkie Sep 2021 11:43am, 14 Sep 2021 18,578 posts	0 Sharkie NB Only top sentence applies to Pix. Something I find useful to remember is that doing/being decisive is invariably better than thinking and not doing. Wrong decisions are better than no decision in the long run. That sounds a bit pop-psych doesn't it? There are obvious exceptions but I think it's broadly true. You can learn from mistakes so you are still moving forward rather than being stuck. I am a shark after all.
Sharkie Sep 2021 11:49am, 14 Sep 2021 18,579 posts	0 Sharkie Pix - you prob need to ask yourself tough questions starting with 'Why do you want to do this thing?' If you answer that satisfactorily then address those concerns that you list. Be realistic. IS your wetsuit too tight? Can you practice with waves and splashing and more bodies 'til you are sure you can handle it? Have you already done so? (if so then you can do it again)
Sharkie Sep 2021 11:51am, 14 Sep 2021 18,580 posts	0 Sharkie And - fairly obviously - you need to ask advice from other swimmers and triathletes.
The Mussile Sep 2021 11:58am, 14 Sep 2021 623 posts	0 The Mussile Pixie, I often feel on the verge of outright panic in racing openwater swims that I never get in practice or more informal events (Dart 10k as an example). My way to counter it is to just focus on the stroke for a while, concentrating on a good catch and pull. The swim is often super stressful in triathlons, even for experienced racers although like anything getting more accustomed to it helps and I think you have to mentally break it down even more than other parts of the race. Can I swim one more stroke? Yes, so do it. I also think with Triathlons being relatively expensive events there is a lot of pressure on the swim, which is the most daunting part for most people and also has the tightest cut-offs. You most definitely are not alone in your feelings there I think you might just need to develop the mental strategies/resilience to deal with it in a triathlon. note: That's only suggesting you might need to develop mental resilience in specific swim context BTW and I certainly had to.
EvilPixie Sep 2021 1:38pm, 14 Sep 2021 27,897 posts	0 EvilPixie TM that's it! I've trained fine - only wibbles where when freezing cold water really I did the half and only had a brief moment - again TT style start but I hadn't practiced jumping in and that got me! The full was supposed to be TT 2 at a time 6 second gap but was running late and a free for all and my head went from there on I had practiced jumping in and managed that fine and congratulated myself! It was a few mins into the swim when it went wrong In a mass start like they used to do I would start at the back and have no issues I think I then started over thinking it all and stressing over the fact that this could ruin the day and it did! The annoying this is that I did get the swim cut off but due to the late start I didn't make the cut off for the road to be opened - I would have happily have gone without the road being open as it is only the first few miles that are closed
Sharkie Sep 2021 1:41pm, 14 Sep 2021 18,581 posts	0 Sharkie Great reply to Pix, thanks The Mussile. That’s illuminating re cost adding to cut off anxiety.
EvilPixie Sep 2021 2:41pm, 14 Sep 2021 27,900 posts	0 EvilPixie sharkie you never shared the course you are doing
Chimbo Sep 2021 2:43pm, 14 Sep 2021 45 posts	0 Chimbo Shall I just copy and paste every blog I've ever written in here? 😂😂