Panic attacks are common for outdoor swimmers. Even the most confident pool swimmers can freak out in open water. But why is this and how do you overcome the panic? Keen open water swimmer and coach Rowan Clarke tells us how.
The root of fear
Most of us have an irrational fear of some kind – spiders, darkness, snakes, buttons. These fears come from somewhere beyond logic.
The same goes for open water. A fear of what lies beneath, the cold, currents and tides all have a basis in reality, but they’re often irrational.
Because these fears are deep-rooted, they can take swimmers by surprise. You may not think you’ll be affected, but suddenly, when you’re face down in cold water unable to see more than a couple of inches ahead of you, an instinctive, subconscious level kicks in and you panic.
Breathe
Panic is understandable. Your brain tells you that you’re in danger, and your sympathetic nervous system – that ‘fight or flight’ instinct – kicks into action.
The main symptom is shortness of breath or hyperventilation (fast, gasping breaths). This is often exacerbated by your wetsuit, which feels tight across your chest.
So, what should you do? It’s down to your rational self to signal that you’re okay. The main way to do this is through your breathing. Slow it right down. Concentrate on your ‘out’ breath, gently trickle breathing when your face is in the water. Turn to take an ‘in’ breath, but don’t gasp.
Many swimmers find a rhythm, count or even recite the line to a song to help them breathe in a calm way. For example, you might say to yourself ‘bubble, bubble, bubble, breathe’, or ‘one, two, three, breathe; one, two, sight, breathe’.
This shall pass
It helps to remember that it’s normal to feel panicked and short of breath to begin with, and that it will pass.
As you get into cold water, your heart rate and blood pressure increase and that fight or flight reflex gives you a surge of adrenaline. But this passes after a few minutes and you will relax into your swimming.
It’s not just about allowing the first couple of hundred metres of each swim to overcome panicked feelings. The more you swim outdoors, the quicker you’ll be able to get into a comfortable, relaxed stroke.
But don’t get complacent. Even experienced swimmers can get caught out by a mass start at an event or unexpectedly rough water.
So it’s important to get as much exposure to outdoor swimming as possible. Gaining experience in different scenarios will help you overcome panic and teach your body how to adapt.
That means swimming in different places, experiencing salt water and fresh water, clear and murky, calm and choppy. If you can train with others, practice swimming close together to get a feel for mass starts.
The golden rule is to make sure you have experienced open water swimming before you swim in an event.
So many athletes get caught out because they have only practiced in a pool, or they’ve not trained in their wetsuit.
Mind over matter
Open water swimming is a mind game. Unlike any other field, open water is hard to control and changes from one day to the next. Panic is common and, in water, it’s dangerous. So, the key is to be prepared and to know how to calm yourself down.
Take a couple of minutes to acclimatise when you first get in. Then have an arsenal of calming techniques at your disposal:
Breathing: controlled, rhythmical, steady. Don’t gasp in big breaths Stroke: slow and strong. Slow down your cadence and focus on using your core strength Rest stroke: If you need a breather, switch to breaststroke or front paddle Star float or tread water: If you need to, stop and take a few moments
Most of all, it’s worth remembering that it’s normal to feel a bit panicked to begin with and that these feelings will pass.
The cold, dark water triggers an instinct in us all: there’s nothing wrong with you and you can do it.
记得你是常年游泳的。 入水前做岸上准备运动吗？ 要多久？
昨天脑筋搭错去游泳，一个dive扎入水中。 结果左腿抽筋，最后凭借2只手一条腿巴拉到岸边才活过来
我一年没游过泳了，过去一年都只是在家周围拉磨小跑，昨天也搭错筋了去跑坡，结果跑到第一个山头就悲剧了，眩晕恶心到几乎呕吐，啥都没带，不得不停下来，缓过劲后就直接回家了。没能跑到更高的地方，但也看到一点View。
我问得晚了，你可能没看见。跑坡对臀肌要求高。
你这是怎么回事？花粉过敏，低血糖，有了？
身上也没带水，下次要带一点点。后来看了心跳，也许就是你老说的接近阀值了吧
今天大腿后面的肌肉很紧
冲了一下小腿，就跳了
我游泳前会冲水，从温水开始逐步到凉水，这样入水时就不会感觉冷，一般游到2500以后腿会抽筋。
我喜欢香蕉，燕麦片，红薯。其实杯狗，面包，馒头都行。加点碳。
爬山也是要逐步加量。我跑山好几年了。一开始半天摸不到规律。什么时候加速，吃什么，吃多少，什么时候吃。到现在也还没整明白。
我的越野训练，最后一个月的每个星期天，就是训练吃东西。比如周六跑个半马。周日上山，不按里程按小时。如果跑三小时，在2小时的时候故意要吃东西。各种干粮，甚至方便面。
游水，游得好好的，忽然一阵恐慌，来自内心深处的恐惧。
于是乎就是乱了阵脚，海中呢，手忙脚乱的差点将自己谋杀掉。
这两年发展到了泳池游泳也会发作，怎么办呢，是什么问题呢？
https://www.swimming.org/openwater/panic-open-water-swimming/
June 9, 2019
Panic attacks are common for outdoor swimmers. Even the most confident pool swimmers can freak out in open water. But why is this and how do you overcome the panic? Keen open water swimmer and coach Rowan Clarke tells us how.
The root of fearMost of us have an irrational fear of some kind – spiders, darkness, snakes, buttons. These fears come from somewhere beyond logic.
The same goes for open water. A fear of what lies beneath, the cold, currents and tides all have a basis in reality, but they’re often irrational.
Because these fears are deep-rooted, they can take swimmers by surprise. You may not think you’ll be affected, but suddenly, when you’re face down in cold water unable to see more than a couple of inches ahead of you, an instinctive, subconscious level kicks in and you panic.
BreathePanic is understandable. Your brain tells you that you’re in danger, and your sympathetic nervous system – that ‘fight or flight’ instinct – kicks into action.
The main symptom is shortness of breath or hyperventilation (fast, gasping breaths). This is often exacerbated by your wetsuit, which feels tight across your chest.
So, what should you do? It’s down to your rational self to signal that you’re okay. The main way to do this is through your breathing. Slow it right down. Concentrate on your ‘out’ breath, gently trickle breathing when your face is in the water. Turn to take an ‘in’ breath, but don’t gasp.
Many swimmers find a rhythm, count or even recite the line to a song to help them breathe in a calm way. For example, you might say to yourself ‘bubble, bubble, bubble, breathe’, or ‘one, two, three, breathe; one, two, sight, breathe’.
This shall passIt helps to remember that it’s normal to feel panicked and short of breath to begin with, and that it will pass.
As you get into cold water, your heart rate and blood pressure increase and that fight or flight reflex gives you a surge of adrenaline. But this passes after a few minutes and you will relax into your swimming.
It’s not just about allowing the first couple of hundred metres of each swim to overcome panicked feelings. The more you swim outdoors, the quicker you’ll be able to get into a comfortable, relaxed stroke.
But don’t get complacent. Even experienced swimmers can get caught out by a mass start at an event or unexpectedly rough water.
So it’s important to get as much exposure to outdoor swimming as possible. Gaining experience in different scenarios will help you overcome panic and teach your body how to adapt.
That means swimming in different places, experiencing salt water and fresh water, clear and murky, calm and choppy. If you can train with others, practice swimming close together to get a feel for mass starts.
The golden rule is to make sure you have experienced open water swimming before you swim in an event.
So many athletes get caught out because they have only practiced in a pool, or they’ve not trained in their wetsuit.
Mind over matterOpen water swimming is a mind game. Unlike any other field, open water is hard to control and changes from one day to the next. Panic is common and, in water, it’s dangerous. So, the key is to be prepared and to know how to calm yourself down.
Take a couple of minutes to acclimatise when you first get in. Then have an arsenal of calming techniques at your disposal:
Breathing: controlled, rhythmical, steady. Don’t gasp in big breaths Stroke: slow and strong. Slow down your cadence and focus on using your core strength Rest stroke: If you need a breather, switch to breaststroke or front paddle Star float or tread water: If you need to, stop and take a few momentsMost of all, it’s worth remembering that it’s normal to feel a bit panicked to begin with and that these feelings will pass.
The cold, dark water triggers an instinct in us all: there’s nothing wrong with you and you can do it.