Holy Catch, Batman! How'd I Get So Fast?

October 8, 2011 by Katie

I had a breakthrough at my last race.  To put it mildly.  I swam 1500m in Open Water 15% faster than I've ever swam 100 yards in the pool.  That was 24% faster than my previous best Open Water race pace.  What happened?

How did I go from Slow-ish to Pretty Darn Fast in two weeks?  Two things:  Pacing and Underwater Video.  Today we'll stick to pacing.

Pacing is a struggle for me.  In the pool, I rely on visual cues from other swimmers to see how fast I'm going.  When I swim with other people, my body goes into "Relax, Lengthen and Pass Mode."  If I have to, I'll step up my effort, but that's a last resort.

On my own, I can't find that Easy Fast Gear.  Sometimes the best I can do is Easy Slow or Hard Slow. 

So a race setting should be perfect for me.  Should be.  But I'd never figured out how to pace off the field.  My races had either been so small that I was swimming alone, or so crowded that I couldn't find a rhythm. 

And then I had an aha moment when I saw the pics from my previous race. Here's the secret: Those obstacles people are actually there to help me.

These are some tips I've learned about how to navigate the crowds in an Open Water swim.

Warming Up

Adrenaline is a good thing, but you need to be able to manage it.  We're aiming for "Speeding Gazelle", not "Rabid Dog" or "Frozen Rabbit".  I get really nervous before a race.  In fact, the more I race, the more nervous I get.  For me, the warm-up is critical for getting a grip on my nerves.

I do an easy swim, focusing on rhythm, and then sprint back.  During that warm-up, I use a variety of different mantras.  [Note to self: replace next section with good-sounding lie before publishing.]  I usually chant something like "No, no, no, no, no, no, no."  Sometimes I'll mix it up with an "I can't do it" or an "I'm going home."  

I get that raw fear out of my system before the race starts, and I'm left with an adrenaline surge that can help me during the race.Can you tell from the picture that I'm freaking out?

Crowded Swim Starts

This is a pretty intimidating situation.  There are 82 swimmers in the wave, and we're right up against the shore.  In this picture, I'm trapped behind the pack, a few seconds after the start. There's nothing to do here except relax, take advantage of the draft, and wait for an opening.  When you're trapped like that, there's no need to sight for the course buoys.  Instead, sight for an open patch of water.  Don't try to pass anyone, and don't give up or hang back.

A crazy start like this actually helps with the rest of the race.  My heart rate goes up, and my animal brain takes over.  By the time I get free of the crowd, I feel like, "Phew!  All I have to do now is swim."  Nothing else feels hard.

Taking Advantage of the Pack

Once the pack thins out, contact with other swimmers falls into three categories, all of them helpful.

Clingers

These are the people who get up in your space instead of drafting politely or passing you.  They're only able to keep up because of the draft you're creating, but they slow you down by getting in the way of your stroke. 

The first few times this happened to me, I wondered if I should be doing something to get out of their way.  NO!  If they want to pass you, they should veer off 10° to get around you.  There is nothing sacred about that 2'-wide section of water you're inhabiting.

It turns out, the Clinger is your best friend.  The irritation gives you a nice surge of adrenaline.  To handle the situation, HAUL for 30 seconds and then slow down a little to recover.  That 30-second surge is enough to ditch your Clinger.  It will break the draft, so he/she won't be able to catch you.  As an added bonus, the pace that now feels like a "recovery" pace is probably faster than you were swimming before.  (Some people deliberately kick Clingers.  Don't do it.  It's bad karma, bad for your mental state, and a waste of opportunity.)

People You're Drafting Behind

Maybe they're passing you, maybe you're about to pass them, maybe you're deliberately along for the ride, or maybe you're just trapped in a clump together like in this picture.  Either way, these people make you faster.  Try to keep your face out of their feet.  (If you do get kicked, keep swimming.  Stopping won't undo the kick, and you'll lose the draft.)

People You're Trying to Pass

These people give your animal brain the visual cues to make sure your effort translates into speed.  If you're gaining, whatever you're doing is working.  If not, focus on your stroke.

I'm always grateful to the stragglers from other waves.  By definition, they're swimming slower than I am, but they may be pretty far ahead on the course.  That gives me a visual goal I can use for a long time. (BTW, I've been a straggler in plenty of races.  To everyone who's lapped me:  You're welcome.)

Racing Looks Different than Surviving

So now I'm racing the pack instead of trying to survive it.  I can see the mental shift in these photos from the two different races.  It looks like I'm swimming with a new sense of purpose.

Two weeks ago, it seems like I'm just floating past people:

This time I look more deliberate

Has your progress always been slow and steady?  Or have you made sudden breakthroughs?  What's your best Open Water race strategy tip?

Next up: An underwater video that took my stroke to the next level.