Anxiety. 7 letters, enormous implications for open water swimming. It seems to me swimmers at any level may encounter issues w/ this emotion. I plan to address this in more detail in a later post. For now, just how it plays into my swim at Alcatraz.
I am an anxious person, admittedly. When pursuing a new goal, the heat gets turned up so to speak. I had a great deal of anxiety last year at the World Tx Games, especially before my first race, the 400 m freestyle. Being on the other side of the world, competing w/ the best transplant athletes on the planet, while representing our country, big deal. As I have entered the world of open water swimming, a different form of anxiety arises.
For me, the Alcatraz represents pushing my limits farther than I "think" I should. Why would I want to swim in mid-50s water w/ current and chop for over 1 mile w/ 1800 other swimmers? The pack can be crazy, I could lose my breath, get dizzy, my heart takes forever to raise its rate for what my body needs, etc. Yet, the nonsense of it makes the most sense. Why do it? b/c I can. A man decided before he died that he wanted his heart to be given to someone who would die w/o it. He chose to give life, so it is my obligation, and delight, to live life.
Since the decision is made, and not worth dwelling on anymore, how to overcome anxiety. Well, good preparation is the first step. I swam a 1 mile race at Beaverdam 2 weeks ago, at 68 degrees, then swam off HWY 98 w/o a wetsuit in 66 degrees. Then, today in 67 degrees at Beaverdam. I purchased a full wetsuit, a Nineteen Tsunami, and broke it in this afternoon. I've been talking to others who have done the swim, and read articles on how to successfully escape.
I also have a plan on what to focus on in my swim. I have been aware of some technique areas that seem to be more work than they should when I've swum open water. Core rotation, arm recovery early, and utilizing a 2 beat kick, to name a few. After I jump off the ferry, I will get several deep breaths, before proceeding w/ freestyle. I've also committed myself to enjoying the swim, my goal to avoid the temptation to compare myself w/ faster swimmers and better athletes. And, I plan to stop to do a few moments of breaststroke, and enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Denial is considered the way not to overcome anxiety. However, since the swim is next Sunday, I don't have time to worry over the sharks! What is a shark, anyway?
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