It’s perfectly normal to have a little fear when looking ahead to open water swimming in your first triathlon. I have been racing in triathlons for years and I still get a little afraid every time before an open water swim start.
Actually, I think it’s a bit of a good thing to be a little afraid because it keeps you alert and on guard for an open water swim among a group of swimmers thrashing, kicking and jockeying for space.
They say that the order of the triathlon events is based on the most danger to you as a racer / participant starting with open water swimming then biking at sometimes high speeds and then running which is the least dangerous of the three disciplines.
At the beginning of a race I always think to myself that if I can just finish the swim without getting kicked in the head it will be all down hill from there. Then I get to the bike and think if I can just finish the bike without any flats or crashes, I’ll be in good shape. Then when I get to the run I think that if I can just finish the run without any injuries everything will be good. Then before you know it the race is over and that feeling of accomplishment is indescribable.
It is thrilling every time you finish the swim portion because to me it feels like I’m conquering something big. That’s why it’s important to observe a few key safety tips and we’ll cover those in part two.
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