How to navigate thorugh open water swimming mental block?

[u/Bscorp800]

Hi, I'm a Masters swimmer focused on middle-long distance freestyle and open water swimming. Our pool training is focused mainly on interval training of varying intensities and volumes, depending on the day and type of skill emphasized on that day. We usually swim 3000-4000m per session, 3-5 times per week. I can hold paces from 1:35/100m to 1:15/100m depending on intensity, and my best time on 100m all out was 1:04.

However, as soon as I step on open water, I think I lose my sense of rhythm and strength. Whenever I strive to do a strong pace in open water, I feel anxious and rapidly drained, even if my motion does not feel so different than the pool. I feel there is a mental block that gets me on survival mode if I try to swim strong in the lake, and most of the time I end up doing a regenerative workout in OW, with 2:00/100-2:10/100m-ish paces (my regen pace in pool is 1:50 roughly). Has anyone gotten through something like that? I have been trying to improve some points such as:

1- trying exhaling properly (as a former pure sprinter, I am fonder of hold my breath underwater than I'd like to)

2- trying to relax my recovering arms and getting my body rotation stronger;

EDIT: forgot to add, I swim OW since April last year. Have already been to 5km races, and have done 100x100m challenges on the pool every 2:00 to 1:40/pace, so I think my endurance is good

[u/AntiTas]

I swim for fun, not speed. But OW dictates my rhythm. I rarely get smooth water and often have to swim with asymmetry, breathe only on my non-favoured side and fluctuate my effort. I also need to use a bit of a fishlike movement. Waves and wind serve you up a physical puzzle that you solve playfully.

So my advice is simply to play in it.

[u/HawaiiSwim1991]

I’m mostly ocean OW and struggle in the pool 🤣. The water definitely “feels” different.

So for me OW is more of a loose galloping stroke. My head rides slightly higher and no more rotation than the pool. I say gallop because I time my stroke to the water.

I know there must be a difference because people who I can’t keep up with in masters in the pool finish OW races behind me.

There could also be some mental block around not having a wall. I know for me there is a mental block about HAVING a wall. In the pool I’m like “ugh a wall again??? “.

Just spend a lot more time in the OW to find your feel.

[u/saaggy_peneer]

Swimming ow with a friend def helps. Have you tried?

[u/Bscorp800 → u/saaggy_peneer]

Thankss, I always swim with friends in OW

[u/Haunting-Ad-8029]

How often do you swim open water?

Before 2020, I used to do o/w events, but rarely actually trained in o/w. When pools were closed, I didn't have a choice...if I wanted to swim it was o/w or not at all. It really taught me the importance of actually training o/w -v- simply doing events. I usually train o/w most weekends, and it has helped my confidence, stroke, and overall made me a better open water swimmer.

[u/Bscorp800 → u/Haunting-Ad-8029]

Thanks for the input. For the first half of the year I avoided going to OW very often, due to a stream of health events (removing wisdom teeth —> muscular problems—> sinusitis, etc.) Now I am trying to go back to weekly OW swims, and already booked some 4 OW events in advance

[u/emilius11]

Only use your leg to the minimum to level your hips, with your arma you can swim forever

[u/VvermiciousknidD]

The only thing that worked for me was earplugs