lake where you can stay close to the shore. Many people feel constricted the fi rst time they put on a wetsuit but that often eases once they’re in the water and horizontal, where they can be reassured that the tightness around the chest does not necessarily mean breathing is restricted. Finally ask yourself if, when you tried the suit on with Speedo,
you experienced the same problem as it is likely they will have got you to put the suit on correctly. When we fi t a wetsuit to a customer, we go with the smallest size they can fi t into but still breathe freely in. If, when you have the wetsuit pulled up as high as possible, you still can’t breathe properly then it is unfortunately too small and you should take it back. At the end of the day, open water swimming is a sport that centres on adequate respiration. If you are unable to expand your lungs, it will not only be more diffi cult to produce competitive times but frankly dangerous.
HOW CAN I PROTECT MY SHOULDERS? I am training for the Channel this August, and am a 50-year- old ‘self-taught’ swimmer. I am worried, if all I do is swim, that my shoulders will give out. At present I swim six days a week (3-3.5km four times a week and two longer swims on the weekend). Would I be better served swimming fewer days but for longer each time and doing some cross-training on the non-swim days instead, in order to rest my shoulders? Ranie Pearce
Injury expert Paul Hobrough says... This is a question of cross training. There are some clear cut rules for training that relate to how specifi c the training should be for any event, and – of course – swimming will be the best type of training for a swimmer, however if you become too specifi c then there is a risk that some muscle imbalances could occur, leading to potential injury. The distances you swim are all relative to your ability and
training progression, however I am a huge fan of combining distance work with intervals. You have the ability to mix up your training with different strokes as well, using back stroke to help with the muscle imbalance issues. However, if your shoulders are a point of concern, then doing some basic fi tness-band exercises at home would suffi ce to keep the supporting muscles strong and the shoulder well located in its socket. I would have it properly assessed for muscle length,
PAUL HOBROUGH Our sports injury and rehabilitation expert Ex-international kayaker Paul Hobrough is the founder of Physio & Therapy UK (
physioandtherapy.co.uk), which specialises in sports injury treatment and injury prevention for athletes. His clients include Olympians Tim Brabants and Mo Farah, as well as weekend warriors and people of all ages attempting their fi rst sporting challenge. He is currently working with a group of seven swimmers for an attempted team crossing of the English Channel in summer 2011.
strength and function to see you have any risk factors associated with common injuries and teach you how to address these with functional training exercises away from the pool.
HOW CAN I KEEP CALM? I’m a once-a-week club swimmer struggling to keep calm while open water swimming. I’m so conditioned to crystal clear warm swimming pool water that, once I get my head down in the murky cold water, it all goes a bit crazy. My heart rate and stroke rate increases and I gasp for air. All of which take its toll and I tire rapidly. I have a postponed place in this year’s Great North Swim so need to get this cracked for then! Any suggestions? Bernard Greenwalker
Mental preparation expert Midgie Thompson says... You are not alone! Many people who have trained in the pool fi nd going into open water daunting. They experience the same things you’ve mentioned: a racing heart, strokes that go all over the place, breathing going haywire.
Before you compete in any race, such as the Great North Swim, I suggest going into open water for a leisurely swim just to get used to it. If the fi rst time you get into open water is for a race, then it can be quite a shock to the system. Getting acclimatized to the cold and the lack of visibility will help you when you do get to a race situation.
Check in your locality. There may be open water swimming groups that you could join for an occasional dip. Always check with a local expert before getting into a new body of open water for any safety issues. If possible, swimming side-by-side with another swimmer can also provide some reassurance. Once you are in the water, slow down.
For more
on facing your open water fears see Rick Kiddle’s feature on page 24
Purposefully slow down your breathing and slow down your stroke. This helps calm your nerves and slow that racing heart and fast breathing. Focus your attention on small things like the technique of your stroke, or how your body turns in the water, even focus on how your lungs expand and contract. This narrow internal focus can actually help you to calm down and ease off the stress reaction you may have been experiencing. Start out gently with a few short swims in relatively easy water to feel more comfortable before taking on bigger open water challenges.
MIDGIE THOMPSON Our mental performance expert
The founder of Bright Futures Coaching (brightfuturescoaching. com), Midgie works with passionate and energetic individuals to help them develop the mental skills and strategies to be the best they can be, while maintaining a
healthy balance in their sporting, professional and personal lives. Using life coaching, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnosis techniques, she coaches individuals in the sporting world from beginner level onwards as well as business people on performance and lifestyle issues.
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