How to “Swim Your Race”
“Repeat after me…” 
by Chris Hague
“Mission abort, mission abort…Houston I think we have a problem here…self destruct now!”
Red lights flashed across my brain as I frantically whirled my arms and raced (or tired to) across the once placid lake in a vain attempt to catch the lead pack of swimmers.
What am I going to do now?
They had gone out much faster than I had expected and left me choking down their surf.
Moreover, some inexperienced age grouper had elbowed me in the eye, making my goggles cut into the socket. In that moment just minutes into the race, I felt like the race was over, but then, like Obi Wan Kenobi coming to Luke in his time of need, my coach’s voice echoed out of the depths of the lake saying: “Just swim your race, Chris, Just swim your race.”
Instantly, my mental sirens calmed down, my heart rate dropped, my proverbial engines cooled, and I began to swim all the while thinking to myself: just swim your race, just swim your race. I repeated this mantra all the way to the shore where I emerged just seconds after the lead pack! Remarkably, by calming down and focusing on one little think, I regained my swim form and consequently my speed.
We have all been in a similar situation whether in training or racing when one thing, which at the time feels like an entire race breaker, goes wrong and you feel like you should throw in the towel. It is at these times that I rely upon my secret stash of mantras that I can rely upon to save me from these depths of these mental abysses. Here are some of my favorites:
• Just keep swimming…just keep swimming (Yes, I stole that from Finding Nemo)
• Run your race
• Left, right, breathe, repeat
• Control the controllables
• Keep smiling
• You can do this
• Nothing is over till I say its over
• Push it
• Feel the burn
• POWER!!!
• Do it, to it
• Keep it up
What are some of your favorite mantras?
1-2-3 breath 1-2-3 breath :)
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Oh my goodness, this same sort of thing just happened to me at my triathlon yesterday- it was my first, and it was a run-in start, I was tricked into “racing” into the water, and got worked up way too fast, then got kicked going around the first turn. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath as water flung into my face from the other swimmers, I lost my forward momentum, and my brain went on panic- I froze up, and was treading water. Finally I went onto my back, started back stroking while gathering my breath and my first thought was to quit and swim back to shore, but I talked myself into just swimming forward no matter how I do it, just keep swimming foward. I got back into a bit of a rhythm, and managed to keep going foward, and I finished, and I learned not to race into the water and to just slow down, and focus on MY own pace, not worry about how fast everyone else runs into the water.
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I just did a practice race in the ocean with a tri club over the weekend. First time in the ocean….
My first thought was…I cannot do this, I am not going to do this today…
Then I said just make it to the bouy…make it to the bouy…people choking, and sputtering around me…I just kept trying to get to the bouy….
Then it was just get to shore, just get to shore…finally the shore. I was not the last one in, but near the back…but guess what…I rocked the bike and the run, and came in near the top! Mission Accomplished…step one, next time I hope will be better and easier! Thanks for the info.
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i ve been doing swim competions but never did an open water race. so 1 month ago, i did one in belgium in 17 water temperature and it was the thoughest moment in my life. i never swam in the sea, so when entering the water i thaught i would propably die because i m not used to the cold at all.( fina rules, so no wetasuit).
the race was horrible.i couldn t think right, the water was dark green, waves,splashing everywhere. i never trained any sighting in training and came of the course doing the race. i lost completely my orientation and got a small panic attack. i had to stop and swam for 15 sec bit of breastroke. but then i just told myself to keep going and going. tons of adrenalin was shooting through my body and i swam a good race till the end.i finished 12 out of 23 which completely surprised me.
this sunday i ll be doing a 5k in a lake, and this time i prepared myself very good haha. the water temperature will be 16 degrees, that will be the only problem.
thank for the tips and articles.i ve been reading our posts for more than a year now and they r really helpful!!
just one questions. how do u acclimate yourself to cold water? my coach tells me to do a dryland warm up and not to go in the water. only 10 minutes before i should wet my body a bit with water.
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