Avoiding Cold Water Shock

This is the time of year when northern hemisphere swimmers and triathletes are returning to open water venues for training and races. At most locations water temperatures are still pretty chilly and the shock of jumping into water this cold can make you short of breath and anxious when you start swimming. It can also cause panic attacks which are deeply unpleasant and can ruin your race. Here's a quick tip to help overcome this:

Before you get in and swim, splash cold water on your face from the lake, river or sea. Doing this for around ten to fifteen seconds allows your face to cool down to the water's temperature so your body adjusts and the shock passes.

Start swimming soon afterwards and you should find things much more comfortable and you can start swimming properly straight away, exhaling smoothly into the water to settle any remaining nerves. Note that this trick only works with your face, not any other part of your body.

Sounds too simple? Try it - it really does work!

Swim Smooth!