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HOW DO I GET MY FACE IN THE WATER?
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“I’m struggling to get my face in the water when swimming at my local lake, and I would love some advice! In a pool or lido, front crawl is my preferred stroke and I feel relaxed in the water and don’t seem to have any problems with bilateral breathing. However, when I get into open water – usually my local swimming lake, occasionally the sea – I switch to breaststroke. Partly, I treat it as a different experience and I like keeping my head above the water to catch up with friends and take in everything around me as I swim, but I would like to be able to swim crawl outdoors as I’d like to train for events next year. I don’t have any particular fears about deep water, but nevertheless when I put my face in the water, I instantly feel anxious and my breathing feels more urgent; I feel out of breath within a few strokes. It’s worse in cold water. Do you have any tips to help me feel more relaxed and enjoy swimming front crawl in open water, please?”