How NOT to Swallow Water in the Hudson

Days left till NYC Triathlon: 54

Activity: Swim Group Training Session

Today I learnt how not to swallow water while "sighting". This is extremely important, as the last thing I want to worry about during my triathlon is what would happen if I swallowed water from the Hudson. When I tell people I am doing the NYC Triathlon the thing that freaks them out most is that I am swimming in the Hudson.

What is sighting? Sighting is being able to know which direction you are swimming in. During any open water swim you have big visible buoys that serve as guides, they mark out the direction in which you are to swim. In order to swim in the right direction you must 'sight' the buoy. If you don't do this you may end up swimming in the wrong direction, wasting time and energy. When you sight you lift your head up while keeping your mouth under water and taking a breath on the side as you normally would, this may seem easy enough, but the key thing is to breath out when facing front and take a breath in when turning to the side.  If by mistake you breath in while facing front the Hudson will be gushing down your system! I know that I will probably swallow a little bit of the river on my swim; as long as I don't veer towards Jersey I am fine with a little taste of the Hudson. We are now on the home stretch; I just need to stick to the training plan and swim, bike and run towards the finish line. Below is a video that shows you how to 'sight'

http://youtu.be/KRZDS8xjyHE