Triathlon Swimming Q&A: Water in your Nose

Q: I constantly get water up my nose while swimming. Any suggestions?

A: Wear a nose plug.  I hate it when water runs up my nose, it makes me just miserable.  I’m guessing it makes you miserable too.  I wear a nose plug for all of my swimming races and I also wore one in my early days in triathlon.  Many triathlon pros and amateurs use them.  I always use the metal nose clip rather than the plastic versions.  I find that the plastic versions don’t hold the nose as tight, which results in leaks.  And I can say that a leaky nose plug is much worse than not having a nose plug at all! 

If you absolutely hate the idea of a nose plug, you have a few options if you are genetically inclined.  I have seen swimmers with big lips actually roll their upper lip up and over the nose to cover it up and prevent water entry.  I have also seen swimmers pressurize their nasal cavity by blowing air into the nose and sealing off by rolling their tongue to the back of their head.  Thus, the water doesn’t flow into your nostrils even though they are exposed.  I have to admit I tried this many times and I never got the hang of it.  But there are swimmers out there who don’t need nose plugs because they can make it work.  I would always recommend the nose plug as it is the easiest solution.  Until next time, happy training!

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