Breathing in the Swim

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Ridder on September 30, 2011 at 5:25pm

I'm not a fast swimmer either.  i used to breathe every 3rd stroke, but recently found myself doing every two on the right side.  After reading in a blog somewhere that it is best to make sure you can breathe on the left side at IMFL since it is counter-clockwise and the waves will be coming in.  So at least I have a couple weeks to start working on the left side for the turn.  I do feel faster when I breathe every 3rd or 4th stroke, but I too run out of air quickly and don't feel like I can maintain that very long.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Hurysz on October 3, 2011 at 2:13pm

Hi Mike:  Food for thought, the sun will be at your left on the 800m way out, blind you as you come across for 200m, then on your right as you swim the 800m to shore.  Then again on the second lap, only worse glare because the sun is higher in the sky.

I come from a swim background and breathe every stroke (I favor the left).  The swim is the first part of a very long day.  I try to stay strong and comfortable and for me that means air at every opportunity.

Permalink Reply by jeff on October 3, 2011 at 2:42pm

 

 4 SURE   THE SWIM IS SUCH A SMALL PORTION OF IT ALL.  ONLY AS MUCH AS 1/16TH OF THE WHOLE DAY !  COMFORT AND SAVED ENERGY....

Permalink Reply by Susan O'Neal on October 1, 2011 at 5:37pm

I breathe every 3rd stroke and bilateral breathe. I've tried to breathe just on one side but my neck starts to hurt. I'm not to fast and hope that the waves arent to bad and I dont swallow a tone of ocean water.

Permalink Reply by Jim Ristow on October 1, 2011 at 5:43pm

In the pool I am a bilateral breather. It took me sometime to master the skill but it makes everything so much easier. I wish I could get as comfortable doing this in a body of water. If I find clear water I can get into the groove, but if there are others around me I fall back into old habits and breath on one side.

Permalink Reply by Mike Southgate on October 1, 2011 at 8:14pm

I'm not fast either (sound familiar?), I did a 3K swim in just over an hour.  I can breathe bilaterally but I generally am more comfortable breathing on the right.  I breathe every stroke.  I know I'm a real exception.  Seem s to work well for me.

Permalink Reply by jeff on October 3, 2011 at 10:41am

mike...im with ya. i'm a one sided breather so i work on a longer gliding stroke but a strong one. idk? if this is any indication of that conviction but i swam IM LOU in 1:08 doing this. i believe if you do not have a whole year or more to accomidate a major change in breathing then why go backwards. i always worked hard on the technique to make up for the one sided breathing. thats my story an i'm stickin to it

jeff

Permalink Reply by Jenn Ciapala on October 3, 2011 at 10:47am

In my half yesterday, I breathed about every 2nd then 3rd stroke, because I wanted to keep using both sides but practice breathing more.  It worked really well, except when the waves were coming in the same side I was breathing on. :-)

My real problem in the water (at the risk of offering TMI) is that no matter how hard I try, I can't pee while swimming!  At least not in my wetsuit.  But I spend so much time and energy trying to relax enough to do it that I slow way down.  Guess I should just give that up and plan on using the bathroom in T1.

Permalink Reply by Jim Ristow on October 3, 2011 at 3:26pm

Jenn,

 

Maybe this will help. Just imagine you are swimming in this big ocean of water with 2,500 people around you, oh wait that is really going to be happening, sorry. 

 

I have the same problem and it really isn't something one should practice in a pool. I had the same problem at IMWI until someone draped a huge bed sheet over a wall and it said wave if you are peeing in your wetsuit. Te pressure was off and the rest was history. I find if that moment comes the breast stroke is often my choice of swimming.

Permalink Reply by Wendy Morley on October 5, 2011 at 8:35am

When I'm training I breathe every 3rd but have discovered I cannot do this in race situations. Always every 2nd in a race or I get totally messed up.