General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Swim Breathing Rss Feed  
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2003-10-17 9:18 AM


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Subject: Swim Breathing
I would like some help or advice on breathing while swimming. I have been casually swimming most of my life but just began to swim for training and fitness about 4 weeks ago. I've gotten to the point where I can comfortably swim about 200 to 250 yards with out stopping and 700 to 800 yards during a session. I have read a couple of tri books for technique but I really feel like I am waisting energy trying to breath. I have tried the alternating technique, but am more comfortable with breathing to my left on every stroke. It just seems like I struggle. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Right now I am trying to train for sprint tri's next season.


2003-10-17 9:32 AM
in reply to: #1255

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Subject: RE: Swim Breathing
Learning to breathe while keeping efficient is definitely one of the most difficult parts of learning freestyle. As far as sides, you don't need to breathe both sides. Many experienced swimmers don't even do it often and it's more of an advanced technique. For triathlon and other long-distance swimming, it's not even used much at all during races. Mostly its used in practice to help with balance, to help you get used to breathing on your 'non normal' side for sighting in open water, and an increased aerobic workout(you hold breath a bit longer) But really you don't need to do it....

Some breathing pointers for single or double side breathing:
1. incorporate some normal L-R body rotation ('rotating-stick-up-arse' mental picture*!) into your swim stroke. With some body rotation, you'll have to turn your head much less to breathe. And your swim stroke will improve also.

2. Exhale completely underwater before the mouth comes out of the water to inhale. You'll need far less time to take a breath if you've already exhaled. This takes some practice with timing though.

3. Always breathe directly to the side and not ahead.

*take the picture a bit further and picture this motion while moving through a tube. The more you keep your appendages in the area of the 'tube', both horizontally and vertically, the less drag you have and the further ahead you get.
2003-10-17 9:33 AM
in reply to: #1255

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Subject: my experience...

it will be uncomfortable doing the alternating breathing.  u need some more time to work on it if u have only been seriously training for 4 weeks.  it IS great that u r comfortable breathing ever stroke on your left.

try this.  while doing the crawl, do mostly every stroke breathing for several lengths then alternate in a length of the the 'alternate breathing' stroke...until u r doing all alternate breathing.

this will be difficult...u need several months till your comfortable to do the alternate breathing all the time.  u must feel like your gasping and your lungs want to explode until u get better.  BUT it will magically become easier.  all of the sudden, one day, u will not event think about breathing...u will be like 'whoa!  i got it!'

once this happens, your stroke will improve as u wont be 'rolling over' to breath on every stroke.

IT'S ALL ABOUT SPENDING TIME ON IT.  ITS GONNA BE DIFFICULT BUT GIVE IT SEVERAL MORE MONTHS AND GET BACK WITH US.

ron

2003-10-17 9:36 AM
in reply to: #1256


22

Subject: RE: Swim Breathing
Thanks both of you for the tips. I will continue to work on it knowing it will come.
2003-10-17 1:47 PM
in reply to: #1256

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Subject: RE: Swim Breathing

wow.  i learned a little something myself.  i was told the same thing...try to do both sides for sighting and if somebody is splashing up a storm to one side of u.  i am surprised that so few people do the alternate breathing (from sherricks post)...i guess i'm not paying attention - i'm swimming! BUT when i did nail that technique down...i swear my swim stroke improved as i didn't have to focus on breathing on EVERY stroke.  of course i have no scientific basis for this observation - speed/duration.

sherrick...is their any speed advantage or stroke technique to gain by alternate breathing?  i feel i can concentrate more on my stroke/form and giving it some 'power' if i don't have to breath every stroke.   ???

2003-10-17 3:38 PM
in reply to: #1255

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Subject: RE: Swim Breathing
overall, the more bilateral practice the better, but still in races it's probably better to single side it. Mostly because you do work at a higher effort to breathe both sides since you're taking in O2 less often. If it were just a swim race, especially a short one, then by all means do whatever is fastest and get finished ASAP.

But for triathlon, you want to exit the water quickly but expend little effort, hence the tendency to swim single-sided. I'm sure that some cycling stud will soon learn to swim and begin both sides causing records to fall and a movement in the sport to do this (ala Amstrong's 110 rpm) but for most of us it's too high of a cost.

That being said, it's an excellent technique to practice in training because you never know what side of the course the race buoys are on and also what waves are like. For training, breathing both sides or just doing sets breathing on the 'other side' will greatly improve your rotational balance in the water--also make you swim straighter lines.

a way to work this into your main set as a ladder:
300 swim
275 bilateral
250 swim
225 bilateral
200 swim
  • ... all the way down to the last set of 25

  • if you're main sets are less, than start at 200 and go down....just get the work in.




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