Swim Question...Breast Stroke?

I haven't swam for years and for some reason I can breast stroke for days. I did my first sprint this summer and breast stroked the whole thing.

In a sprint with a lot of new people you will see every stroke in the book plus some wierd combos of two or three strokes. People will backstroke, doggy paddle, side stroke etc etc.

Just have fun, finish the swim and work hard on your freestyle for your olympic next year.

Thanks for the encouragement...+1 I can breast stroke all day long too.  Thats why I think Im doing something wrong with my free.

I did my first tri two weekends ago and I did the breast stroke to sight and to catch my breath.  I would say do the breast stroke as much as you want.  Do whatever you want to finish the swim.   Work on your crawl endurance for the next race.

I just did my first tri and ended up doing mostly breast stroke. I lined up way in back and my plan was to start with breast stroke to avoid going out too fast, but everyone around me was doing breast stroke or side stroke or back stroke or doggie paddle or no forward movement at all, so I ended up doing breast stroke for about 3/4 of the way. I stuck with breast stroke because it was by far easier to sight especially since it was my first time doing OWS. I didn't do freestyle till past the last bouy and coming into shore.

I was darn slow, but still passing some people, and at least wasn't spent and felt like I cranked on the bike and run. 

Nothing wrong with useing the breast stroke if you feel more comfortable with it, however it can be more difficult to use it in rough water.

Also, you might consider either a side stroke or backstroke, either are a little more "efficient" than the breast stroke and are probably a slightly better alternative to the crawl stroke.  Either way, use what you feel best with or a combination of them if you prefer.

Michael

They don't award points for style... Its just point A to point B as fast as you can go.

I ll bet your faster than some doing freestyle.

Swimming breaststroke is OK if you do the following:

1)  Start out at the back of the wave so you don't kick anyone in the face.
2)  Swim outside the shortest route so that the faster swimmer from later waves don't get too close to you (they'll be following the shortest line).  They don't like to get kicked in the face as they pass next to you.
3)  If you swim some free and then switch to breaststroke, don't take a strong breaststroke kick until you look back to see if there is anyone right behind you.

As one who's face has taken the brunt of a breaststroke kick, I'm kind of sensitive to this.   I try to swim wide around the breaststrokers, but sometimes I don't realize what stroke they're swimming until too late. 

Meanwhile, keep working on your freestyle so the next time so you can swim it the whole way.  You'll be a lot faster too!

Brian

 

Edited by famelec 2009-07-28 8:11 PM

This user's post has been ignored.

x2

I don't think I breast stroke correctly and when I attempt it, thinking it would be good to have in my swim arsenal during OWS, I can barely make 25 yards without feeling exhausted. I always give up and revert to freestyle. It was just recommended that I practice breast stroke for easier sighting.