kleinrider - Full (Page 8)

merrymound - 2008-02-24 2:35 PM As of today, I accomplished my goal for the month of 10 hours! I am going to push to see how much more biking I can get in this month before I move on March's challenge. Hope everybody is doing well.

kleinrider - 2008-02-25 12:53 PM

i entered the NYC lottery today.... I entered last year (1st time) didn't get in.  If you sign up and don't get in for 3 years you are guaranteed a spot in the 4th year.

merrymound - 2008-03-04 5:57 PM

Uh . . . swimming is hard. I finally made it into the pool to find myself struggling to maintain my stroke. I had to shift from freestyle to breaststroke or sidestroke several times. If anyone is able to answer the following questions, I would be in your debt:
1) How often should you breathe? I find myself breathing once every time my right arm comes out of the water. Is this OK?
2) How far should you turn your head when you breathe? Sometimes I rotate my head all the way until I am facing the ceiling and I think this is too far. But I don't know how far is too far.
3) How do I solve the problem of needing to breathe more often than my stroke cadence permits? I find myself needing to breathe when my head is underwater which causes me to switch strokes so that I can breathe easier. Is there a solution?
4) Is freestyle the only stroke done in triathlon or can I do breaststroke with which I am more comfortable?

I thank anyone who would like to take a crack at these questions. I hope everyone is having a great week. Keep an eye on Ohio tonight as we will be deciding your fates!

merrymound - 2008-03-04 4:57 PM Uh . . . swimming is hard. I finally made it into the pool to find myself struggling to maintain my stroke. I had to shift from freestyle to breaststroke or sidestroke several times. If anyone is able to answer the following questions, I would be in your debt: 1) How often should you breathe? I find myself breathing once every time my right arm comes out of the water. Is this OK?

I breathe every 3 strokes so I don't become dependent on breathing on one particular side.  It helps when racing in case the water current is choppy. 

2) How far should you turn your head when you breathe? Sometimes I rotate my head all the way until I am facing the ceiling and I think this is too far. But I don't know how far is too far.

One goggle out of the water according to my coach.  I have a really hard time with this one. 

3) How do I solve the problem of needing to breathe more often than my stroke cadence permits? I find myself needing to breathe when my head is underwater which causes me to switch strokes so that I can breathe easier. Is there a solution?

This is part of swim fitness and the more you're in the water, the easier it'll become.  When I first started, I was winded after 50m and had to rest for a minute or two.  Keep at it, iIt does come around pretty quickly. 

4) Is freestyle the only stroke done in triathlon or can I do breaststroke with which I am more comfortable?

Freestyle or crawl is pretty much the race standard but you can do anything you like.  The problem you'll run into is hitting/kicking those around you when you do a different stroke. It's mass chaos during wave starts ... something I'm still not comfortable with.  I head off to the side and usually do better there than duking it out in the middle with the masses. 

I thank anyone who would like to take a crack at these questions. I hope everyone is having a great week. Keep an eye on Ohio tonight as we will be deciding your fates!

erjewels32 - 2008-03-04 9:11 PM Jessica, I've heard alot of people suggest breathing every 3 strokes. I haven't been able to do that yet. If the water is choppy, do you adjust your stroke to breathe only the the opposite side of the chop? OR do you continue to breathe every 3 strokes. Since swimming is still very new to me, I thought I would try to get through my May race and then maybe look at different options. I have also heard about having one goggle out of the water when breathing. I have a hard time with that too!!!