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Swim - Breath (Page 2)
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 2008-10-16 12:02 PM in reply to: #1745492 |
Bob  2194    Binghamton, NY |  Subject: RE: Swim - BreathEleK - 2008-10-15 7:44 PM Do you breath every 2 or 3 strokes? I'm training with a 3 strokes breathing but I find it very hard. Does it really matter? I breathe every stroke on my left side for workouts and races. Sometimes during breath control sets I will breathe every 3-5-7 or 4-6-8 strokes. It's a matter of finding what works best for you and what you are most comfortable doing. The key to efficient swimming is to R-E-L-A-X!! If you have to hold your breath at all during your stroke then you are not relaxing. On breath control sets I am definitely not relaxed, I actually find myself gasping for air on the 7 or 8 stroke lengths. It is good to learn to breathe on both sides but I have never HAD to breathe on my weak side during a race due to sighting, waves (even 3' white caps), etc. If you're comfortable breathing every 3 strokes and are not holding your breath I would probably say that this would be the most balanced technique. I hope this helps. |
| 2008-10-16 12:11 PM in reply to: #1745492 |
Veteran 111 | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath When it's time to race, you do what's comfortable for yourself and what gets you out of the water the fastest and most efficiently. For the majority of triathletes it's two strokes. Doesn't mean that applies to everyone, that's just the largest sample. Thanks, there is some very good answers for me. My Swimming coach taught me to train with 3, but he is not a triathlete and has never helped a triathlete before. I feel comfortable with a 3 strokes breath, but switching to two when needed does help. Edited by EleK 2008-10-16 12:14 PM |
| 2008-10-16 12:15 PM in reply to: #1747298 |
Master 1420 Reston, VA | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath sesh - 2008-10-16 12:47 PM pengy - 2008-10-16 11:10 AM Explain to me, if perfect breathing technique means you will not slow down at all, why in a 50 sprint college+ level swimmers will hardly breathe or not breathe at all. Because they don't have to, especially in an anaerobic event. Besides, what does the breathing pattern of a 50 yard sprint have to do with triathlon swimming? There is not a triathlete on this planet that swims a half mile at the speed of college level sprinter. If three strokes is "correct" then there are a ton of elite triathletes doing it wrong. In fact, there were some swimmers doing the 800m in the Olympics doing it wrong. If there is a "slow down" with breathing in the water, it is completely negligible at distance. Maybe at the sprint speed it matters, but not at distance. But yeah, you'll be an overall better swimmer if you strive for three or four stroke breathing. Then when you get to that point, you start trying to go faster, until you get to the point where you have to breathe every two again. Then you try to increase your oxygen efficiency to the point where you can go three or four again. Then you try and go faster... and so on. When it's time to race, you do what's comfortable for yourself and what gets you out of the water the fastest and most efficiently. For the majority of triathletes it's two strokes. Doesn't mean that applies to everyone, that's just the largest sample.
Well said. Take a look at college swimmers, Olympic swimmers, etc. You will notice that the majority of them breathe every 2 strokes for freestyle races longer than the 200 (except for into and out of walls). |
| 2008-10-16 2:05 PM in reply to: #1745492 |
Extreme Veteran 314 | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath Depends on my tempo, but I try to go every 3-5 strokes on average. Keeps me breathing nice and easy. I find that if I really turn my body (almost upside down) then I can get a slow and even breath. |
| 2008-10-16 3:12 PM in reply to: #1745492 |
Master 1325 Lake Oswego, OR | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath The simple answer is that in a race you breathe as often as you need to. Seriously. The harder I swim the more oxygen I need. If I ease up a bit I breathe less frequently. It is not as complicated as many discussions make it sound. As for what you do in practice, you do what you always do. Train to prepare yourself to race. Altering breathing patterns in practice help prepare you for the changing conditions in a race, and has been mentioned, help balance your stroke. The foundation for all swimming is breathing, but once you get you get proficient at swimming, you are focused on the race. Breathing is natural at that point and you give it the same amount of attention as you do on the bike or run. |
| 2008-10-16 5:29 PM in reply to: #1745492 |
Extreme Veteran 680 Boulder, CO | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath EleK, Three stroke breathing is the single greatest thing that I did to improve my swimming. It is also the fastest way for a triathlete to improve their swim economy. Here is a link to an article that will help explain why in more detail... http://www.byrn.org/gtips/bl0202.htm Taken from this page... http://www.byrn.org/gtips/gtips.htm Hope this helps, g |
| 2008-10-17 6:07 PM in reply to: #1748310 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath GordoByrn - 2008-10-16 5:29 PM EleK, Three stroke breathing is the single greatest thing that I did to improve my swimming. It is also the fastest way for a triathlete to improve their swim economy. Here is a link to an article that will help explain why in more detail... http://www.byrn.org/gtips/bl0202.htm Taken from this page... http://www.byrn.org/gtips/gtips.htm Hope this helps, g Hey, welcome to BT Gordo! Great to have you around from time to time! |
| 2008-10-17 9:35 PM in reply to: #1745492 |
Veteran 406 | Subject: RE: Swim - Breath I'm a newbie. And all over the place. I can't seem to breathe left yet. So I either do every stroke, every two strokes or whenever I feel like I need it (regardless of count). I hear every 3 is best so I keep working on it. |
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