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Breathing During the Swim
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 2009-07-30 2:05 PM |
 11 |  Subject: Breathing During the SwimWhat are people's strategies for breathing during the swim section. Do most people breath on only one side every 2 to 4 strokes? Does anyone breath on alternating sides every 3 strokes? Is there a preferred number that has been shown as the most efficient, or is it just personal preference. I find myself starting off breathing every 3 strokes, but after about 1/2 mile go every 2 strokes. I try to alternate sides though just so I don't become too dominate on one side. |
| 2009-07-30 2:13 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Master 1890     Cypress, CA | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim Lots of people do bilateral breathing (alternating sides). Can help keep you straighter in open water. Myself, I find I don't get enough air that way, so I breathe on the right, every time I'm stroking with my left arm. It's also good to be able to breathe on either side--not much difference in a pool, but in open water with waves & swell, it might be better to breathe on the other side. Just takes some practice. |
| 2009-07-30 2:21 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Extreme Veteran 682 Canton, MI. via Detroit | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim Every stroke on the right. When I breathe on the left, it's like I'm swimming with a limp. I can do it, but I just don't. |
| 2009-07-30 2:26 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Extreme Veteran 837 Wellesley, Massachusetts | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim I breathe on both sides. Depending on if I am doing and OWS or pool swim, I switch up the number of strokes. OWS is breathe every three and pool is breathe every five. I took some lessons with my bf and our "coach" told us to try breathing at 3, 5, and 7 strokes to see where we are most comfortable. x2 on it helping when you are in rough waters. Good luck with your swim! |
| 2009-07-30 2:41 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Extreme Veteran 3177 | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim I breath every 2, 3, or 4 depending on conditions, number of people around me, current/sighting issues, and how hard I am pushing it over a distance piece. I usually use 4 for my long slow pieces in open water (occassionally the pool) when I am the only one around. I use 3 almost anytime and generall just throw them in to practice bilateral breathing and I use every two when I am doing any sort of speed work or intervals where I need the extra oxygen. My way is probably not the best in the world but it is how I do it and it works for me. |
| 2009-07-30 2:42 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Expert 1276 Salem | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim I Breath to the left on every right arm forward stoke. Like the other poster I have kind of a limp and use kind of a sissor kick and two regular leg kicks after so it helps me with pacing; not great for anyone who might try to draft off me not that I am super fast or that they could draft anything. I can't seem to get enough air with alternating sides even though I am breathing out under water. Using the sissor kick also helps me lift out of the water some to get a good sighting and extra time to breath. |
| 2009-07-30 2:55 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Pro 6520 Bellingham, WA | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim I breathe every other stroke. In the pool, I breathe to one side down and the other side back so that I am as adept using either side. I am a little more comfortable to the left but I think it helps with your stroke to analysize the phases of the stroke that feel different or awkward and work on making them as smooth and comfortable as your strong side. In open water practice, I do about 20 strokes to one side and than 20 strokes the other. If wind chop or sun is present I can switch over and just use one side. This is good for racing too as you can keep an eye on traffic or sighting at the turns. |
| 2009-07-30 3:30 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Master 1993 Riverside, IL | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim I breathe every 2,3, or 4 strokes...depending on the situation. Most of the time, I breathe every 4th stroke on my left. But...if the sun is in my eyes on that side, I will switch to bilateral just to give my eyes a break (and yes, I do wear tinted goggles but bright sun bothers my eyes). I will also switch to breathing every 2 strokes, the closer I get to the wall, simply because it helps me judge the distance to the wall and gives me a little more oxygen, if I'm doing flipturns. |
| 2009-07-30 4:51 PM in reply to: #2317961 |
| Regular 59 | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim bel83 - 2009-07-30 2:41 PM I breath every 2, 3, or 4 depending on conditions, number of people around me, current/sighting issues, and how hard I am pushing it over a distance piece. I usually use 4 for my long slow pieces in open water (occassionally the pool) when I am the only one around. I use 3 almost anytime and generall just throw them in to practice bilateral breathing and I use every two when I am doing any sort of speed work or intervals where I need the extra oxygen. My way is probably not the best in the world but it is how I do it and it works for me. This is actually very similar to my approach. When I was a competitive swimmer in high school I always took a breath every 4 strokes in a race. That worked well for short, all out sprints; very different from triathlons. Now I don't use the 4 count very often. I've found that any time I'm swimming hard (basically any race situation or interval work) I breath every two strokes to get enough oxygen so that I don't tire out too quickly. General pool work I breathe on 3 so that I'm comfortable with bilateral breathing, and I'll use it periodically in a race or OWS practice to help with sighting. |
| 2009-07-30 6:29 PM in reply to: #2317861 |
Bob 2194 Binghamton, NY | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim Every stroke on the left. There has never been a time (waves, wind, sun, etc) that I have "needed" to breathe on the right. Being an ENDURANCE athlete that uses AEROBIC energy, OXYGEN is generally a good thing. Breathing more often gives your body more oxygen. I recommend staying relaxed and breathing as often as you can to get your best performance. But that's just my $.02. Let's see what the "real" swimmers have to say. |
| 2009-07-30 6:31 PM in reply to: #2318386 |
| Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim rstocks3 - 2009-07-30 4:29 PM Every stroke on the left. There has never been a time (waves, wind, sun, etc) that I have "needed" to breathe on the right. Being an ENDURANCE athlete that uses AEROBIC energy, OXYGEN is generally a good thing. Breathing more often gives your body more oxygen. I recommend staying relaxed and breathing as often as you can to get your best performance. But that's just my $.02. Let's see what the "real" swimmers have to say. sez the 53 minute IM swimmer |
| 2009-07-30 6:35 PM in reply to: #2318387 |
Bob 2194 Binghamton, NY | Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim ChrisM - 2009-07-30 7:31 PM rstocks3 - 2009-07-30 4:29 PM Every stroke on the left. There has never been a time (waves, wind, sun, etc) that I have "needed" to breathe on the right. Being an ENDURANCE athlete that uses AEROBIC energy, OXYGEN is generally a good thing. Breathing more often gives your body more oxygen. I recommend staying relaxed and breathing as often as you can to get your best performance. But that's just my $.02. Let's see what the "real" swimmers have to say. sez the 53 minute IM swimmer LOL! That was all about drafting. I was breathing every stroke though. |
| 2009-07-30 6:50 PM in reply to: #2318390 |
| Subject: RE: Breathing During the Swim rstocks3 - 2009-07-30 4:35 PM ChrisM - 2009-07-30 7:31 PM rstocks3 - 2009-07-30 4:29 PM Every stroke on the left. There has never been a time (waves, wind, sun, etc) that I have "needed" to breathe on the right. Being an ENDURANCE athlete that uses AEROBIC energy, OXYGEN is generally a good thing. Breathing more often gives your body more oxygen. I recommend staying relaxed and breathing as often as you can to get your best performance. But that's just my $.02. Let's see what the "real" swimmers have to say. sez the 53 minute IM swimmer LOL! That was all about drafting. I was breathing every stroke though. heh, yeah, I draft and breath every stroke too!  |
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