Swimming workouts...breaks or no breaks?

Are you swimming so fast/hard that you can't breathe after 50/75 yards freestyle? You need to slow down. Or, if you're working up to swimming a certain sprint distance, like 500 meters, you'll want to keep working on fitness until you can do the whole distance without stopping, although I did my first race all breast stroke. That said, it's much easier if you can use freestyle the whole way.

If you are just starting to swim and can only do 50 yrds before you need to take a break I would say take a break.  Front crawl is by far the best way to swim a tri so you mid as well work on good form even if that means taking a break.  Just my 2 cents.  I am not a great swimmer but I started swimming just over a 1 year ago and could only swim 25 meters without stopping literally.  My first attempt to swim I did 4 lengths of a 25 meter pool with about minute break, 6months later I could swim 2 miles without stopping and never did the breast stroke when learning.  For me I did not feel like I was even moving, could not figure out the kick.

I'm somewhat of a masochist, so if I feel myself getting tired before I'm supposed to be through, I'll do my intended workout, but just slow way down and focus on technique instead of getting tired and sloppy at a faster pace. If you're getting winded, slow down and see if that makes a difference. If you're still getting tired, take a rest.

It sounds like you need to work on your technique (like most people do). If you can improve your technique, your distance will increase dramatically and quickly. A lot of people use the book/dvd Total Immersion for technique training. Getting good lessons will do the same thing.

As you work on technique, you'll take breaks so your form doesn't break down. As someone else said, front crawl is much easier. Breast stroke is good for breathing and sighting, but in an open water swim, you kick everyone around you. I tried backstroke in an open water swim and just went in circles. So, the goal, in my opinion, is learn good technique on front crawl and swim the entire distance that way.

Well, my swim workouts are all different.

Some days I'll do 5, 100's with 15 second rests in between each 100. Other days I might do 5, 200's with 1 minute rests in between each 200.

I rest according to what my workout says and how long it says I'm allowed to rest. If my rest break is only 15 seconds, then I go when 15 seconds are up if I'm ready or not.

Otherwise, I also do sets that have "recovery" built into them. I might do a 200... 50 slow, 100 fast, 50 slow. The slow is... SLOW to allow me to recover while swimming and to catch my breath.

Oh I know I need to work on my form and I am going to get some swim lesssons now that my rib has healed up. As I was swimming this evening I realized that my issue really is in my breathing I think. I can't seem to get my entire breath out no matter how large or small of a breath I take.

To be honest, I just want to get through the swim part and I will do it in whatever manner I have to. I plan on focusing on my swim during the winter. I can keep swimming with alternating between my version of the breast stroke and freestyle and I can get it done in about 20-25 minutes. I realize this will be close to the last one out of the water, but that's ok.

Thanks for the answers folks.

I'd say add variety - if you do 3 swims per week, use one for technique and drills, use one as "continuous. slow F/c to see how far you can go" and the other maybe to speed it up on shorter distances and have rest breaks between.

Edited by jackjack 2007-06-26 7:54 PM

ummmmm...... what is "front crawl" ?

Breast stroke is like doggy-paddle, right?

jeeeez - just when I think I'm starting to know some of this stuff, y'all throw something new at me

Front crawl is what some think of as free style. On your belly with arms moving kind of like a windmill - one arm moving forward above the water as the other is underwater pusing back.. The traditional swim stroke.

Breast stroke is where your head stays out of the water most of the time, and you reach out with both arms at once then pull them back and out to the sides. Bigger stroke than a doggie paddle, but there are some similarities in body position.

I've never tried to describe these before. It's difficult.

Do a search on youtube. They'll have video of both.