Working on my swimming
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jhudalla posted 23 weeks ago.
How do you plan to swim in a race? For me, in no way a strong swimmer though I can swim for hours, I spend a lot of time with my head up spotting and making sure I'm keeping a laser like focus on the next bouy(sp?). So I breath every other stroke, but no less. What's the sense in getting an o2 depleation, you'll just get tired faster... it's like running really hard. Your body is requiring more oxygen than you can supply.
Just my. 02, but what do I know, I write software...
Weary is the path that does not challenge.
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TryScott posted 23 weeks ago.
I've heard of a drill where you increase how many strokes you take between breaths by one every lap. The only reason for this drill that I can think of is to get used to waiting longer between each breath. I've only done this about 3 times, so I'm in no position to claim if it works, or how long it takes to notice a change.
My guess is that the people that can take 3-5 strokes before breathing is partly because their swimming technique is much more efficient than mine.
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trimas posted 23 weeks ago.
I'm in the same boat. I think its a matter of time and discipline. In the pool, I work on bilateral 3 breathing, extending lengths each session I'm there. I also work the extreme end with some bilateral 5 and 7 drills, but of course you can't do that for too long. You're trying to get your body adjusted to different oxygen levels while swimming. Given that, open water swimming is a different beast. You have to sight, "battle" other swimmers, and possibly battle lake conditions- BIG waves. B3 breathing might not be an option with those conditions. Be patient, keep working on breathing every 3 (or more) and be ready to adjust to mother nature.
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wmckean posted 23 weeks ago.
I see this mentioned all the time... Bilateral breathing is better. It allows you to site more effectively. It helps with your rotation and engaging your core, yada, yada, yada. I was watching the video feed from IM AZ. The three pros in the lead pack were all breathing every other stroke. Learning to breath on your weak side is a good skill to have. Waves may be slapping you in the face. Also, breathing 3-5-7-9 strokes will help to build your endurance. I would suspect that that is the ulterior motive.
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tri-ac posted 23 weeks ago.
TryScott wrote:
I've heard of a drill where you increase how many strokes you take between breaths by one every lap.
hypoxic drill
try it this way
first length breathe every right side stroke (or left, if you roll that way :) )
second, breathe every other right-side stroke
third, breathe every third right-side stroke
etc, up to seven strokes
if you want more, then start over, or work it backwards
you can throw this in just prior to your warm down
hmmmmm...hypoxia!
Adam
Tri-ac
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tri-ac posted 22 weeks ago.
just to be clear the hypoxic drill is all counted on your strong breathing side (not counting alternating strokes). I edited it above. And, it is purely for building your oxygen use efficiency (or, in a dumber way, the ability to hold your breath longer while exercising).
the alternating sides breathing drills are for the benefits you mention, sun or waves in your face, swim straight etc.
Adam
Tri-ac
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geochuck posted 22 weeks ago.
I can breathe both sides, you work on it. I only bilateral breathe while training and don't do too much of that. When I raced I breathe on one side only every stroke most of the time. I primarily breathe on the left side.
If I were bilateral breathing I would soon get tired.
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Ironmom posted 22 weeks ago.
Learning to breathe on both sides is a valuable skill, especially if you get in open-water conditions where wind or waves necessitate breathing to one side or the other. However, most of the fastest triathletes breathe every stroke in races. You simply get more oxygen that way, and decrease the likelihood of accumulating lactic acid in your muscles.
Personally, I breathe every stroke in any distance event. In a short event like a 50 or 100m freestyle, I can breathe much less frequently, but that's because it's over so fast and it doesn't matter if you blow past your lactic threshold.
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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callco posted 22 weeks ago.
I practice the bilateral in the pool. No doubt it's beneficial (swim straight, ability to breathe from either side, better balance, easier to concentrate on mechanics of the stroke, etc.). At first I could only do about 25m before I had to revert to breathing every other stroke. Now I'm up to about 200m. I think it's a meaningful exercise.
When I get in the chop (from wind, other swimmers, etc.), I breathe every other stroke (on the right, if I have the choice) because I never know if I'm going to miss out on the opportunity for air. If I take on water in one stroke cycle, I can typically hold out until the next stroke cycle to get another shot at some O2. If I breathe bilaterally, I get too oxygen deprived to wait, and my rhythm gets interrupted.
So I decided to work on breathing only every three strokes instead of every stroke like I was doing before. I am about 10 seconds faster per 50 yd but I can now only do about 200 yd together without resting. Breathing every stroke I could swim as long as I wanted without having to stop. Will this just get better with time or is there something I should do to speed the process.