General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Can't get breathing technique right..... Rss Feed  
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2014-07-31 10:24 AM


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Subject: Can't get breathing technique right.....
Hi all.

I have just returned from a pool session. I felt like I had to come on here as I am getting more and more frustrated with my swimming! :-(

What I can't get my head round is; When I run, I find a rhythm. My breathing falls into this rhythm and I get to a point where I reach a peak HR and plateau at that level. I am the same with cycling. The thing is, when I am doing freestyle in the pool, no matter how hard I concentrate on my technique, I find myself length by length, gradually getting more and more out of breath. My HR does not plateau, it just keeps increasing until I have to stop and take a breather.

I am training for my first tri and I am worried about the lack of improvement in this area. ANY help/advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Tom


2014-07-31 10:39 AM
in reply to: Bailey1177

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Expert
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Subject: RE: Can't get breathing technique right.....

 

Have you tried different intervals to breath at? I used to breathe every third stroke, alternating sides I would take the breath on. This year I changed that to every 4th stroke for long distance stuff. When I am working hard or sprinting I will go back to every 3rd or even every 2nd. Try some different intervals and see what that does.

Another thing that can cause problems is not expelling all the air you took in from your last breath. Beginners especially can tend to hold in too much air, so you keep breathing but never push all the air you already had out, slowly your lungs start to fill until you can add enough new air to maintain the effort. I breathe out hard through my mouth while my face is in the water, I try to get most of the air out so I can get a good full breath next time I breathe. Try pushing more air out next time and see if you don't get a more full breath and can maintain the effort a little better. 

2014-07-31 10:39 AM
in reply to: Bailey1177


55
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Downingtown , Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Can't get breathing technique right.....
Hi Tom,

I am by no means an expert but I can share my experience with you. I am completely self-taught (with the help of some online resources). For me, the key is relaxing throughout the entire swim. If you are getting winded it's probably because you are subconsciously tensing up and not taking deep enough breaths. By way of example, when I'm out running I sometime catch myself tensing my shoulders up. If I do it for too long I will begin to develop some cramping or whatever. I have to consciously remind myself to relax and drop my shoulders.

I've basically found the same thing with swimming. Focusing too much on form can cause me to forget to relax and breath. If I feel myself getting winded or sometimes I even start to develop a headache from hypoxia, I have to consiously remember to increase my roll a little more to make sure I am taking more of an extended breath each stroke.

Just some thoughts. Best of luck.

Todd
2014-07-31 10:42 AM
in reply to: Bailey1177

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Subject: RE: Can't get breathing technique right.....

Hi Tom.  Welcome to BT!

Have you had any lessons or tried to find an experieced coach/swimmer take a look at what you are doing?  Trying to focus on form without having a good baseline as to what good form is really like, is one of the most challeneging things about learning how to swim.  What you describe is very similar to what many first-time triathletes find when they begin swimming.  It's the exact reason I originally found BT myself 10 years ago.  Persistence will eventually pay off, but I ended up getting a few lessons from someone at my Y to give me some confidence that I was heading in the right direction.  You can do it on your own if you are diligent, but getting some outside help will accelerate the process.

2014-07-31 12:09 PM
in reply to: Bailey1177

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Subject: RE: Can't get breathing technique right.....
Tom as a fishie let me offer some advice accepting that I can't see your stroke. First watch the pace of your kick. I most cases if you can't find a rhythm you are kicking to fast. The first purpose for your kick is to establish form and rhythm. Propulsion is secondary.

Second, find a breathing pattern that is comfortable. If its only on one side, fine. If it's every stroke on that one side, fine. Form and rhythm are crucial if you are going to make improvements in the water. That trumps bilateral breathing, strength and conditioning. Those thing will come quite easily once you have mastered the form & rhythm.

Finally as has been suggested, relax. Don't worry about speed. Slow down and try to not over think it.

BTW - as adept as I am in the water is how bad I am on the run. On my first tri due to bad water conditions they cancelled the swim and subbed a run. I finished that first run next to last. Not in my age group, overall. It was pitiful. But I went in to t with two goals for my first event (1) finish which I did 6th of 9 in my AG and (2) HAVE FUN, which I did in spades.

Don't worry about the race, just have fun and you will be fine.


2014-08-01 10:16 PM
in reply to: Stuartap

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Groton, New York
Subject: RE: Can't get breathing technique right.....
I read some of the responses and everyone has opinions, but let me just start off by saying that I was having the same exact problems you are, except mine was so bad that I had to stop after only two pool lengths. What helped me? My wife got me a 90 minute private lesson with our local Total Immersion swim coach. In that 90 minutes, he completely retaught me how to swim. I was doing it all wrong. I was reaching and pulling...I was kicking like crazy..it was all wrong. During the lesson I learned how to let my body float completely relaxed in the water, as opposed to using muscle energy to keep my body out-of-balance. I learned to raise my arms and use gravity to plunge my arms into the water and THEN pull. He video taped the whole lesson, including video taping himself as a reference and video taping me before and after the lesson. Just at the end of 90 minutes I found was using a lot less energy in the pool and going just as fast, if not faster. After a couple of weeks of practice in the pool it all clicked for me. I suddenly found that rhythm with my breathing. I first had to relax. I had to learn to avoid the kicking. You really don't get much moment from the kick...but they are the largest muscles so they suck up the oxygen when you use them. I really only need to kick three of four times between strokes and then, only really to help in rotation of the body. As a result, you use less oxygen and your legs are fresh after the swim for the bike and run. I also learned that I shouldn't force myself into a breathing rhythm, but rather breath when I need to and eventually once my heart rate is up, I find that I can get into a consistent breathing rhythm. Even now I find it takes me about 10 minutes of swimming laps before I set into a consistent rhythm of every other stroke, bilateral breathing. To make a long story short, after about two months in the pool, I went from being only able to swim 2 pool lengths nonstop, to being able to swim for an hour and a half , 2.4 miles, ~170 pool lengths nonstop. I can't tell you how exciting that was. I would recommend lessons, or at least A lesson in total immersion. I think it will really help you out.


2014-08-01 11:18 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Can't get breathing technique right.....

My first tri training, an olympic, still remains vivid as far as the swim training.  There is one question that upon skimming this, nobody seems to have asked...how long have you been swim training?  If you are starting from scratch, this may take many, many months to get breathing down.  Being in the pool 3-4x per week helps a lot too (two won't do it).  It just may take time.  Getting your lungs used to breathing takes time - it's totally unlike biking and running where you can breath anytime.  During that you will hit a few walls where you seem to not progress.  Just keep at it.  Switch your workouts up so nothing gets stale.  It honestly took me nearly a half a year to get comfortably with the 3/3 breathing pattern for an olympic...and I was training a lot during that time.

About 3 years ago,  ten years from my first tri, I made a conscious decision to train by breathing, not speed...gradually increasing my breathing pattern from 3/3 to 5/5 - even some 7/7's, and it has done wonders for me for rough water ocean swims - something now which I love (only as long as it warm water!).

It will get better.  Just be patient.

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