Thankyou for this advice, I had my first session after trying this and it made a huge difference, much appreciated
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You’ve hit on an issue with breathing every 3. You need more air for longer and/or faster efforts. I would suggest 1 of 3 things for your breathing:
- breathe every 2 on your dominant side
- breathe every 2 but switch sides after each 25 or 50
- breathe on a 2/2/3 pattern
You’ll stay a lot fresher on the longer efforts by breathing more often than every 3.
I started doing this last May or so, 16 years after taking up my AOS swimming. Made it easier to swim with a bit more force. If I only breathe to one side, I tend to feel like I’m hyperventillating on my right side (unless it’s my all out sprint), and like I’m sinking and can’t get enough air on my left side. Either side, if I only breathe that way I feel lost, like I can no longer tell if I’m on a straight trajectory. I need to do every 3 or 2/2/3 or I feel like I have no idea where I am. I now use this as a pacing strategy: every 3 on a recovery effort, 2/2/3 on firm efforts, 2 (to right) for all out 25’s or 50’s.
That’s terrific! Glad it helped. Breathing every 3 or 5 does have it’s place…for me, it’s good training for when you miss a breath in a race due to contact, waves, etc…
I wonder why you feel like you’re hyperventilating on your right side. To me, it’s a normal in/out breathing pattern…very rhythmic. I’m not taking in a big gulp of air…just enough to get me to the next breath after a steady exhale. Either way, whatever works for you keep doing.
Regarding keeping a straight path…I’m assuming you’re talking about open water races/swimming. If you tend to veer you’ll need to sight a bit more. My coach has us do sighting drills where we will swim 5-7 strokes, sight on a breathing stroke (by looking forward just enough to get a quick picture “alligator eyes” then immediately turn for the breath)…and repeat. She calls it alligator eyes because you’re only raising your head to where your eyes are above the waterline.
I’m similar to you on breathing patterns. I’ll swim every 2 or use a 2/2/4 pattern depending on distance and fatigue. I know, I should probably go with 2/2/3 but the 2/2/4 feels comfortable to me. All out 25s are usually 1 to 2 breaths depending on how fresh I feel. All out 50s are usually 3 breaths per 25.
Week 7 please and thank you
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Week 7 please and thank you
it’s up there. went up there yesterday.
Strange…I’m only seeing week 6
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Post a link maybe? Home computer and my phone are stuck on week 6. Thanks!
It’s on the front page. Click the Sun logo. Or, here’s the direct link.
Thanks, I was looking in the training section under swimming, my bad
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Regarding this one, thanks for the tip! I heard this from another swimmer at the last OWS I did last season and this is a great reminder.
… She calls it alligator eyes because you’re only raising your head to where your eyes are above the waterline.
Regarding this part…
I wonder why you feel like you’re hyperventilating on your right side. To me, it’s a normal in/out breathing pattern…very rhythmic…
I’d love to go more in depth with someone who has a good understanding of physiology because my response is not short, and while I want input I’m afraid it might be more than you’re really asking to provide. So if you’re game, I can PM you further details.
Sent you a pm.
I’ve been swimming with the TYR ankle buoy for a few weeks now. At what point should I try swimming with my ankles bound (w/out flotation)? I find it fairly easy to the drills with the bound/floated ankles at this point. (Note: I am only on week 5) When I swim regularly, I am still concentrating hard NOT to splay my feet when I breathe!
Second question, as for breathing, I inhale thru my mouth, but I think I exhale underwater both thru my nose and my mouth. Is it better to only exhale thru my nose? The latter is probably safest when using the snorkel, but I’m not sure if it matters so much for regular swimming?
Thanks!
If you can swim with banded legs (no flotation) you are on the way to becoming an all star! It’s not easy but this guy makes it look so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpXgRyc6r1U
It requires good lower back/glute strength, higher turnover and a bit of a catch-up style stroke. It gets more difficult the more you breathe. Try a set of 4x25 to get started. It gets a bit easier the more you practice it.
I don’t know if there’s a right way or wrong way to exhale. The experts on here might have a different take, but I do/have done it both ways. Some might advocate exhaling through your nose since it’s consistent with how you should exhale on a flip turn. Personally, I don’t have a problem remembering to exhale through my nose on a flip turn…it only takes one nose full of chlorine to let you know the “wrong” way!
JoelO, I think it was you, so youre getting the credit:) You were saying that you felt you were kicking the best when you could feel the water between your toes. I’ve been focusing on that during the kick sets and it seems that I have to almost completely relax my feet but finally am feeling what you described and it definitely has made my kick stronger and me faster
Thanks, but I think it was tallswimmer that talked about that…it’s a great tip!
I might have said something along the lines of having loose ankles. If you’re interested, Gary Hall Sr. shows some drills in this swimisode to work on ankle flexibility.
Dan,
Please would you post the workouts of week 8 as soon as possible.
I plan to do the first workout tomorrow, Monday morning 6 o´clock and I am UTC +1.
Thank you!!!
Bastri
Hi
Very much enjoying the Guppy Workouts again.
I’m feeling very good about my improvements in the Horizontal & Vertical planes.
I am though struggling with the EVF drills - i guess its highlighting a weakness because when I really focus on it, my arms feel dead after only 100-200M. Guess they’re working harder than they ever have…
Is there anything outside the pool I can do to get stronger so this improves quickly. or is it just a case of tough it out?
Dan’s busy in LV. Here’s last year’s workout which, if he follows pattern, will be the same this year: http://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Beginners/Guppy_Challenge_Week_8_6179.html
Google’s your friend. If you need the next two use the following search (no quotes): “site:slowtwitch.com guppy challenge 9” Replace 9 with 10 for the last workout.
davidwilcock and bearlyfinish,
I too struggle with improving time. I’ve come to the conclusion that if you can’t make it faster, try to make it easier. And always use the excuse that “I swim slow to take time to enjoy the underwater scenery” and “my physique is more of a barge than a fish” :-p
Just started triathlon and “learning” to freestyle three years ago. Each year was something gained to make it “easier” and more enjoyable. Year one was just going from near exhaustion for one lap, to exhausted after 1500 m. Year two was picking up how important body rotation was - the TechTock swim tool and “swimming on your side” drills helped. That’s when swimming started to feel easier - funner.
This year is finally breaking into three stroke breathing and feeling comfortable with it. One suggestion would be to keep doing three stroke until you’re tired enough that you feel you need that extra breath, drop into two stroke for one or two, and then go back to three stroke. Another instance is when you feel like your legs are sinking, or you feel your form deteriorating. I think of it as “resetting the stroke” until you can relax your breathing again, and go back at it with three stroke.
More big lessons learned were from here on Guppy Challenge. This week’s statement of “swim downhill” - get that head down in the water looking down. It “feels” like less effort is being needed to move. And another is just how important that kick is. A coach has suggested limit the distance between your feet to 6 inches. I’m starting to feel some gains from this and just need to get the right “rythym” of 2 - 6 kicks per stroke. Yesterday’s kick session tried using this for the kick drill and sped the feet up - like a propeller. It seemed faster - well at least too fast to be able to count the tiles on the bottom of the pool :-p.
Also, try your kick drills w/o fins using a center snorkel instead of a kick board. You get more of a “feel” of what kick should really be like while freestyle swimming.
These are just things I’m learning - but the coaches can give you even better direction.
I’m just hoping the lessons learned this year can allow a comfortable 2.4 mile swim taking on some underwater scenery @ #IMLOU 