[/quote]After years of protest I have finally taken to incorporating flip turns into my training. About 3 months into this and I am still dying for oxygen on my breakout stroke and late in sets find the desire to break my breathing pattern to get an extra gulp of oxygen before the wall.
is this a case of HTFU and comfort will come with time and practice?
or,
does anyone have any drills, tips, tricks to more quickly get comfortable with the shift in breath timing when transitioning from open turns to flip turns?[/quote]
Ok, I am not a PRO swimmer nor was a national level swimmer when younger. But I have been swimming for the last 40 years more or less. On my credentials I have always swim under 50' in IM (low 50's in Kona), and last year I PB at the 1500m LC with 18:00.
On my experience, the breathing technic has nothing to do with "holding" your breath (apnea), but instead finding a rithm that allows your arm's cadence be in phase with your normal under-effort breathing rithm. What I mean is that when your mouth is out of the water you should be inhaling, and when it is underwater, exhaling (so when your mouth breaks the surface you are ready to inhale again). It is kind of similar as when lifting weights: you don't hold your breath (maybe for a very few seconds), but rather maintain a breathing pattern that allows you to perform the task.
Regarthing the especifics of the flip turn, just take a last deep in-breath before the last arm stroke (easing that stroke), hold the breath like when doing a flip on the ground, and then start releasing the air as you move away from the wall and up to the surface. Do not try fancy dolphing kicks or nothing, just point to the surface as you are releasing air. Then retake your breathing-stroke pattern.
STRAVA INSTAGRAM
is this a case of HTFU and comfort will come with time and practice?
or,
does anyone have any drills, tips, tricks to more quickly get comfortable with the shift in breath timing when transitioning from open turns to flip turns?[/quote]
Ok, I am not a PRO swimmer nor was a national level swimmer when younger. But I have been swimming for the last 40 years more or less. On my credentials I have always swim under 50' in IM (low 50's in Kona), and last year I PB at the 1500m LC with 18:00.
On my experience, the breathing technic has nothing to do with "holding" your breath (apnea), but instead finding a rithm that allows your arm's cadence be in phase with your normal under-effort breathing rithm. What I mean is that when your mouth is out of the water you should be inhaling, and when it is underwater, exhaling (so when your mouth breaks the surface you are ready to inhale again). It is kind of similar as when lifting weights: you don't hold your breath (maybe for a very few seconds), but rather maintain a breathing pattern that allows you to perform the task.
Regarthing the especifics of the flip turn, just take a last deep in-breath before the last arm stroke (easing that stroke), hold the breath like when doing a flip on the ground, and then start releasing the air as you move away from the wall and up to the surface. Do not try fancy dolphing kicks or nothing, just point to the surface as you are releasing air. Then retake your breathing-stroke pattern.
STRAVA INSTAGRAM