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 