Over the past 6 months I have read all the normal tri freestyle books and taught myself to swim from scratch. Also, I’m currently enrolled in a tri 101 course that mostly focuses on swimming. As you’d expect from a beginner, my swimming has improved dramatically. I’d say that my technique needs some improvement but is basically sound.
My biggest issue is that I have no swim endurance. I can bike 150 miles without a problem so I’d think I could make it from one end of the pool to the next without issue. This is embarrassing but I seriously can’t do 50 meters without taking a 20 second breather. I have tried slowing down but this doesn’t seem to really help. I can easily do 2,000 meters a session but, like I stated before, I have to take breaks every 50m. My coach tells me everyone goes through this and I’ll be doing 1,500 meters in no time. Not very helpful advice but, hey, the class only cost $80.
I’m wondering if my problem has to do with the way I’m breathing but I don’t really know how to test this. Any suggestions?
I had the same problem when I started swimming about a year ago. I could never do more than 50 without having to stop.
So instead of stopping to take a break between each 50m (I also had no problem doing 2000m) I would do 50m freestyle, then 25m (or 50 even) backstroke or breaststroke (which is imo better as you will need to still practice breathing). Over time I was able to do 75 free/25 breast, then 100/25, and now I can’t even remember the last time I used breaststroke.
Could you start doing 75s instead of 50s? And work your way up little by little?
Currently breathing every two strokes. I feel like I have to push the air out quicker than natural to get ready for my next breath. This is part of the reason I’m wondering if my problem has to do with breathing. I feel fine as far as my body goes but I’m totally out of breath when I get to the end of the pool. Does this make sense?
My first tri (a HIM) was in July and I started seriously swimming in about Jan. I went about 1-2 times a week (with maybe 1500m-2000m volume per week) almost every week. I beleive by April or May I was able to do a full 2000m freestyle non-stop. If I had put some serious time into the pool I’m sure I would have gotten there a lot sooner (and been a lot faster!).
The most common cause of this is not being in a stable position when you take the breath, i.e. rather than rolling the entire body to get the breath, a lot of novice swimmers have a tendency to lift the head. You need to get real stable in a side-kicking position with the entire head under the water (ears etc), excepting a small circle around the tips of the lips and the nose.
The other limiting factor for a lot of novice swimmers is trying to hold a 6-beat kick for your endurance work. You need to learn a nice relaxed 2-4 beat kick to be comfortable over the long stuff.
I took three months off swimming after IMC. My first visit back to the pool a few weeks ago was quite humbling, as i had a hard time completing a 50 without being completely worn out. 2 1/2 weeks later, after swimming 3x/week, I’m back up in to 2100+ meters and I feel great. My goal is to be swimming 4000 1-2x/week (in addition to 1-2x shorter swims) by January to prepare for the 2007 season.
So my advice - swim often! And don’t take long breaks from swimming once you’ve gotten going.
To focus on endurance is it better to keep swimming regardless of the stroke I use or should I try to build slowly. Like in running many people claim to do the distance even if you have to walk part of the way. Is this the same with swimming or should I try to maintain form all along?
Also, the pool I used most often is only 25 m in length. I have to drive an extra 30 miles and pay to get to a 50 m pool. Is it worthwhile to swim in a 50m pool or does it matter?
My personal feeling is that a 50m pool is nice, but that sounds inconvenient enough to skip it. You don’t want to make going to the pool a chore, and driving 30 miles to swim would be a chore.
I think you hit on something with the whole if you’re too tired to run, walk thing.
I mean triathlon is an endurance sport so you have to do the miles. However, on the flip-side, swimming is very much a technique sport and you can seriously screw up technique with a lot of tired swimming.
So, in the same way that when you’re too tired to run with good form you walk, when you’re too tired to swim with good form, break down to a drill (focusing on just one aspect of technique) if you’re too tired to hold form with that, go to buoy with a snorkel so you don’t have to focus on breathing, or backstroke, or if too tired for that, go to kicking on a board, or go to breaststroke for a couple of laps
So long as, whatever you’re doing, your doing with good form, I think it all benefits your endurance, it’s more fun, and it makes you a better all-around aquatic athlete.
This is all great advice. And here I was expecting lots of smart @ss comments (like the kind I occassionally throw out). I truly appreciate everyone’s input.
Nobody’s mentioned this so far and I don’t know whether you already know so it may be redundant - you’re supposed to exhale while swimming (ie face still in the water) so that when you “breathe” all you are really doing is inhaling. if you’re not doing this that would be why the breath feels rushed. try blowing bubbles out your nose the whole time you’re swimming.
If that isn’t the issue just force yourself to go past 50m. You won’t explode.
I think trigeek has several valid points. I would like to raise some other possibilities to consider.
Panic. If you are a late to life swimmer, many adults are just not comfortable with having their face in the water for extended periods of time. You may just be experiencing a low level anxiety that pushes your heart rate and need for respiration up. Take some time to play in the water, especially deep water. Make sure you know your body orientation and can control it. When you feel secure with control in any position, you will start to relax more. I used to recommend a short stint with a synchronized swimming club for some of my new adult swimmers to get them so they could really feel comfortable moving in the water. Give it a try - it is harder than you think. Make sure you exhale fully before taking your breath. You may be trying to exhale and inhale in your breathing phase. Breathing should feel relaxed, like you would do in yoga. What have you done for your upper body lately? You are strong in the bike and run - but swimming is an upper body intensive workout. You may have an ok technique, but still be fighting for power and propulsion. Some strength training may be in order. The 20 second rest is not only for your lungs, but your muscles as well. So if your triceps are burning our your trapezius is flagging, you will tire quickly as you progressively lose forward propulsion.
These are only guesses, and other things you may wish to look at. These suggestions come from teaching adults who just want to learn swimming basics, not triathletes.
Nobody’s mentioned this so far and I don’t know whether you already know so it may be redundant - you’re supposed to exhale while swimming (ie face still in the water) so that when you “breathe” all you are really doing is inhaling. if you’re not doing this that would be why the breath feels rushed.
Great advice - this seems to be the most common reason for people to be “out of breath” at the end of a 25 or 50 assuming they are otherwise reasonably relaxed and not sprinting/flailing, and it’s fairly easy to correct. As soon as you turn back into the water, you should be breathing out (slow enough so you aren’t totally done until your next breath). Never explicitly hold your breath.