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Swimming.. how many strokes per breath?
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I agree with Nick (Oh I had to say that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I dont think I could do bi-thingy, I would just feel like Im tippling over balance wise.
Well done, Nick, I would love to do 1k in 20 mins..... to give you an idea as to how you arent a plodder... I do 1k in about 26 minutes. (there I have shamed myself). I bet Im slower than anyone else in the whole wide world. But then I do a steady hours swim to sort my arms and non-existant core out. (trying to make an excuse now)
Bet you can do it if you want Water Vole. It's entirely up to you if you want to or not of course.
When I started swimming again I could only breath on one side. To do it on the other felt like trying to write with my left hand, or bat in cricket left-handed - totally wierd and unnatural. Only the consequences were much worse - I just ended up swallowing a mouthful of water, coughing and spluttering, failing to get any breath properly, and generally feeling like I was about to drown.
I built up by forcing myself to do it to be able to complete a length. In truth this was probably not gaining anything useful from my breath on that side, but just about getting enough air in and out on my other side, and coping with the rubbish from my weak side. I found it less intimidating doing this heading towards the shallow end!
Then I gradually started dropping in lengths swum bi-laterally into a normal swim - i.e. most lengths every 2, but maybe one of every 3 every 10 lengths or so.
I then tried to do 2 bilateral lengths together, and then drop these into a normal swim.
I can still remember the day when I set off, survived 3 lengths of bilateral, and just decided, "sod it, if I can 3, I can keep going" and did 40 lengths of it! I felt so proud of myself. Immediately I did it, I found my stroke seemed smoother and more efficient - taking me less strokes to swim a length. Now it feels really wierd and unnatural not to do it.
You don't have to swim bilaterally, some say you can't get enough oxygen for racing, esp. in OW, but you can do it if you want to.
Hi Claret (are you a West Ham supporter or Villa or Burnley?)
I was thinking exactly the same as you said, when I went swimming yesterday. Yes, I could do it. And funnily enough, your technique of just doing a bit (v badly) then getting better, than just sodding it and going off, that is what I did when I taught myself front crawl.
So, yes, I think I will try it. I originally started forn crawl by doing the last 5m of a length in front crawl, and extended it slowly, so I think I will start on that next week.
Thank you for your help.
I also feel that doing an uneven number of strokes per length.... whether its 3 or 5... must surely help with the core, in than you are moving the body that little bit differently when you have the "breath stroke", so training it a little differently too.
The speed stuff makes me chuckle. I go to a swim club on a saturday morning. I'm in the second slowest lane.
Typically I'm one of the fastest swimmers (in my lane)......when doing front crawl. As soon as they do breaststroke, backcrawl or any form of kicks I am the slowest in the lane. Moving from the front to the back of the pecking order. When we do sets with multiple strokes in I can lose 5m. in one length (25m pool) on breast stroke and make it back on the front crawl to lose it again on back stroke.
So I'm a plodder and speedster at the same time.
meface
Exiled Claret, thats exactley how I taught myself to bi-lterally breath. I suspect my technique is still full of errors and realy must get myself along to a tri-club for some coaching but for anybody thinking of trying it or have done and struggled its worth the effort. I'm much more consistent with my times, feels easier in general and swim in much straighter lins and undoubtedly linked to that sighting is much easier.
Next thing to master is left only breathing just so I have that option for possible future sea swim.
Hi, WV
Glad you are giving it a go. Good luck - let us know how you get on. It might be an idea to book a couple of sessions with a swimming teacher if you're not confident about it.
It's Burnley by the way, so another season back in the Championship for us (mind you I'm not too disheartened - we're a lot better off financially, and seeing them in the Premiership was just something I had never thought possible, when I used to watch them in the old 4th division).
Hi Claret
I can only empathise with you.... I am a Man City fan. Over the years I have seen them (firstly) do very well in the old 1st division. Then the awful years of the early 90's, when we went down 2 divisions (they were truly awful), and then yo-yo-ing up and down, then struggling (under Staurt Pearce, bless him) to stay up.
Now look at us. Buying anything that moves.
I suppose Im old fashioned. I supported City, even though I was born and lived in Old Trafford. They were always the under dog, living under the Shadow of you-know-who. What beckons now? Lots of "fans", success perhaps after all these decades.
But I really would prefer us to go back to what we were. After all, if Id wanted a good team, I had every right to support Utd, being born about a mile from the ground. No, I supported City because they did, for me, mean a football always tryoing to do their best but up aginst the wall when it came to success. Now we just buy it (or not, lets wait and see)
I felt Burnley did a sterling job last year. Owen Coyle obviously was a huge part of that success. I only hope that they at least stabilise this season and dont go the way of clubs of say Derby and Crystal Palace. And of course, Burnley did beat Utd, so they are OK with me!
Heres me twittering on about footie. Yes, swimming. Im definitely going to go for the 3 or 5 strokes. No doubt I will be drowned and swallow half the pool, but I will do it now. Ive enjoyed having good advice from some truly good swimmers, so many thanks to All.
I actually used to follow Man City - we used to live in Greater Manchester. My dad taught in Manchester and every so often the school used to get free tickets. After my dad died, one of his colleagues (who got the tickets) used to take me on as a footie mad nipper. Still remember being on when they beat Norwich 6-0 in the cup, Trevor Francis's debut and being devastated when halifax knocked them out of the cup.
However, we then moved to Burnley (where both parents had come from) and then I saw the light and realised what real football was!!!
I do still look out for City's result though, and retain a fondness for them.
I'd definitely not consider myself a truly good swimmer, but I am quite a bit better than I used to be.
I think fondness is the right word. How many times have we lived through disappointment and let down?
I suppose its better than being an England supporter though.
(PS Any one who does tri MUST be good) (Im just a not-very-good runner)
(PPS and back to the thread, off swimming tomorrow, alreayd pscyhing myself up to swallow half the pool.)
Water Vole - I quickly picked up breathing on both sides. Probably about two sessions before it felt anything like natural then I just kept persevering with it.
I am exceptionally slow. I did 800m in 22 mins in a Tri.
Orange, so how many strokes per breath do you prefer?
I think 22 mins is v good, as you then had to go onto a bike and then run after that too. I swim and then finish.......
nnnooooooooo........ dont tempt me........ Im a runner....... not a tri...........
I do like those little pirate things though.... arent they just for tri's?
Im with you on this parkbench (I hope your name doesnt refer to any unfortunate incident). Not sorted yesterday.
I tried yesterday, and whereas when I breathe out on the right, everything is smooth and gliding through the water, it was the opposite when I tried from the left. My shoulder and arm just seemd to chop down on the water, and it even felt like my chest chopped down too. My balance was right out of sync and I didnt feel comfortable at all.
Normally I pride myself on going through the water quite stealthily, albeit not quickly, but using my LH side, I was choppy, splashy and, basically, rubbish.
Will it get better? Am I being impatient?
Hi Vole
I taught myself bilateral breathing not long ago and felt like I was sinking on the left when I first tried but I persisted and now it's fine at every 3 breaths. Keep with it.
oooh just seen this thread, i do every 5, all the time, sprints, long swims, everything, i guess by the advice here if i'm to increase my speed i need to step back to every 3, particulalry for the sprint workouts? I'm doing 2 miles in just under 1 hr at the mo which I didn't think was such bad going? I so need to get me a blinkin book, this triathlon stuff is complicated
The bit i struggle with all the time is the kicking, i really need to do some 121 lessons.
Most triathletes hardly bother kicking as you want to save your legs for the bike and the run. They just use a small kick for balance.
Which I suppose I'll continue to do. I did my first OW Tri yesterday and did mainly BS. I was one of the slowest but the last out of the water. Infact it was shallow in places and I think some were walking it !!
I did that in my 400m badge....
I enjoyed (well I say enjoyed, I never really enjoy OW) swimming at Manley.
Mainly because everyone from Chester Tri were so darn nice.
They were nice on Sunday
It is very similar to Three Sisters where I've been going in Wigan. Less foliage though.