How often do you breathe in an open water triathlon swim versus a 1500 meter race in the pool? I recently watched the professional San Diego ITU triathlon and noticed that the athletes tend to breathe quite frequently. Is this the norm? Am I putting myself at a disadvantage by not breathing as frequently?
Can you view www.usms.org/.../articledisplay.php ?
I read it last week and in doing so found out a crucial mistake I didn't realize I was making , and with fixing made a profound improvement. I am learning to keep my head within my axis, which was creating drag and causing an imbalance. It also forces me to rotate my entire body as one solid craft. (Thank you Emmett, for the article!)
The problem is you have to lift your head to sight. How often do good OW swimmers lift their heads to sight? I find it very hard to swim straight without a black line on the bottom of the pool to follow.
The problem is you have to lift your head to sight. How often do good OW swimmers lift their heads to sight? I find it very hard to swim straight without a black line on the bottom of the pool to follow.
Secret Tip – Head Position (2of2)
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Elite open water and 1500m swimmers pretty much all breath once per cycle (every two strokes). They can breath efficiently enough that the air helps them more than keeping their head down. Even some top 100m swimmers breath every cycle. If breathing every cycle slows you down you can probably improve your technique.
Can you view www.usms.org/.../articledisplay.php ?
I read it last week and in doing so found out a crucial mistake I didn't realize I was making , and with fixing made a profound improvement. I am learning to keep my head within my axis, which was creating drag and causing an imbalance. It also forces me to rotate my entire body as one solid craft. (Thank you Emmett, for the article!)
That is a good article. I think I will literally draw a 2" red dot on one of my old swim caps and have my coach watch me swim to see if is visible when I breathe. I think I have good "risky" breathing skills, but I could be dead wrong. :D
The problem is you have to lift your head to sight. How often do good OW swimmers lift their heads to sight?
Depends on the length of the race, and the situation.
For example in a one mile open water swim if someone is swimming in an aggressive pack, you'll see them sight every 6 armstrokes (3 cycles). You'll also see them sight more often as turns get closer and if the course has lots of turns in it.
On longer, unescorted swims, something like a 5k or 10k if drafting is not an issue, then up to every 20 strokes or ten cycles.
If you are trying to stay with someone and draft then you need to sight more often make sure you are staying with the pack. Also you need to know if the person your are right behind is keeping contact with the pack as well, if he loses contact, then you just lost contact as well.
How often do you breathe in an open water triathlon swim versus a 1500 meter race in the pool?
Breathe every 2
Is this the norm?
YES
Am I putting myself at a disadvantage by not breathing as frequently?
YES
