I am an Age Group and Masters Swim Coach While I am very comfortable working with strong swimmers, sometimes I teach lessons to adults who want to do triathlons and are fairly new to swimming. Every so often, I find a swimmer who has problems breathing. I have already read previous discussions where breathing is a problem and all the suggestions recommend improving stroke technique. I am very aware of the benefits of TI and like to encorporate it whenever I can. I have a very fit runner who now has pretty good stroke technique but after 25 yards is too out of breath to continue. Being a life-long swimmer, and having 8 year old swimmers who can go 1000 yards without problems, I can't fathom how anyone can't "breathe". This sounds very basic but in order to get a good diagnosis, I will try to be very specific. He is exhaling slowly, continuously, and completely through his nose before he rolls to inhale through his mouth. I generally have him breath every 3 strokes, but sometimes vary it and nothing seems to help. Has anyone encountered this and if so, are there better drills than just simple bobs?
Parents
Former Member
It seems to me that becoming out of breath can have two causes:
1. conditioning, efficiency, and technique are such that the body is just using a huge amount of air.
2. technique is not allowing enough air from the act of breathing itself.
Some of what I'll say has been said already.
For the first cause, keep at it, let yourself get into shape. Learn to relax in the water so that tight muscles are not eating air and the torso (abdomen especially) is relaxed enough to allow the diaphram to expand. It is natural to tense up as a beginning swimmer, the water is not a natural place to be. Learn good body position so that uphill swimming is eliminated. Most triathletes have a fair amount of leg muscle, which sinks, so this is especially important.
For the second cause, breathe on one side, not every three armpulls. Even turn way on the side and get a big mouthful, almost in sidestroke position. Yes, this isn't great form, but I'd rather do this than have to keep stopping in a race, or not be able to make it to shore in a potential drowning situation.
Stefan, 14-15 is awesome. The fact that you're getting roughly half the amount of air you did before would seem to me to account for the difficulty you have going as far as before.
Swim fast,
Greg
It seems to me that becoming out of breath can have two causes:
1. conditioning, efficiency, and technique are such that the body is just using a huge amount of air.
2. technique is not allowing enough air from the act of breathing itself.
Some of what I'll say has been said already.
For the first cause, keep at it, let yourself get into shape. Learn to relax in the water so that tight muscles are not eating air and the torso (abdomen especially) is relaxed enough to allow the diaphram to expand. It is natural to tense up as a beginning swimmer, the water is not a natural place to be. Learn good body position so that uphill swimming is eliminated. Most triathletes have a fair amount of leg muscle, which sinks, so this is especially important.
For the second cause, breathe on one side, not every three armpulls. Even turn way on the side and get a big mouthful, almost in sidestroke position. Yes, this isn't great form, but I'd rather do this than have to keep stopping in a race, or not be able to make it to shore in a potential drowning situation.
Stefan, 14-15 is awesome. The fact that you're getting roughly half the amount of air you did before would seem to me to account for the difficulty you have going as far as before.
Swim fast,
Greg
