I started swimming again in April this year (I have not competed in over 22 years), so far I'm doing pretty well and I'm down to 29sec for a 50 free- but my stamina is sill lacking- I'm finding my breathing may be a big part of it. Jan of 2005 I lost everything on my left side due to a massive stroke, 6 weeks later I had multiple strokes hit the opposite side of my brain which impacting my smell, taste, swallowing and breathing. Overall ive gotten about 85% back, I sill have no hot or cold on the left, pins and needles for feeling and some muscles I can not feel. My breathing, I have to think about breathing out of my nose or I normally do not- I do have issues with fluid getting into my lungs, occasionally due to not swallowing correctly (stroke related) but has not been a medical concern they basically just monitor to make sure it does not get worse. You can not tell by looking at me that I have been through all of this, however I know it, I feel it and working my rear off to get in better shape. Swimming is great- but different then cardio out of the water.
I have not found many people that know both about stroke recovery and how it relates to swimming> Muscle wise its great many things you can do to strengthen a weak side but breathing? I'm having problems with how to keep water from being breathed in. The harder I work the more I tend to get water in my lungs and its creating a very tight chest and making it so im having to breath almost every stroke. When im just going for distance and not pushing for speed/sprints I don't have the issue- is it just a timing thing? are their drills I can do for breathing? Im finding I have to break form to keep my breathing ok- example- if I remember correctly in freestyle a slight turn to the side one eye out mouth not all the way out of the water and I used to not have the problem- now I find I keep turning completely out of th water trying to get my mouth completely out?? ideas?-
