This is my first post here.
I started swimming four years ago. I grew up with a pool at our house and swimming was always an important part of summer for me, but I never swam competitively. Fast forward a few decades (I'm 47 now). I started swimming because running was becoming too painful for my knees and back, and I was tired of other problems (shin splints, for example).
I started out with breaststroke but now I swim almost nothing but freestyle. I started practicing bilateral breathing just a few months ago because my goal is to enter triathlons starting next year (Olympic distance), and I found that being able to breathe on both sides would be an immense asset after a few open water swims in which I breathed only to one side.
After a timed swim last week in which I tried to do bilateral as much as possible during a 1500m swim, I came up with a time that was slightly better than normal, and this even though I deliberately took it easy for the first half of the swim.
I knew it must have been the higher stroke rate that this unnatural style forces me to use. Yesterday, I timed myself again for 1500m and ended up under 28 minutes for the first time ever (27:48). I again used bilateral breathing and the higher stroke rate.
Now I'm sold on a higher stroke rate! When I breathe to one side, it's very smooth (almost no bubbles even when I push myself), but I pause for a second with my right arm in the water.
Has anyone else experienced something similar with a higher stroke rate?
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Former Member
I think we need to clarify some terms.
Bilateral Breathing means different things to different people. Bilateral breathing usually means breathing every 3rd hand entry. Meaning you breathe, 3 hand entries and then breathe to the other side. You progress breathing every third stroke and keep breathing to alternate sides.
Single side breathing usually means breathing every two hand entries, though a few people would only breathe every 4th hand entry.
So to clarify for us please explain if when you say "bilateral breathing" you mean breathing every third hand entry.
And if single side entries mean you breathe every two hand entries.
Now, as to what you need to be able to do for triathlon. Breathing every third hand entry isn't really useful for triathlon except at the very longest distances. What you really need to work on is the ability to breathe every two hand entries to either side. If you can breathe every two to either side, then you can breathe away from the waves, or away from the rising sun, or toward the competition. Breathing away from the waves is by far the biggest advantage among those three.
By bilateral breathing I am indeed referring to what many would consider the classical breathe every three strokes style. And when I say single side breathing, I'm referring to breathing every two strokes (to my right in my case). As far as how this relates to open water swimming and triathlons, I have found that being able to breathe on both sides would have proved most useful for sighting in my three open water events so far (this is something I started recently so I didn't have this in my arsenal at the time). In any event, I think I definitely need to learn the skill and I'm definitely getting there- slowly but surely.
But back to my original question/comment...I was swimming around 28:30 to 29 minutes for my 1500m swims. I decide one day to put all my bilateral breathing practice to the test (by which I mean breathing every three strokes), and I ended up with a time of 28:20 without really trying for the first half of the swim. I then do my next swim again using bilateral breathing and in which I pushed myself from the get-go and I end up with a time of 27:48- my best time ever even though breathing to the left is awkward for me still and even though I was a bit starved for oxygen at times (I did take a few strokes now and then where I breathed only to my good side every two strokes). I'm guessing that it was the higher stroke rate and the fact that I got rid of the dead spot I have when a swim breathing to only one side (my right arm is extended and I pause for probably a good half second). This is probably two ways of saying the same thing in my case.
Any comments? Thanks!
I think we need to clarify some terms.
Bilateral Breathing means different things to different people. Bilateral breathing usually means breathing every 3rd hand entry. Meaning you breathe, 3 hand entries and then breathe to the other side. You progress breathing every third stroke and keep breathing to alternate sides.
Single side breathing usually means breathing every two hand entries, though a few people would only breathe every 4th hand entry.
So to clarify for us please explain if when you say "bilateral breathing" you mean breathing every third hand entry.
And if single side entries mean you breathe every two hand entries.
Now, as to what you need to be able to do for triathlon. Breathing every third hand entry isn't really useful for triathlon except at the very longest distances. What you really need to work on is the ability to breathe every two hand entries to either side. If you can breathe every two to either side, then you can breathe away from the waves, or away from the rising sun, or toward the competition. Breathing away from the waves is by far the biggest advantage among those three.
By bilateral breathing I am indeed referring to what many would consider the classical breathe every three strokes style. And when I say single side breathing, I'm referring to breathing every two strokes (to my right in my case). As far as how this relates to open water swimming and triathlons, I have found that being able to breathe on both sides would have proved most useful for sighting in my three open water events so far (this is something I started recently so I didn't have this in my arsenal at the time). In any event, I think I definitely need to learn the skill and I'm definitely getting there- slowly but surely.
But back to my original question/comment...I was swimming around 28:30 to 29 minutes for my 1500m swims. I decide one day to put all my bilateral breathing practice to the test (by which I mean breathing every three strokes), and I ended up with a time of 28:20 without really trying for the first half of the swim. I then do my next swim again using bilateral breathing and in which I pushed myself from the get-go and I end up with a time of 27:48- my best time ever even though breathing to the left is awkward for me still and even though I was a bit starved for oxygen at times (I did take a few strokes now and then where I breathed only to my good side every two strokes). I'm guessing that it was the higher stroke rate and the fact that I got rid of the dead spot I have when a swim breathing to only one side (my right arm is extended and I pause for probably a good half second). This is probably two ways of saying the same thing in my case.
Any comments? Thanks!
