Hi all,
I've been following the USMS forums for a while now and just registered. I swam USMS in grad school as a 24 year old and now swim masters (age group B!) in South America. I love swimming down here but most coaches are about 10 years behind in technique/innovation, so I basically rely on friends who are coaches in the US and swim sites to stay up to date.
It's pretty obvious that elite mid and long-distance swimmers breathe every cycle now, but have any of you forced yourselves to break a 3-5 habit and start to breathe every 2? I was taught to ALWAYS breathe every 3-5 and after 20-some years of that, I'm wondering if it's worth it in a race (specifically 200, 400/500). FWIW, I have major rotator cuff problems (who doesn't?!) with my right shoulder and seem to extend less with my right side than my left and am concerned breathing every cycle in practice would make that worse.
I used to start a 500 yard free breathing every three, then switch to every two when I started feeling out of breath (usually around the 200y mark). When I started breathing every two from the beginning, I dropped 10 seconds right a way. More air is better. The trend for middle distance and distance may go beyond breathing every two, with some swimmers now occasionally taking breaths on consecutive strokes, particularly before or after a turn.
I can't give you any tips how to make the change other than to tell you to just do it. Because of the many years experience breathing every three or five, you should try both sides and see if one is more comfortable for your shoulder situation. My guess is that left side breathing, with a hybrid hip/shoulder driven technique, would be effective with your asymmetrical reach.
I used to start a 500 yard free breathing every three, then switch to every two when I started feeling out of breath (usually around the 200y mark). When I started breathing every two from the beginning, I dropped 10 seconds right a way. More air is better. The trend for middle distance and distance may go beyond breathing every two, with some swimmers now occasionally taking breaths on consecutive strokes, particularly before or after a turn.
I can't give you any tips how to make the change other than to tell you to just do it. Because of the many years experience breathing every three or five, you should try both sides and see if one is more comfortable for your shoulder situation. My guess is that left side breathing, with a hybrid hip/shoulder driven technique, would be effective with your asymmetrical reach.
