Hi,
I recently got into swimming competitively a couple days ago (the Olympics will do that to you, I guess). Since I've just started, I'm trying to master the freestyle before I move on to any other strokes. However, I have found it incredibly difficult to breathe. Whenever I try to take some air, I tilt my head to the left and inhale. But, every time I have done so, a nice stream of water fills my mouth. Does anyone know how to fix this?
I'm hoping it is as simple as changing the stroke that I breathe on, but I honestly don't know.
Thanks a ton,
~ Aespect
Yesterday while swimming my workout I actually thought about this predicament and what may be causing it. There are a couple of constants that I think a swimmer just has to deal with (with regard to breathing). The first is that you have to breathe through your mouth. It might be possible to swim breathing only through your nose, but that just won't work for long if you're swimming with intensity. Secondly, you're going to get water in your mouth...and probably even ingest some. So I realized that once I turn my head and my mouth is above the surface I actually open my mouth very wide to inhale. I don't attempt to seal one side of my mouth or the other. But, I'm only rotating/turning my head just enough to get my mouth out of the water. Therefore, the water that does get into my mouth collects or "pools" in my cheek. Then, when I rotate my face back into the water, it gets blown out when I exhale. If I happen to rotate so that my mouth is higher out of the water...what water that gets in my mouth then wants to run down my throat. So, try adjusting your rotation so that your mouth is just far enough above the water to get air, yet only far enough that whatever water gets in your mouth pools in your cheek and doesn't run down your throat. Hopefully that's and easy-to-understand explanation. Good luck.
Dan
Yesterday while swimming my workout I actually thought about this predicament and what may be causing it. There are a couple of constants that I think a swimmer just has to deal with (with regard to breathing). The first is that you have to breathe through your mouth. It might be possible to swim breathing only through your nose, but that just won't work for long if you're swimming with intensity. Secondly, you're going to get water in your mouth...and probably even ingest some. So I realized that once I turn my head and my mouth is above the surface I actually open my mouth very wide to inhale. I don't attempt to seal one side of my mouth or the other. But, I'm only rotating/turning my head just enough to get my mouth out of the water. Therefore, the water that does get into my mouth collects or "pools" in my cheek. Then, when I rotate my face back into the water, it gets blown out when I exhale. If I happen to rotate so that my mouth is higher out of the water...what water that gets in my mouth then wants to run down my throat. So, try adjusting your rotation so that your mouth is just far enough above the water to get air, yet only far enough that whatever water gets in your mouth pools in your cheek and doesn't run down your throat. Hopefully that's and easy-to-understand explanation. Good luck.
Dan
