I've been trying to focus on my butterfly lately, and I really seem to have a problem getting a breathing pattern that works. First I had to slow down my pace, and really concentrate on my kick, but I'm still having trouble breathing. I seem to remember every 3rd stroke being a good pattern, but my brain says every 2nd would be better. Unfortunately, if I try for every other, it almost seems like I'm working harder to get my face up to catch a breath. Since our pool has just little ropes with floats, it really takes some doing to get above the waves and I'm trying to break myself of the side breathing habit.
Breathing slows me down. Phelps I am not.
50 fly - no breath on the first 25, free breath on the turn, one breath on the second 25.
100 fly - 1 or 2 breaths on the first 25, then breathe every other stroke until the last 12.5, no breaths from there on in.
200 fly - breathe every other stroke until I can't. Then allow some 2-1-2, 1-2-1, etc.
10k fly - :eek: oh who am I kidding, 200 meters is the most continuous fly I've done. I do intend to eventually join the Butternut Club but haven't gotten around to it yet... it'll happen any day now I'm sure...
This is pretty impressive! I don't think most mortals can do this.
I agree with Muppet, breathing is largely inefficient. It depends what distance you're doing. On a 50, I try to SDK on the start and turn a lot, maybe 3 breaths per 50 or 4 at the most? On a 100, lots of SDKs on start and turn and no breathing off the starts and turns to avoid breaking streamline, then I tend to breathe every other until the end. When I tried breathing every third stroke on the first 50 on a LC 100 once, the last 15 meters was impossible. I haven't swum a masters 200. As a kid, I breathed every other until I couldn't. As a master, I wouldn't do this event. But I'm sure I would need to breathe a ton. But I know it would start to make me feel like I was going up and down instead of forward.
Breathing slows me down. Phelps I am not.
50 fly - no breath on the first 25, free breath on the turn, one breath on the second 25.
100 fly - 1 or 2 breaths on the first 25, then breathe every other stroke until the last 12.5, no breaths from there on in.
200 fly - breathe every other stroke until I can't. Then allow some 2-1-2, 1-2-1, etc.
10k fly - :eek: oh who am I kidding, 200 meters is the most continuous fly I've done. I do intend to eventually join the Butternut Club but haven't gotten around to it yet... it'll happen any day now I'm sure...
This is pretty impressive! I don't think most mortals can do this.
I agree with Muppet, breathing is largely inefficient. It depends what distance you're doing. On a 50, I try to SDK on the start and turn a lot, maybe 3 breaths per 50 or 4 at the most? On a 100, lots of SDKs on start and turn and no breathing off the starts and turns to avoid breaking streamline, then I tend to breathe every other until the end. When I tried breathing every third stroke on the first 50 on a LC 100 once, the last 15 meters was impossible. I haven't swum a masters 200. As a kid, I breathed every other until I couldn't. As a master, I wouldn't do this event. But I'm sure I would need to breathe a ton. But I know it would start to make me feel like I was going up and down instead of forward.
