I took lessons when I was a kid and never mastered the breathing technique for freestyle swimming so I gave up on swimming. Now it is 30 yrs later and I am determined to learn how to swim and have been taking a group class at the local natatorium.
I have been making a lot of progress and learning things that I don't remember from my childhood lessons (keep your chin to your chest, making the S-pattern during the pull stroke, etc). I have also been focused on rolling of the body more - and especially rolling to breathe so that my head is on my left arm/shoulder (breathing to the right).
However, I'm still struggling with the breathing in that I am sucking in water and end up choking. I've had multiple people watch me and they say that my form looks good and even the part when I roll to breathe - but they are unsure at what point I am getting water in my mouth.
It's been hard for me to figure it out - here's some of my thoughts - it's a bit hard to self-diagnose and so far the people watching are not catching it -
Is the timing of the opening and closing of my mouth just a bit off that I am sucking water when I turn to breathe and return to face down?
I'm not the best at exhaling underwater so I wonder if I'm trying to exhale and inhale during the short time that I am turned?
Do I need to turn my head more (look at ceiling)?
Am I slowly sucking in water when my face is down since I'm not exhaling correctly?
Any thoughts on how I can figure this out or other things to look for?
Thanks
Mike
I didn't realize I was swallowing water as I swam until I did the second annual Charles River Basin one-mile swim in Boston. (Note: the SECOND annual one-mile swim. I wanted to make sure the brave swimmers who did the FIRST annual one-mile swim did not die of various ailments.)
I have sailed and capsized in that water so I know what floats on it, but it is now swimmable 90% of the time or so, unless it rains hard, and then sewage overflows into the basin from Cambridge and it is not swimmable.
Alas, it started pouring rain once the race was underway, so probably for about 20 minutes (it took me 28 minutes to finish), I was drinking a nice solution.
My point is that when I began to feel vaguely ill later that night just from the memory of having drunk that water, and having taken a bath and seen brown blobby things floating in the tub, thus forcing me to go out to Store 24 and buy gingerale and crackers, I realized I do drink a fair amount of water as I swim. (I didn't get sick for real; it was just the memory of the drinking and the memory of the smell.) I don't guzzle it if I am thirsty, however.
Long post, but a drill given to me to help with breathing was to put on fins, have hands at side, and rotate from side to side, imagining your neck is in a cervical collar (and so in line with your spine and body), and breathe as you roll as a whole unit to the side without lifting your head excessively.
This is a hard drill, however. The keeping one goggle in the water is also a good image. Though I'd say whatever you need to do to keep from choking, do, so that you no longer fear it; then work on "the finer points."
I didn't realize I was swallowing water as I swam until I did the second annual Charles River Basin one-mile swim in Boston. (Note: the SECOND annual one-mile swim. I wanted to make sure the brave swimmers who did the FIRST annual one-mile swim did not die of various ailments.)
I have sailed and capsized in that water so I know what floats on it, but it is now swimmable 90% of the time or so, unless it rains hard, and then sewage overflows into the basin from Cambridge and it is not swimmable.
Alas, it started pouring rain once the race was underway, so probably for about 20 minutes (it took me 28 minutes to finish), I was drinking a nice solution.
My point is that when I began to feel vaguely ill later that night just from the memory of having drunk that water, and having taken a bath and seen brown blobby things floating in the tub, thus forcing me to go out to Store 24 and buy gingerale and crackers, I realized I do drink a fair amount of water as I swim. (I didn't get sick for real; it was just the memory of the drinking and the memory of the smell.) I don't guzzle it if I am thirsty, however.
Long post, but a drill given to me to help with breathing was to put on fins, have hands at side, and rotate from side to side, imagining your neck is in a cervical collar (and so in line with your spine and body), and breathe as you roll as a whole unit to the side without lifting your head excessively.
This is a hard drill, however. The keeping one goggle in the water is also a good image. Though I'd say whatever you need to do to keep from choking, do, so that you no longer fear it; then work on "the finer points."
