Questions for SCY:
1. How many breaths down after the dive? Or do you simply hold your breath?
2. If you hold your breath, do you blow it all out quickly before you breath or empty your lungs slowly?
3. Should you have a pattern for breathing or simply grit your teeth and gut it out?
4. (unrelated to breathing). Negative split--how important is it in this race? Should it be emphasized?
I don't think negative splitting should ever be emphasized. As for breathing, I was always taught that you should breathe regularly, as in every 3 (my preferance) or every 4/5 or some combination of those three. There is also the all important "don't breathe in and out of your turn or inside the flags at the end of the race.
Questions for SCY:
1. How many breaths down after the dive? Or do you simply hold your breath?
2. If you hold your breath, do you blow it all out quickly before you breath or empty your lungs slowly?
3. Should you have a pattern for breathing or simply grit your teeth and gut it out?
4. (unrelated to breathing). Negative split--how important is it in this race? Should it be emphasized?
Me personally:
1) first breath is 3rd stroke off of the block
2) slowly
3) pattern- breathing to same side I use breathe 2 down 1, only gut it out and don't breathe for the last 10m
4) you probably shouldn't be negative splitting a 100
1. How many breaths down after the dive?
Or do you simply hold your breath?
~~~> not sure what you're asking here?
How many breaths on your first 25 of a the 100?
depends
how fast are you?
what's your 100 time?
how many strokes do you take per 25?
2. If you hold your breath, do you blow it all out quickly before you breath or empty your lungs slowly?
blow it out
suck it in
3. Should you have a pattern for breathing or simply grit your teeth and gut it out?
you should have a breathing plan for each race
don't restrict air for 100's & up
4. (unrelated to breathing). Negative split--how important is it in this race? Should it be emphasized?
you don't want to negative split the 100, you'll give up too much on the first 50
the best swimmers have a 1.5 - 2.0 sec diff
LCM 1.5 - 2.5 is common
go fast the first 50 but have something left to get home FAST
I asked Jason Lezak that question last fall because I noticed that he breathed every stroke during his 100M Free. His words "If you don't breathe every stroke you will die like a dog." So I've been doing the same when I do fast 100s and it helps. Guess Jason knew what he was talking about :)
My answers:
1. How many breaths down after the dive? Or do you simply hold your breath?
I do 4 single arm strokes. I breathe to my left on a sprint on the 1st lap and pull down with my left arm first off the start and turn.
2. If you hold your breath, do you blow it all out quickly before you breath or empty your lungs slowly?
I have no clue.
3. Should you have a pattern for breathing or simply grit your teeth and gut it out?
In theory, I have a solid pattern. In reality, that pattern works through about 65 yards of the race and then all hell breaks loose.
4. (unrelated to breathing). Negative split--how important is it in this race? Should it be emphasized?
Never negative split a 100. I did it this weekend on the 100 backstroke and am still kicking myself for how slow I went out. I don't think negative splitting should come into play for race strategy until distances of 400/500 & above.
99% of swimmers will tell you NOT to negative split a 100. However, it works for me.
The concept I use is to "throttle back" the first 50, than build quickly from there.
I am a middle distance swimmer and find that negative splitting or even splitting works for me in the 500/400 free. If I go out too fast, it's over.
But it also works for me in the 100. The only USMS national championship I have won was in the 100 free in Federal Way on '07. The splits were 27.12 and 27.19. At this years LC Nats in Indianapolis I tried to swim the 100 by going hard the entire way. I got into acidosis with about 20 meters to go and faded to third. I wouldn't have won the race, but I certainly should have gotten second had I swum it as a negative split.
I also do not swim the 50 all out from the get go. I swim it as a build and have had good success.
This will probably not work for most people but it does for me.
Thanks folks. This helps. I see all kinds of breathing patterns in the 100 and then a totally different pattern for the 50. Probably the different for the 200 as well.
The concept I use is to "throttle back" the first 50, than build quickly from there.
I'm totally on board with this approach and it's how I try to "feel" in a 100, but it doesn't end up resulting in a negative split. I generally try to build the entire 100. I swam the 100 this weekend (SCM) with this "feel" and still split 25.9 - 27.2.
Full disclosure: I'm a former distance swimmer aiming to be a 200/500 guy. Real sprinters who go real fast will likely tell you something different.
Greetings!
O2 requirements, and breathing patterns, are different for each individual. Size, sex, age, conditioning, health history, and an individual's physiology make it impossible to prescribe a cookie cutter racing strategy for everyone. Practice different patterns. If it doesn't work for you, try something else.
My answers:
Never negative split a 100. I did it this weekend on the 100 backstroke and am still kicking myself for how slow I went out. I don't think negative splitting should come into play for race strategy until distances of 400/500 & above.
Word! I did the same thing. I am a 200 guy. I can't seem to get up and get going the 1st 50 of the 100 back(my splits prove that one) If I try to "throttle back" on the first 50, I usually do a negative split on the 100 back.
Learning to be more aggressive, without being totally out of control is a key. Go out fast, but don't think of holding back enough to negative split.
