I've watched a lot of swimmers in elite competition in for instance 1500m who breathe every stroke. However when I swim distance I still have to use bilateral breathing. I've tried breathing every stroke like they do, but I find myself getting light headed. What's the best way to learn to control your breathing to do long distance well? Thanks,
David
I am not an expert swimmer like many of you, not having grown up as an age group swimmer. I think at least in part for that reason, breathing to my off-side has never worked. I might as well just breath every six strokes and stick to breathing right.
That said, for me it seems the fewer strokes I take the better, not just in a distance-per-stroke sense. The second time I did the 10k postal swim I believe I dropped about seven minutes from the year before (3:13 vs 3:20 sticks in my mind, though MyUSMS doesn't seem to care about postal swims). I credited part of that improvement (perhaps erroneously, who knows?) to taking one or two dolphin kicks off each wall. I wasn't doing any sort of Phelpsian kick of course, but it probably saved a stroke on each 50m.
Should I “train as I plan to race” or should I force myself to kick and limit my breathing off the walls?
You should absolutely train as you plan to race.
Bilateral breathing (every 3rd) and a single dolphin kick off the wall have become natural for me, but I have been training like that. I do take a breath on the first stroke but am past the flags at that point.
I am not an expert swimmer like many of you, not having grown up as an age group swimmer. I think at least in part for that reason, breathing to my off-side has never worked. I might as well just breath every six strokes and stick to breathing right.
That said, for me it seems the fewer strokes I take the better, not just in a distance-per-stroke sense. The second time I did the 10k postal swim I believe I dropped about seven minutes from the year before (3:13 vs 3:20 sticks in my mind, though MyUSMS doesn't seem to care about postal swims). I credited part of that improvement (perhaps erroneously, who knows?) to taking one or two dolphin kicks off each wall. I wasn't doing any sort of Phelpsian kick of course, but it probably saved a stroke on each 50m.
For distance swimming, stroke count really isn't a concern...at least to me. More importantly is turnover rate/tempo and maintaining it.
The weird thing for me is that after all my years of age group/college swimming in my new swimming life my stroke may look similiar, but its completely different as far as feel. I'm right handed, but due to some shoulder issues my left arm is much stronger. I breathe more to the right (was my strong side) when, if fact, my left side is stronger. But it just isn't comfortable and doesn't match my kick/hip pattern to always breathe to the left. My free, while my best and favorite stroke, has never actually felt "quite right" because of this. When I putter out it can start getting sloppy and falling apart a bit.
