The SDK Lane

Yea, I think you have nailed the central challenge. it's lung-capacity/breath-control. Last spring I was working with a coach who suggested that to improve breath control, so that I would be better able to handle more SDKs, I should take more strokes before breathing off every turn in practice. I went from 3 to 4 strokes off every wall and after a few months I did see some improvement, as in I mearly hurt, as opposed to me nearly going blind off each turn, but I discovered during the summer that I am faster at 3 strokes off each wall before the breath. 4 slows me down and I wind up taking more strokes per length too. For many years I would breath every 5 stokes in practice in freestyle. Last year my training partner (triathlete) commented that I might go faster if I had more oxygen, pointing out that great distance swimmers breathe every cycle. I went to breathing every 3 strokes and, sure enough, its faster. It seems clear to me that there is a pretty big speed penalty for depriving oneself of O2. Somehow I have to train myself so that penalty is less. I think the most effective way to train for lung capacity for SDKs is simply to take more of them off each wall in practice, especially at race pace. I don't know that taking more strokes before you breathe (or adopting a breathing pattern where you breathe less) is as effective. My 22 kicks to go 15 yds translates to 36 kicks for 25 yds, so my DPK is comparable. Clearly I need to work on sustaining the SDK longer. I know you are focusing on lung capacity, but I think your DPK is a problem. 36 kicks for a 25 seems a lot; I'm usually at 19-20 kicks. How is your ankle flexibility? And maybe you can tighten your streamline?

Yea, I think you have nailed the central challenge. it's lung-capacity/breath-control. Last spring I was working with a coach who suggested that to improve breath control, so that I would be better able to handle more SDKs, I should take more strokes before breathing off every turn in practice. I went from 3 to 4 strokes off every wall and after a few months I did see some improvement, as in I mearly hurt, as opposed to me nearly going blind off each turn, but I discovered during the summer that I am faster at 3 strokes off each wall before the breath. 4 slows me down and I wind up taking more strokes per length too. For many years I would breath every 5 stokes in practice in freestyle. Last year my training partner (triathlete) commented that I might go faster if I had more oxygen, pointing out that great distance swimmers breathe every cycle. I went to breathing every 3 strokes and, sure enough, its faster. It seems clear to me that there is a pretty big speed penalty for depriving oneself of O2. Somehow I have to train myself so that penalty is less. I think the most effective way to train for lung capacity for SDKs is simply to take more of them off each wall in practice, especially at race pace. I don't know that taking more strokes before you breathe (or adopting a breathing pattern where you breathe less) is as effective. My 22 kicks to go 15 yds translates to 36 kicks for 25 yds, so my DPK is comparable. Clearly I need to work on sustaining the SDK longer. I know you are focusing on lung capacity, but I think your DPK is a problem. 36 kicks for a 25 seems a lot; I'm usually at 19-20 kicks. How is your ankle flexibility? And maybe you can tighten your streamline?