Difficulty catching my breath during workout

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

Former Member — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:36:42 GMT

I will talk to my coach about changing possibly the distance or intervals. The problem is that we are usually 4 or more to a lane and it hurts the flow. I am beginning to think that I need some stroke refresh. The coach does say I have great form, but I feel I hesitate when the arm enters the water a bit on the freestyle. My backstroke is still good. My butterfly is out of sync. I had an EKG recently from my doc. She knows what I do for exercise. I am suffering from a bit of seasonal allergies right now, so maybe some of that is draining into my lungs and causing a bit of the congestion which might be lessening my lung capacity My resting pulse is 52 and I recover real quick, so the doctor is pleased with this. Thank you all for your feedback. I am not sure how to respond to individual posts on here. I promised myself I would not ever swim competitively again, but who knows. Maybe one day I will get back in a meet. I swam competitively in southern california until my mid teens and truly got burnt out, hence the 30 years off. I guess I am back to my roots! It is hard to look back at my times when i was 14 and 15 where I held national times, and now I cant even swim 100 in less than 1:30. uggh

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

orca1946 — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 02:18:20 GMT

Go to the gym & do longer cardio workouts . Keep at it !:applaud::applaud:

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

knelson — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:38:23 GMT

The problem is that we are usually 4 or more to a lane and it hurts the flow. In this case just sit out a 50 when you feel you need to. Just avoid using this technique as a crutch! Obviously you are supposed to be somewhat out of breath.

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

moodyrichardson — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:03:29 GMT

Congratulations on your MAJOR accomplishment!!! Your shortness of breath could be caused by a number of things. The other posters have given some great advice. I see that you are from Nashville. I swim with the masters group down in Murfreesboro at MTSU. Hopefully, we can meet up sometime!

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

Former Member — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 06:19:11 GMT

Excess skin will slow you down. Tight swimwear and consider wearing men's jammers and/or a sports bra under your swimsuit for compression and to control any flappage. Surgery to remove excess skin can be serious biz. Make sure you are doing a full exhale on your freestyle. Sometimes on really hard sets I would hyperventilate between repeats, I would continue breathing too fast too long. Breathing into a cap helped me with that. Talk to your coach about adapting the set to accomplish the same purpose but more in line with your abilities.

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

Redbird Alum — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:27:17 GMT

1.) Work with your coach to adjust either the intervals or the distance. 2.) Talk to your doctor in any case. Presuming your age, the recent weight loss and diet changes, you should ensure your doctor is up to date with what you are doing before you assume you can take on tight intervals. Safety first!

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

gdanner — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:51:58 GMT

Often times I get only 5-10 seconds between sets. If you're constantly swimming at a fast pace, I'm not surprised you're out of breath. If you're trying to stay with a group, change the distance instead of the intervals. If it's 4 x 100's on 2:00, do 4 x 75's instead. If you're getting more rest and still out of breath, then I'd see a doc.

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

norascats — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:09:13 GMT

Congratulation on getting back after 30 years and being able to keep up at all. Keep working on it . You will get more speed as you go. Try some tune ups on your stroke. A lot has changed in the 30 years and you might benefit from some of the stroke changes. Also a rash guard may help keep that extra skin tucked in.

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

Celestial — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:28:58 GMT

I definitely agree with Greg, here. I know for certain that excess loose anything, be it skin or suit, will contribute to drag, and thus slow down your speed. I hope that you are seeing your primary provider every three months, and getting an EKG at least once a year, perhaps more if you become symptomatic. Are you swimming primarily freestyle, *** stroke & backstroke?

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:23:04 GMT

Congratulations on your incredible weight loss and keep up (down?!) the good work!:applaud: And, welcome to the USMS forums. The advice you have been given on this thread is excellent, so I am sure you will do great, if you follow it. Good luck! :cheerleader: Cheers! :chug:

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

swim53 — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:51:12 GMT

RiRunyan, I'd like to meet you! You sound motivated!!! Will you come to any KY meets?

RE: Difficulty catching my breath during workout

Bobinator — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 11:07:27 GMT

Wow! Congratulations on your weight loss! That is an impressive number. I'm sure your swimming schedule will help you lose the last 80 in no time and definitely help you keep it off!! I would probably talk to the coach and my Doctor about the breathlessness during swim sets. You could try taking a longer rest interval and see if it helps. I would imagine loose skin causes drag. Basically anything extra will do it. Good luck and keep up the GREAT work!!!!