Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Breathing in the 1/2 or full iron?
Is there a recommended pattern for breathing in these long distance swims? I have no idea, because usually my plan is to a:)" just breathe" or something more basic like b:)" try to get out of the water alive without being rolled into the sagwagon/canoe" A student has asked me about this suggesting that some breathe every stroke and others do every 3rd stroke. Thoughts from the hydrostatically efficient??
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6 comments:
Blind leading the blind here but here we go.
I don't think you will find a swim instructor out there that would say breathing every 2 is better than every 3.
Why 3? Here are the reasons I can think of off the top of my head.
1) Evens out your stroke. Meaning if you breathe every 2, your one arm will likely fatigue quicker as it's always getting the deeper non breath stroke. Which also will tend to pull you to one side.
2) Breathing rhythm. Count the number of breaths you take breathing every 2. It tends to be abnormally high. So it makes for a very fast breathing rhythm which isn't very relaxing. Breathing every 3 tends to be a more natural breathing rhythm.
3)And of course you are less hydrodynamic when you breathe. So the less often you are turning to get a breath the faster you will go...
Naturally that "faster you will go" part is only if you practice this all the time and get comfortable with this breathing pattern.
The typical drill for learning this is the breathe every 3 for 50m. Then 5 then 7 then 9.
All that having been said. I'm guessing 90% of triathletes breathe every 2...
I breath every 2 strokes because I can't turn my head to the right. I mean I can but it is uncomfortable to do this during a swim stroke. My mind doesn't think it can do it.
Every three would be my preference. Now Matt did mention that you go faster. One thing is the deeper stroke on the breath slows you down. I think the reason is it is less interruption to your position and balance in the water when you breath every 3. You have to reset less often. The word "hydrodynamic" may have covered this.
My right arm fatigues quicker because I breath every 2.
Remember good basketball players can make a layup coming from the left or the right,using the left or right hand. Jim you should know this as a Basketball coach :)
And to fulfill the trifecta of three blind mice, I will throw in my two cents too.
I am very comfortable with breathing every two, but Matt may be right when he says this becomes unnaturally fast for most people. I think I may counter that a little because my arms, and consequently, my strokes are so long. Once things get going nicely, I am quite comfortable breathing every two. I don't seem to have the steering issues others have, and I have never had arm fatigue issues, although using the webbed gloves for 2.5 miles did put a bit of wear on the old pythons. Chalk it up to the kettlebells, or the cleans and presses or whatever.
You, being a normal sized guy, should have a faster turnover rate, and it seems totally sensible to alternate sides so you even out your stroke, and to breathe less frequently so you stay as efficient as possible. With aerobic fitness like yours, you should be able to breathe every 7 and be fine. You just need to eat some styrofoam before the race, so you float higher and feel more comfortable in the water.
Being a whitewater raft guide was the best thing I ever did as regards becoming comfortable in the water. Falling into churning whitewater and being tossed around like socks in a frontloading washing machine helped me to see how pleasant most swimming situations really are. Maybe you should try that.
You didn't become as fast a runner as you are by studying breathing did you? You went out and ran! So get in the water, skinny boy!
I do need to get into the water!! but I think my method of breathing in the straight up and down (bobber position) is somewhat ineffective for swimming but really great for getting lots of o2 in quickly!! The Biathlon (bike/run style)circuit really sounds better each day.
Dr. J, did you use a wetsuit when you did your only half-iron?
I did,... and it did help a lot. But we also had consitent 1 foot+ swells for most of the swim. The pool I trained in didn't have this, so that didn't help any either.
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