Changing Swimming Style, Training vs. Racing

Seanie_H

Hi folks, looking for some advice.

I've been working hard on my swimming over the winter. It's coming together in some ways and my technique is developing. I'm focusing on bilateral breathing every three strokes.

However, whenever I try to put down some speed, I find I naturally switch from bilateral 3 stokes to single side 2 stroke breathing. I'm fine with that but it seems that I should be training the way I want to race.

So my question is, do many people train one way and race another? In your opinion, should I force bilateral breathing when increasing speed / aiming for TT etc?

Cheers


Thanks

Shane

tunney

Seanie_H wrote: »

Hi folks, looking for some advice.

I've been working hard on my swimming over the winter. It's coming together in some ways and my technique is developing. I'm focusing on bilateral breathing every three strokes.

However, whenever I try to put down some speed, I find I naturally switch from bilateral 3 stokes to single side 2 stroke breathing. I'm fine with that but it seems that I should be training the way I want to race.

So my question is, do many people train one way and race another? In your opinion, should I force bilateral breathing when increasing speed / aiming for TT etc?

Cheers


Thanks

Shane

As a wise man once said "breathe out your arse if you need to".
(in the swimming context as long as your balance isn't affected)

Shedite27

Seanie_H wrote: »

Hi folks, looking for some advice.

I've been working hard on my swimming over the winter. It's coming together in some ways and my technique is developing. I'm focusing on bilateral breathing every three strokes.

However, whenever I try to put down some speed, I find I naturally switch from bilateral 3 stokes to single side 2 stroke breathing. I'm fine with that but it seems that I should be training the way I want to race.

So my question is, do many people train one way and race another? In your opinion, should I force bilateral breathing when increasing speed / aiming for TT etc?

Cheers


Thanks

Shane

From my own personal experience , breathing one side only seems more economical. I use breathing on two sides only if there's something on the other side I want to look at. If I'm on a river for example, following a divider or river bank, breathing to that one side is better for me.

ray o

tunney wrote: »

As a wise man once said "breathe out your arse if you need to".
(in the swimming context as long as your balance isn't affected)

I got the same advice before too although it wasn't put so eloquently. I used to practice it but not so much anymore. However that practice meant I was comfortable breathing to the other side if conditions during race meant I was easier to do so. I also find bilateral breathing helps with that balance as Tunney mentions.

promethius

i've always heard train bilateral and race whatever you want on the day

MD1983

if you are swimming hard i think you will find the need to breath as often as you can so no doubt you will end up breathing to one side

i tried bilateral breathing in races 2 years ago and found it ok for say a 3k swim where your effort is less intense. since gave up on it and will probably never go back to it for racing as air in lungs=good

it did balance my stroke a bit and its nice to be able to breath to the other side if i want to look at something or if the waves are breaking on the side i am breathing to normally

Mr Tango

bi lateral is the way to go - when you get tired you may need to breathe every two. What I would do is breathe to the left on the way down and breathe to the right on the way back. Helps keep everything stay balanced - stops one side getting stronger than the other and can help avoid shoulder injury as a result. Also - if you are in a race and only used to breathing say to the right and for whatever reason (the sun or you need to look to the left to track yourself) it will be absolutely alien to you on race day.

SlowMe

bilateral breathing and breathing every 3 strokes are different things. IMHO bilateral breathing - i.e. the ability to breath effectively either side - is very important for OW swimming. Breathing every 3 strokes vs every 2 strokes vs combinations etc are a matter of personal preference and pace will be a factor