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Struggling to breath after a few lengths.

  • 22-04-2015 11:03am
    #1
    RonanP77
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,182 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    I'm not a terribly good swimmer, I've just learned the breathing after about 4 months of lessons so I'm really only doing full lengths for the last few weeks.
    I can get every breath along the way, have a little rest and do another length. After 20-30 minutes of this I really start to struggle to breath even standing up in the water. I just can't seem to get any air into my lungs. I feel kind of bloated.

    I should probably mention that I've been absolutely terrified of water for the last 25 years. Once it gets to chest height I start to feel really uncomfortable.

    To me there are a few possibilities but as I'm a novice I could be completely wrong.

    I could be taking on too much air during each breath. I know from running that if you're gasping in air you won't run for long. The other side of it is I'm not letting out or taking in enough air.

    I could be trying to go too fast for my level of ability, the instructor has told me to slow down but I don't seem to be able to.

    My technique probably isn't great, I know I don't use my legs enough. Maybe over working my arms could be a problem.

    It was mentioned to me that I could be having a reaction to Chlorine.

    Maybe it's just an endurance thing, I know my fitness levels are well down since autumn due to a long injury lay-off from running and cycling.

    I only swim once a week during lessons and it's nearly all drills. I walk/run and cycle too and need to fit in enough rest days to ensure I recover fully from ankle ligament damage. I don't eat as much on days that I swim and nothing for 3 hours before getting in the pool, I figured that might be what was making me feel bloated after the half hour or so in the pool.

    Apologies for the long post but I'm trying to fit in as much detail as possible. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated, thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    mad m
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,007 ✭✭✭mad m


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057357861


  • #3
    AngryHippie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,625 ✭✭✭AngryHippie


    I could be trying to go too fast for my level of ability, the instructor has told me to slow down but I don't seem to be able to.

    100% if the instructor has said you are working too hard, then that is the case.

    normally the tail end of the "warm-up" phase of a swim session is the worst, up until you've gone so far that your legs and arms are jelly.

    I'd suggest working on some drills that will force you to slow it down.
    Catch-up drill is fantastic for this, or a combination of catch-up and high elbow to really force the mechanics.
    you've hit one of those development sawtooths, where you've learned a new skill, and all of a sudden lots of other things have fallen into place, you are now in that plateau phase, where you need to do a lot of slow hard work to master that skill and get the most from it.
    My technique probably isn't great, I know I don't use my legs enough. Maybe over working my arms could be a problem.
    This is certainly part of the problem, a poor streamline will wear you out very quickly, concentrate a little on this while doing your warm up. consider some fin work

    Get some rest at the ends, do some pulse checks when you start to feel wrecked, 120-140bpm is as high as you'd really want to be going most of the time, unless you are training for something specific.
    fitness may be a part of the issue, but pushing too hard is more likely. It's not like cycling or running in the sense that you can't manage oxygen debt during continual movement.


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