Problem with Water going into my mouth with breathing

Paddymack

Hi Guys

I have been training for the last 12 months in preparation for the HIM in august. I recently completed the carlow tri and the howth aquathlon but had a bit for a scare in both of them during the swim stage.

Im not sure what's happening but when I take a breathe on the right side my mouth fills with water and goes directly into my airways causing my to panic and stop but doesnt happening when breathing on the left. T

I have tried to break it down and find out whats happening as this never happened prior to the 2 events mentioned above.

Can anyone offer any advice as its very frustrating.

Thanks Paddy

mad m

Does it happen in the pool?

Have you done anything different of late with regards to training?

Paddymack

Yes this happens in the pool.
Aside from the panic and dead fear that I experience when I did the open water in howth.

On a side note: I shaved my beard off last Friday. But I don't think this is it as it doesn't happen when I breathe to the left. It's very frustrating.

Paddymack

Sorry I meant to say aside from the Traumatic episode doing howth there has being no change to my training.

AngryHippie

Get a stroke analysis done by a coach.
I'd imagine it's a stroke timing issue.

When swimming in open water, there is always going to be a favorable side to breathe on due to the environment (Wind, chop, waves etc.) a part of the challenge of open water swimming is dealing with that.

I'd reckon more open-water experience will help you get used to it, but the reality is that it only takes a wave 4-5 inches to swamp your head when breathing in open water, so unless you have flat calm conditions, then it is entirely likely that you are going to mis-time it sometimes and get a gob full of water.

Work on reading the water as you are in it and picking the best side at any given time. There is some trial and error involved, but even the most experienced swimmers will occasionally go to take a breath on a given side in open water and will have to try again on the opposite side a stroke later.

Be patient with it, don't push the pace to the point of being completely out of O2 and gasping, and if the you do get in a situation where you've missed a breath, don't be afraid to drop into breaststroke or backstroke for a few strokes to de-gas and re-gas.

Practice safe, swim with others and best of luck with it.

PS. get a stroke analysis done in any case, just on the off-chance that you have a tendency to drag (Catch-up) on your right when breathing as this may be the culprit.

Paddymack

AngryHippie wrote: »

Get a stroke analysis done by a coach.
I'd imagine it's a stroke timing issue.

When swimming in open water, there is always going to be a favorable side to breathe on due to the environment (Wind, chop, waves etc.) a part of the challenge of open water swimming is dealing with that.

I'd reckon more open-water experience will help you get used to it, but the reality is that it only takes a wave 4-5 inches to swamp your head when breathing in open water, so unless you have flat calm conditions, then it is entirely likely that you are going to mis-time it sometimes and get a gob full of water.

Work on reading the water as you are in it and picking the best side at any given time. There is some trial and error involved, but even the most experienced swimmers will occasionally go to take a breath on a given side in open water and will have to try again on the opposite side a stroke later.

Be patient with it, don't push the pace to the point of being completely out of O2 and gasping, and if the you do get in a situation where you've missed a breath, don't be afraid to drop into breaststroke or backstroke for a few strokes to de-gas and re-gas.

Practice safe, swim with others and best of luck with it.

PS. get a stroke analysis done in any case, just on the off-chance that you have a tendency to drag (Catch-up) on your right when breathing as this may be the culprit.

Thanks alot for the advice....its good to know that it happens to the more experienced swimmers sometimes. I will get the analysis done and also some more sea swimming experience.
I'll let you know how it goes.

P

okane1

When do you breath OP? Is it during your recovery phase and under your arm?
Do you kick, have you poor body position, i.e. to you drag your legs?

When your breath do you lift your head out of the water or simply rotate your head as your rotate your body during your swim stroke?

Zuz

You can also do simple exercise in the pool during the training and try to breath just on the one side. Do few lengths breathing on one side then change over and do it on other side. As sometimes we can have wicker one side compare to other side.
And when we try to do both sides breathing can change body position.
As for that I'm swimming since I'm 10. Was in national team competing in Triathlon and I can't do both side breathing. Is totally unnatural for me so I have to change it all and just do what's suits me the best.

And we all have problems with breathing sometimes. Especially during race, all the adrenaline and stress sometimes kicks in and change breathing.
Happened to me last year on Triathy triathlon, scared or rivers because of the fish, got panic attack and all in first few meters, but start concentration on breathing and all got back to normal, buuut had the quickest swimming ever, hahahaaa

Good luck