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Original poster

Swimming and breathing help pls!

36 replies

MarvinMarvinson · 11/03/2019 13:48

I went to my first swim session with a triathlon club on Friday. I can do the basic old lady, head out of the water breast stroke and know the principals of front crawl but breathing/keeping my head under the water has always defeated me. So the coach at the session gave me a pull buoy and advised me to just use my arms doing front crawl and try and get comfortable with breathing under the water. This worked well and by the end of the session I felt much more comfortable and could swim a few lengths without really stopping.

Today I went swimming on my own and repeated the exercise and felt good again so did a few lengths without the pull buoy.

I feel a lot better but am still out of puff after only one length front crawl. Is this a fitness thing (I do run so I'm reasonably fit) or am I trying too much too soon and would be better off going back to the pull buoy?

Any tips gratefully received!

OP posts:
babysharkah · 11/03/2019 14:47

It's fitness and technique. I've been swimming for years, club as a child and cannot do bilateral breathing. It's also practice. I breathe every three but always to the same side.

MotherForkinShirtBalls · 11/03/2019 14:45

I breathe every four strokes, so just find what is most natural for you. Until you get the hang of it, try drills turning your whole body to the side to breathe. It will take more than a couple of sessions to find your form! You should be tilted in the water anyway as you are stretching with your front arm so it's an exaggeration of that form. Swimming fitness and running fitness are completely different for me (I can swim 2km slowly but without stopping but I'm struggling with the early weeks of couch to 5k) so try not to compare and feel like one is lacking.

dementedpixie · 11/03/2019 14:43

When my kids took lessons they took a breath every 3rd stroke. The head turns to the side rather than lifting the face out

AornisHades · 11/03/2019 14:42

You do need to roll your head, yes. Keep one ear in the water and only roll far enough to get your mouth out. Don't attempt to look forwards or up at the ceiling.

Original poster
MarvinMarvinson · 11/03/2019 14:39

That's exactly the problem if I only do 2 strokes! I was told bubble bubble breathe Grin

I actually tried 4 strokes today which sometimes felt more comfortable than 3 as I'm not always fully exhaling by the end of 3.

OP posts:
HeyMicky · 11/03/2019 14:33

Are you fully exhaling? You need to completely empty your lungs by the end of the last stroke otherwise you have to both finish the exhale and inhale when you take a breath. Bubble bubble bubble!

Original poster
MarvinMarvinson · 11/03/2019 14:27

Oh one thing I definitely do wrong is I struggle to turn my head to breathe rather than kind of lift it. I think it would help if I could just turn/roll to the side. I think when I lift me head my feet sink which makes the stroke harder.

OP posts:
Original poster
MarvinMarvinson · 11/03/2019 14:26

Thanks all.

The coach at the session said my stroke looked OK, he also said he'd used a snorkel initially but found he was back to square one as soon as he perfected his stroke and tried without it. That makes me a bit wary to be honest.

I'm trying to figure out how many arms to do before I breathe. 2 doesn't feel enough, I end up still exhaling and taking a quick gasping breath when I turn my head and I get out of puff even quicker. 3 feels more comfortable I think.

Sounds like perseverance and acknowledging that this will take a while to perfect is going to be key!

OP posts:
avocadochocolate · 11/03/2019 14:12

I think you need to build up your swimming-specific fitness and also practice your technique. Essentially just give yourself time and keep persevering. It sounds like you are doing the right things.

FWIW, I never used to be able to breathe on both sides in front crawl. I kept on trying and kept on trying and could never do it...... until one magical day, I could suddenly do it as if I had always been able to do it.

Good luck!

BikeRunSki · 11/03/2019 14:02

I swim and run. I imagine your breathlessness is to do with technique rather than fitness. With front crawl, I turn my head to the side and take a deep breath every second stroke, then exhale underwater gradually. Some amazing swimmers I know breathe every third stroke. Apart from that, I think it’s just timing and practice. Have you tried using a snorkel to breathe, and just concentrating on your stroke?

GOODCAT · 11/03/2019 13:55

Nothing useful to say but I feel your pain. I can't get to lessons so slowly taught myself to breathe on breast stroke by doing one proper head down and breathe each length and then slowly upped it until I could do a whole swim session without risk of drowning. This took me a really long time.

I am now doing the same with front crawl. I can do a length now but have to do a length out breaststroke in between. I think it is the breathing but also my fitness.

Watching with interest though.