The TEAM CORE Chat Forum

Hi Paul and everyone,

I'm now back doing some very easy training to see how things are. I'm feeling much better and super eager to make improvements in all areas (in a carefully controlled way of course). The one problem that's bothering me at the moment is in the pool.

I can swim six lengths with good form and what feels like good technique but soon after that it all goes wrong and I slow down a lot, get all sloppy with my stroke and it all goes horribly wrong. If I stop for a short break at six lengths and 'reset' myself I can do another six wtih good form etc etc but can't seem to break through that 200 metre mark and hold good form for a long swim.

How do I increase the distance I can swim with good form and avoid things going sloppy? Chatting to PaulL about it he thinks it could be a breathing problem and I must confess I don't "breathe-bubble-bubble-breathe", could that be the problem?

I hope your visit to GB was good, shame about the weather. We seen to have four months of winter and eight months of terrible weather in GB! I did pop up to the pool the day you were there but you were all busy in the classroom so I didn't interrupt.

Oh yes, I accidentally entered IMNZ again. Oops, silly me.

Andy, don't feel alone, I have exactly the same issue as you. I'm interested to read what Paul has to say on this. I have personally put it down to my swim fitness but am realising it's probably more a combination of less than efficient stroke AND fitness. While I've been trying to breathe better I'm still struggling for air....

cheers
Ant

Good luck for IMNZ.

Hi guys

It does sound like a breathing issue to be completely fair and not "letting go" and "enjoying" cruising up and down with some steady laps. Check out this article for some advice on this, if you've not seen it already:

http://swimsmooth.blogspot.com/2008/05/ ... e-you.html

Ant, we've been working this last week on your stroke aiming to develop what we call a "front quadrant" stroke, i.e. one hand always in front of your head (see here for an example http://www.swimsmooth.com/DVD.htm), almost like a three-quarter catch-up. Your issue is that when you go to take a breath, that lead-arm actually drops in the water rather than hold it. This means that the amount of time you have to take a breath is reduced which eventually develops an "oxygen debt" the further you swim. Over the next week or so, we're going to be working on the timing of your stroke to allow you to hold the water an support yourself better when going to take a breath - doing so will make you MUCH more economical and aerobic. It would also be a really good idea to book you in for a 1-2-1 Video Analysis Session so that you can see exactly what is going on and why this is such a concern at this stage.

Cheers chaps!

P.S Andy - sorry we missed the doughnuts - you should have come in!

Excellent, thanks Paul. Sorry to hijack post Andy.

Exactly mate!

No problem Ant, welcome to the forum.

Hi Paul Everyone

I have/had same problem. i only started 3 wks ago and until recently couldn't reach 100m without a huge amount of difficulty. i simply put it down to swim fitness.

but as Paul pointed out to me yesterday it was my breathing. i was simply focusing on breathing in and paid no attention to breathing out. i was holding my breath until the last second.
all the air in my lungs caused the front of my body to float up like a buoy and my legs to drag up to a foot below the surface. (c pic below) the culmination of which meant that i fatiguing very rapidly.