[irishmanmick]

Originally Posted by NIMAN

Family got me swimming lessons for Xmas.

Never swam. Always had a fear of water as a youngster, can't explain why. Always got a note to get me out of swimming at school.

Only since I started Sun holidays with kids in the last handful of years have I got over the fear and will now get into pools ok. I don't mind walking up to my chin but can't keep my head under water or hold my breath. I'm am embarrassment !!

So a bit apprehensive about starting the lessons. Think they are 1 to 1, and don't want to appear like a big baby. Hopefully it will work out as id love to be able to jump into a pool in the heat and have a swim, like my young kids!

I was the same - never learnt to swim and just stayed away from water.

It was only watching my kids learn, and seeing their fearlessness that made me decide I finally work up the courage to try. So I did swimming lessons for like a year. I'm still a terrible swimmer, can't go out of my depth but now at least I can enjoy being in the pool with my kids.

When we went to France on holidays spent the entire holiday in the pool, either playing shark or giving them water taxis. It was the best craic. So delighted I did the lessons. Even though I've now stopped, with coaching the kids GAA team, work & college, I haven't got the time for them at the moment. But plan to go back to it, learn how to swim properly. Would love to do a triathlon one day.

It's hard at first, feels like you're getting nowhere. But bit by bit, your confidence will improve, till eventually, even before you would call yourself a 'swimmer' you lose that nervousness in the water.

Don't worry bout looking looking silly, everyone starts somewhere. If they're 1 on 1 that even better, the swim coaches are well used to people being nervous in water.

Enjoy the lessons, they'll be the best present you ever got.

[PatrickSmithUS]

I've been swimming for about three years now, after I joined the local triathlon in 2017 and learned the front crawl.

I've always had a difficulty in getting tired/breathless and have only completes one 400m Super Sprint in the pool.

I breath every 3rd stroke of alternating sides. What would people suggest? I tried only breathing out through my nose last weekend and was definitely better that way.

[cruizer101]

Every 3rd stroke on alternate sides would be the best. That said for open water triathlons I've heard it recommended to have flexibility to be able to change it up to every 2 or 4 strokes on one side, the reasoning being if swimming in the sea you may have waves approaching from one side so useful to be able to breathe just on the other side.

Surprised you found breathing out nose only better, I wouldn't have thought it would make much difference. Are you breathing out fully under water so only inhaling when face out of water?

[PatrickSmithUS]

Originally Posted by cruizer101

Every 3rd stroke on alternate sides would be the best. That said for open water triathlons I've heard it recommended to have flexibility to be able to change it up to every 2 or 4 strokes on one side, the reasoning being if swimming in the sea you may have waves approaching from one side so useful to be able to breathe just on the other side.

Surprised you found breathing out nose only better, I wouldn't have thought it would make much difference. Are you breathing out fully under water so only inhaling when face out of water?

I think so and I def find it easier breathing out nose only and in through the mouth. I would have been very nervous in the water over the years so do my best to stay calm.


I have big trouble going slowly and not tiring myself.

[NIMAN]

I've had 2 lessons so far and going ok.

Might be a stupid question, but relates to the last couple of posts.
When you're swimming properly, do you breath out while your head is under the water, then turn your head for air, or do you hold your breath under the water and then come up for air?

[khalessi]

I come up for air, turn head sideways till nose mouth out of water, take a breath, face down and blow out slowly as I swim and repeat in time with strokes.

When I was learning this, my coach suggested that I practise at home putting my face in sink full of water blowing bubbles and lift head out of water to get a breath. As I progressed I blew the bubbles and was turning head to side to get a breath, then face down blowing bubbles again while standing. For me it helped.

[NIMAN]

Originally Posted by khalessi

I come up for air, turn head sideways till nose mouth out of water, take a breath, face down and blow out slowly as I swim and repeat in time with strokes.

When I was learning this, my coach suggested that I practise at home putting my face in sink full of water blowing bubbles and lift head out of water to get a breath. As I progressed I blew the bubbles and was turning head to side to get a breath, then face down blowing bubbles again while standing. For me it helped.

OK so this is standard practice I'm guessing.

Is there any reason why you can't hold your breath while your head is in, as opposed to blowing out?
(maybe I'll get the answer to this at my next lesson)

[irishmanmick]

Originally Posted by NIMAN

OK so this is standard practice I'm guessing.

Is there any reason why you can't hold your breath while your head is in, as opposed to blowing out?
(maybe I'll get the answer to this at my next lesson)

I had a real problem with this when I was learning to swim. The reason yiu can't hold your breath under water is you won't be able to take in air when you come up for it. You need to release your breath while under water, so that when you opo your head up you take a breath in.

Can't take that breath in if your lungs are full, and you'll end up breathing out above water and breathing in when your head is back under

[AngryHippie]

I swim with both trickle and explosive breathing, depending on where I am in my set.
During warm up, I will usually breathe explosively to ramp my heart rate and CO2 content, then after a quick rest I will switch back to trickle while I rack through my set.

Plenty of sprinters swimming in a straight arm breathing every 2nd stroke explosively

[NIMAN]

Originally Posted by irishmanmick

I had a real problem with this when I was learning to swim. The reason yiu can't hold your breath under water is you won't be able to take in air when you come up for it. You need to release your breath while under water, so that when you opo your head up you take a breath in.

Can't take that breath in if your lungs are full, and you'll end up breathing out above water and breathing in when your head is back under

Thanks, the OH actually answered it for me before you replied, but thanks.
I suppose its common sense really!

[irishmanmick]

Originally Posted by NIMAN

I suppose its common sense really!

Tell that to my brain when I have my face under water!

[NIMAN]

Agree, logic goes out the window when you are under water.

I'm hoping its early days yet, and it will become second nature the more I do it, without having to concentrate on it when I'm under.