5 Ways to Make it Through the Pain

    Yesterday I competed in the United States Masters Swimming Long Distance 5K Postal Championships.  This national event takes place in pools all across the country.  Each swimmer has a lap counter/split recorder that clocks each 100m time (it’s a LCM race) and the overall elapsed time to be submitted to USMS for national awards and recognition.  I found out about the event last weekend at my swim meet and decided it would be a great way to prepare myself and determine pacing for my Ironman swim in less than 2 weeks.

Pretty tired after the 5k swim

    The 5K distance consists of 100 Laps in a long course swimming pool for a total distance of 5000 meters.   And yes, I know that is a LOT of pool laps.  But, the Ironman swim portion is only 2.4mi so I knew that if I could successfully complete the 5K swim, I’d not only feel more comfortable about the Ironman swim, but I’d also have a better idea of race strategy. 

    In all, the swim took me one hour and nineteen minutes to complete.  For the most past, I was able to swim straight through it having to stop only occasionally to fix my cap or goggles or to confirm how far I had swam.  It was a challenging but informative experience.  The race was very monotonous.  But, from that monotony, I was able to reflect upon how to approach a race like this in the future and how I should approach my Ironman race mentally next week. 

1)      Know that the race can be done and has been done before.  Although long distance races are exceptionally challenging and may cause you to question your ability to finish, find comfort in the fact that others, like you, have completed this race before.  Although the task at hand may seem impossible, it’s obviously not.  Others, some probably in even worse shape than you, have crossed that finish line or have touched that final wall in the past.  And, if they can do it, you can too.  Granted, my Ironman, Ironman New York City is a brand new race so technically NOBODY has completed it before.  But, there are comparable, if not more difficult courses/races out there.  The race creators did not design this race to be impossible.  They did not mock you when you registered for being a sucker.  No, they instead created it with every intention of having every participant finish…including you.

2)      Remember that you’re not the only one suffering.  When the doubt starts to creep in, look around you and see that you’re surrounded by people going through the exact same physical torture as you.  Fuel your own willpower by drawing off the willpower of your fellow competitors.  Do you see that old person besides you? Do you not think that they are hurting inside? Do you not think they aren’t struggling mentally?  They are.  In fact, even the fast young competitor that breezes by you looking composed is also hurting both mentally and physically inside.  They key is, they just don’t show it.  So let those people inspire you and power you forward.  Find camaraderie through the pain that you all feel. Use it to drive yourself forward and know that others are looking at you to do the exact same thing.

3)      If the overall goal is too daunting, make smaller, more attainable goals within. Swimming 100 laps is a lot for a person to mentally handle.  Try counting your laps from 1 to 100 and there is no doubt that you’re going to lose track. Instead, break up the big picture into smaller pieces.  Yesterday, instead of counting to 100, I broke the race up into tiny pieces.  I counted to ten knowing that each time I hit the number 10, I had completed a 500.  But, instead of being scared knowing that I would still have to count to ten a daunting TEN times, I broke it up into smaller pieces once again.  I counted to ten three times knowing that I had swam a mile.  I counted to ten three more times and suddenly I was already up to two miles.  And, at that point I was already more than half-way done.  By the time I counted to ten three more times, I was practically finished.  My mind had barely had the chance to be overwhelmed by the big picture because I had kept my mind focused on just completing the smaller, very doable, mini-goals I had created for myself.  Every race you do can be broken up into pieces.   Set your mini goals to reaching the next buoy in the water or breaking up a run into 5k pieces or even just having yourself set on reaching the next aide station.  Set these mini goals knowing that they’re easy and totally attainable, and have a mini celebration inside each time that you finish one.  Before you know it, you’ll be only one mini goal away from reaching the end of the whole race.

4)      Force yourself to Smile.  No matter how miserable you are, no matter how much your body hurts, forcing yourself to smile will pull your focus off of the pain and will re-remind your mind of just how much you love what you’re doing.  Smile at the photographers. Smile underwater.  Smile on your bike every once in a while for absolutely no reason even though you probably look like a weirdo.  When you feel yourself getting tired or frustrated, just smiling will immediately relieve the tension and get you re-focused on your goal. 

5)      Let yourself be in pain.  Ultimately, know that if the race doesn’t hurt, then you’re not doing a very good job.  The race is supposed to be a challenge no matter how good of shape you are in.  Do you wish that you had trained 10x harder? Well, if you had, that doesn’t mean that the race should hurt any less.  That just means that you would have had to push yourself a little bit more to get to the same level of pain.  This is a race and it is not supposed to be easy for anybody.  Push yourself hard and know that it’s supposed to hurt.  That’s the whole point of doing the race in the first place.

Out-sprinting: a Mental Game

    This past weekend I competed in another Master’s Swim meet. I signed up for the race as a fun thing to do before the final push towards Ironman.  At this race I had some challenging competition.  There was a girl in my age group with seed times far faster than mine in both the 400 and 100 Freestyle.  I naturally assumed she was probably pretty close to the top of her game and was a bit nervous about racing her since I had slower seed times and, being in the height of my Ironman training, didn’t even know how my body would respond to being forced back into “sprint mode.” 

    But, I was going to compete in this meet t have a good time and to just ‘see what I could do.’  Yes, I was ultimately expecting to get beaten.  But, I also figured it would be nice to have somebody else in the water to push me. 

    First up was the 400 freestyle.   It was the very first race of the day.  At my last swim meet, I only had a decent showing in this event.  I remember that I had finished the race barely exhausted.  And later, upon reflection, noted that my split times were equal but a little too slow for what I thought I might be able to hold.  

    So, I stepped up to the blocks and looked over at my competition.   Being a long-time distance swimmer in college, I usually step up to the blocks with the intention of swimming my own race.  Yes, I of course would also like to win the race, but ultimately distance races are about pushing yourself regardless of how fast the people besides you are swimming.  But, not this time.  This time I was going to try something different.  I finally had somebody to ‘race.’  I was going to push myself much harder than last time and was going to use my competition of a guide.

    The gun went off and we dove into the water with 8 long course meter laps ahead of me.  I took the first 100 out much harder than I would normally have.  After the first 100, I was ahead of my competition. ..barely.  But, I was feeling strong and told myself I only had 6 more lengths to go.  The second hundred hurt.  My body started to cramp a little bit like it always does.  Yet, somehow I managed to still stay slightly ahead.  And then, we hit the third hundred. 

    My body was getting tired and my competition started to pull ahead.  This is usually the point of the race where the mental negativity starts to creep in.  It’s a problem I’ve always had.  In every race, it’s sad to admit, I give up mentally before my body is ready to.  I’ve spoken before about the need to rely on my training when racing.  But, even though I take my race out hard knowing the training will be there to back it up, I’ve always had a problem having my mental strength there as well.  You can be in the best shape of your life, but if you lose the mental positivity, all the training in the world becomes completely useless.  I know I’m not the only person who must struggle with this problem and it’s a very hard thing to come to terms with.  But all my life, if there was ever a need to outsprint a person to the finish, I wind up losing.  I lose, not because they’re faster or stronger than I am.  I lose because my mind breaks before their mind does.  It’s as simple as that.  And, although I know it’s a problem I’ve always had, I’ve just never been able to keep those negative thoughts out. 

    In a swimming race like this, the third portion (here the third hundred), is always the portion where I just can’t hold back the negativity any longer.  But this time was different.  As we hit the wall at the far end of the pool with 150 meters left to go, I thought to myself “I’m going to be an Ironman…stay with her.”   For the first time ever in a race that I can remember, I was wholeheartedly committed to giving it everything I had inside.  There were no thoughts of pain or tiredness.  There were no thoughts of failure as I saw her start to pull away from me.  There was nothing but mental dfedication to the race and to bringing myself as close to the edge as possible.  To be honest, I really shocked myself that a positive thought just popped into my head without me having to try to force it there.  It was truly an amazing feeling.

    As we approached the wall at the end of the third hundred, I saw her turn slightly ahead of me.  Usually I have to make the conscious decision to turn up the pace.  But this time, I just let myself go.  I was going to sprint the whole last 100 meters.  I was actually going to try and beat her.  Now, ¼ of the race is A LOT to try and sprint.  I would normally advise against it since the probability of “hitting the wall” waaaaay too early is very high.  But I knew, deep down inside, that my training was there.  I’ve always been physically strong enough to fight to the finish.  And , it was finally time for my mind to join the fight. 

    So, I sprinted.  I picked up my kick.  I turned over my arms as fast as possible, and I drove into the wall at the far end of the pool.  I had one 50 to go.  I was closing in although she was still half a body length ahead.  And believe me, you can bet she know I was there and giving everything she had to fight me off.  But I didn’t let go.  Twenty-five meters left.  I took a deep breath and drove as hard as possible the rest of the way.  I was either going to win this race or I was going to know I tried as hard as possible.  I wasn’t going to end this race, as usual, knowing that deep down I had given up long before I hit the final wall.

    I put my head down and finished strong into the wall just in time to turn my head and to see my competition come into the wall right behind me.  I took twelve whole seconds off my previous 400 freestyle time and won the race.  But more importantly, I didn’t give up mentally and my body never gave out.  The training was there.  My mind was there.  It was a perfect race.

    I went on to beat the same girl again by just barely out-touching her in the 100 freestyle.  I had a great swim meet and she, undoubtedly, had a miserable one.I was proud of myself.For the first time ever I felt like a real competitive athlete. 

What you should take away from my story is this: 

    Physical training means nothing until you’re capable of finding the mental positivity necessary to succeed.  And, it needs to come naturally.  The harder you try to force in the positive thoughts, the easier the bad ones will creep in as well.  Positivity needs to already exist in your subconscious.  You need to be comfortable with your training and know that, although you may have made mistakes along the way, you’re doing the best you can with the time and resources you have. Only once you let go of the doubts on a daily basis can you let go of the doubts in a race.  And, only then, will you ever be able to draw up enough mental positivity to be able to outsprint somebody to the finish.

Picture Perfect

     The big race is quickly approaching..Ironman NYC is just THREE WEEKS AWAY! My body is completely exhausted from all the training/work/lack of sleep. But, it will all be over before I know it. I’ve been training for the ‘big day’ for about 5 months now prepping endlessly for the straight 2.4 mile swim, 6plus hour hilly bike, and the sure-to-be exhausting marathon run. But, there is one, all important thing that I haven’t yet prepped for…the finish.

     Barring any major problems and in trying to stay mentally positive, I’ve been thinking endlessly about what it will be like to transcend down that final chute towards the giant Ironman finish line archway. Since this is my first full Ironman, I know that I will forever look back and remember that moment when my toe finally reaches 140.61 miles. I want that image, both the everlasting mental image and the one Ironman will sell to me for an insanely high price, to be perfect.

"The Exhale"

     So, in an attempt to make that final image perfect, I’ve been thinking about my many different finish line pose options. Think of it as my final last minute prep for the final last minute of the race. And who knows which one I will chose or which one, god forbid, just ‘happens.’ But I’m sure it will be a fantastic, truly memorable experience all the same.

Option 1: 

The Exhale:

Where I hold my breath, sprint (as much as I could even sprint at that point) towards the finish line, take a single leap over the line, stop, and let out a very deep exhale as a sigh of relief of finally making it.

Picture-Perfect Scale Factor:
4
(Nobody looks attractive with their mouth wide open blowing air out; however, it’s one of the better options for a more-exhausted finish)

Option 2:

The Stumble: 

Where I’m so overly-exhausted that I stumble, zigzagging and dragging my body over the line. 

Picture-Perfect Scale Factor: 
2
(Not very attractive, but at least I’m not dead)

Option 3:

The Collapse: 

 Where I collapse to the ground (unintentionally) as I topple over the finish line.

Picture-Perfect Scale Factor: 
0
(However, the Dramatic Factor is super high and possibly a more viable option than an ugly photo)

Option 4: 

The Phelps: 

where I run across the finish with a big smile and arms extended out to the side as though I’m about to give the finish line a giant bear hug)

Picture-Perfect Scale Factor:
7 
(a smile is always great in a photo and would be relatively easy to execute)

Option 5:

The Heal Click: 

Where I jump up in the air clicking my heals together as I cross the line.

Picture-Perfect Scale Factor: 
10 
(though jumping after 140.6 miles would not be very easy and my calves would probably cramp. I was also not born a Leprechaun so my clumsiness would make this extremely difficult to execute properly without the risk of falling flat on my face).

Option 6:

The Tebow: 

I get down on one knee and pray about how happy I am to finally be done

Picture-Perfect Scale Factor: 
-10
(I’m from the U…enough said).

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FINISH LINE POSE?

Biking with Myself

    Today was it...my last long weekend bike ride before Ironman NYC.  I only have 3 weekends left before I leave for NYC.  Next weekend I have a master's swim meet, the weekend after I'm in taper and will only do about 50 miles (I know, ONLY), and the weekend after my bike will be in route to the Big Apple.  So, today was my last chance to get in a lengthier ride.  And, I was pretty sad about it.

    Over the past few months I have been going out on long training rides on the weekend.  I first started out by joining a friend for a 50 mile ride.  The following weekend we did 60 miles.  And after that, I was forced to leave my friend behind while I went out on solo rides ranging from 70 to 100 miles.

    I remember that after my first solo ride (of about 65 miles) I came home upset.  The wind was too strong.  I got dirt in my eyes.  There were so many problems that I had obsessed about during that first solo ride.  It was miserable.  But, upon reflection, I don't think it was those tiny 'problems' that made that first ride miserable...I think it was the fact that I had never had to tolerate being with myself for that long.

    It' s not an easy thing, having to tolerate your own mind for so many hours.  On a ride of four hours or longer, your mind wanders so many times that you almost run out of things to think about.  And then, when all your inner distractions are gone, there is nothing else to left to concentrate on besides the strength of the wind and the annoyance of the cars passing by.

    But over time, the long rides got easier.  Part was due to the fact that I was getting stronger physically.  But part was also due to the fact that I had eventually learned to appreciate being along.  In fact, I eventually started looking forward to it.

    Today on my final long ride, I was actually excited to get out of bed.  I filled my bottles, packed all my nutrition, and flew out the door.  It was drizzling a little but that didn't matter.  The wind was much stronger than usual, but that didn't matter either.  I didn't want the rain or the wind as excuses anymore.  I didn't need excuses not to ride when riding had become the highlight of my weekend.

    Other triathletes do group rides (or do group rides and a short ride after) to prep for an Ironman. But, I think these athletes are greatly missing out on an amazing aspect of the journey to become an Ironman.  You can't draft in the race.  You can't distract yourself with chit chat in the race.  You can't stop at Starbucks to catch up with your friends in the race.  So you probably shouldn't be doing it in practice, either.

    Biking 112 miles takes a VERY long time.  And I really do feel that I am as prepared for that ride as I possibly could be.  I never gave myself the chance to draft off of anyone on my solo rides.  I never had anyone to block the wind for me or to give me some water if I had run out.  It was just me out there.  I had nothing to listen to besides the steady pace of my own breathing.  I had nothing else to look at besides the beauty of parts of the city I had never seen before.

    Each solo bike ride was a brand new experience.  Many times I left my house without a clear route even marked.  I would just follow other bikers to new areas of the city.  Today, I wound up biking through the Mangrove preserve.  It was beautiful and serene.  And, while I was out there, I was thinking about how easy these rides had become.  Yes my body is stronger.  But more importantly, my mind was finally clear.  After so many ours of being alone and obsessing about random things that didn't matter, I had finally pushed through to the other side.  I had pushed through to the side of nothingness and yet clarity.  The negative thoughts were gone.  The distractions about work or home were distant memories.  It was just me, my bike, and the wide open road.

    After reflecting upon all my training, the one thing I know I did right was to do most of my long rides alone.  And, if you're training for an Ironman, I'd highly recommend doing the same. Yes, you can train yourself physically for the race by biking with others.  But, you can't train for the race mentally unless you venture out alone.

    Learning to tolerate being with yourself for over 6 hours is not easy.  It's hard to be forced to be 'inside your own head' for that long and to not lose hope or let the negativity creep in. But little by little you can build up to it, just like you build yourself up physically.  The first few rides will be miserable, I'm sure.  You will always find something else you can blame besides having to blame your own mental weakness.  But, over time, you will learn to find the joy in being alone.  You will learn new things about yourself and the way your mind functions each time you ride.  You will stop trying to distract yourself and instead learn to enjoy the loneliness, the pain, and the exhaustion.  And, you will be proud when you come home because you will know that you did it all alone.

"Well there's nothing to lose

And there's nothing to prove

I'll be biking with myself"

Triathlon Checklist

You’ve trained. You’ve spent A LOT of money trying to find the perfect gear. And now you’re packing your bag the night before your first race scared beyond belief and nervous that you will forget something. 

So, to alleviate some of your worries I’ve created a Triathlon Checklist from packing your gear to toeing the start line. Enjoy!

WHAT TO PACK THE NIGHT BEFORE:

1. Bike 
1. Lube your chain if it needs it.
2. Make sure all your seat bolts and bottle cage bolts are nice and tight. The last thing you need is for your seat to pop loose or for your bottle cages to be rattling around mid-race.
3. Check your brakes and make sure they’re secure and not rubbing against your tire. One time I actually lost one of my brake pads mid-race. Turns were a bit too scary for my liking. 
4. Bike Pump. Make sure to bring your own bike pump as lines to get tires pumped can be insanely long at the race site. 
5. Gear Bag. Get something brightly colored or distinct so you can locate your things in transition easily. I usually use this ugly, blue bag I have from when I swam in College. It might be ugly but there isn’t a single other person at the race who has it. And, when I’m running through transition, it’s very easy to spot. 


1. Goggles. Considering bringing a back-up pair just in case your goggles break. Yes, it does happen on occasion. 
2. Tri Suit. I like to put my suit with my gear bag the night before just so I’m not scrambling early in the morning to find it.
3. Swim suit or back-up tri suit. Zippers could get jammed. Suits can rip. It’s better to have a sub-par back-up outfit than to be naked.
4. Helmet. 
5. Bike Shoes. Check the cleat bolts to make sure they’re nice and tight. 
6. CO2 cartridge and replacement tube and lever. Even if you don’t know how to fix a flat, it’s better to have the tools so somebody else can help.
7. Sunglasses, cleaning cloth, and case. If the glasses aren’t on your face or safely stashed in your helmet ready for the transition to bike, put them in the case or they’ll probably get stepped on. Transition is a total free-for-all. 
8. Hat, Visor, or Headband. I personally like running in a visor or headband but beware if you do. You might walk away with a slightly burnt scalp and be cringing each time you brush your hair the rest of the week.
9. Race number belt.
10. Sneakers.
11. Towel or Mat to wipe your feet on and to put all your gear on in transition. Some people use vats of water to clean their feet but a towel will usually do just fine.
12. Back-up towel. If it rains you might want to have a second towel to put on top of all of your gear when waiting for the race to start. There is nothing like having soaked shoes BEFORE you even put them on.
13. Water Bottles. 
14. Necessary Nutritional Items. Always bring extra just in case you drop some accidentally or can’t get a bag open.
15. 2 Zip Lock Bags. Most people like to have immediate post-race cell phone access. However, be sure to put your phone in two tightly sealed Zip Lock bags even if it’s hot and sunny out. When a rain storm comes out of nowhere and everyone else’s cell phones get ruined in transition, you’ll be very appreciative.
16. A handful of Toilet Paper or Tissues. Try imagining 2500 nervous triathletes all slamming the porta-pottys just before the race. Do you really think they supply the bathrooms with enough TP for all those people? 
17. Advil. Yes, I know it’s not suggested to take Advil while racing. But, it’s nice to have it when absolutely necessary. If you strain a muscle mid-race or have a sudden headache, it’s better to have some emergency Advil on hand than to not finish.
18. Immodium and Zantac. We all get nervous but some of us get far more nervous than others. I suggest having both just in case your tummy isn’t too thrilled with you at 4am while gearing up for the race.  
19. Black Permanent Marker. Depending on the race and when you arrive, the body marking lines can be quite long. To avoid them, just bring your own marker and do it yourself.
20. All-Purpose Bike Tool. Bring it just in case something needs to be screwed in or tightened very last minute.
2. Have any pre-race water bottles in the fridge and ready to go. Have your breakfast prepared as well. 

RACE MORNING BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE:

1. Put on your tri suit.
2. Do a last minute bathroom run.
3. Grab your breakfast and make sure all your water bottles are filled. Make sure to have an extra water bottle for the ride to the race site. A lot of times, water isn’t easily accessible before the race. The race managers need to save it for later.
4. Bring a change of clothes to leave in the car for after the race. 

RACE MORNING AT THE RACE SITE:

1. Pick up your registration packet and timing chip if you haven’t already done so. 
2. Get your body marked or mark it yourself.
3. Go to the “bike out” area. Do a quick test ride if possible to configure your bike to the proper gear for getting out of transition and onto the bike course.
4. Run into transition and rack your bike (unless you already had to rack it the day before). A lot of times the early bird gets the best rack position.
5. Check tire pressure. 
6. Check all bolts and brake pads to make sure nothing needs to be altered or tightened.
7. Set your watch or bike computer back to Zero. 
8. Set up all your gear.
9. Undo your shoe laces.
10. Try on your race number belt to make sure it’s tight enough.
11. Clean your sunglasses.
12. Put your timing chip on your left ankle so that it won’t get caught in the bike gears. 
13. Look for a nearby sign, tree, or patch of grass that will help you identify where in transition is your bike rack.
14. Put your empty gear bag somewhere in sight so you can easily spot it as you run from either side of transition. Remember: transition won’t be as full during the race so you’ll probably be able to spot your bag from pretty far away.
15. Do one last check of all your things. Take you goggles, cap, wad of TP, and a small water bottle with you as you leave transition. Even if you don’t use the TP before the race, you can hand it off to some other very grateful person.
16. You’re all set! Have a great race!

RACE REPORT: Independence Day Triathlon at Tradewinds Park

    I know that Sprint Triathlons don’t exactly prepare me for a race that’s about 12 times as long. But, I saw no harm in doing a Sprint Triathlon just for fun…especially when it fell on a Wednesday and wouldn’t interfere with my all-too-important weekend workouts. Granted, I actually chose to wake up at 4:30am on my day off from work. And, although he came and cheered with a smile on his face, I know my boyfriend wasn’t too psyched about the early wakeup either. But, that’s what you get for dating a crazy person like myself.

    Anyways, although it was an early wake-up, I felt comforted by knowing that the race would only take me about an hour to complete. It’s a lot less nerve-wracking waking up for a Sprint Tri than for a Half-Iron. And luckily, although it was beyond humid out and the mosquitoes were out with a vengeance, the sun stayed away for the most part and I was able to win the race in my age group with a decent time of 1hour and two minutes (and 10 seconds to be uber-specific).

In Transition

The Swim/Run to T-1: 

Not much to say about the quarter-mile swim. I went out hard and had the 13th fastest swim overall for both men and women. It’s hard for me to get a good lead in a sprint race on the swim, though. Swimming thirty seconds faster than somebody in a quarter-mile is like lapping that person in a pool. But in a triathlon, thirty seconds is NOTHING. I could essentially drop my hemlet in transition and lose that lead.

T1: 

Acceptable at about a minute but I still need to improve my transition times. I’m not too worried about the transitions for the full-Ironman though…obviously.

The Bike: 

 I averaged a little over 20mph which was decent for such a turn-ridden, crowded, narrow bike course. Also, on my first of the two loops on the bike, I narrowly escaped a MAJOR collision at an un-marked turn about 1.5miles into the bike course. I feel bad for the man whose bike got split in half right in from of me. However, I’m also pretty glad that it wasn’t me. The collision definitely freaked me out though and I made sure to really slow down at all of the turns on the course after that. There weren’t any volunteers or signs to signal upcoming turns so it was up to each individual biker to stay very aware of what turns lay ahead. I definitely sacrificed a lot of my speed at every turn on the course. But, I still maintained my lead which ensuring the safety of both myself and my bike.

T-2: 

Definitely slower than it should be. This is definitely an area that I can improve upon.

The Run: 

That's me...numero uno!

 I’ve been putting A LOT of strain on my body recently and my muscles have been feeling heavy and exhausted. In fact, I just completed my 100-mile bike milestone last Sunday. I didn’t feel the general body exhaustion really kick-in until the run. But, when it did, my legs felt very heavy and sluggish. Overall, I felt strong and composed on the run. But, I just couldn’t get my legs to turn over any faster no matter how hard I tried. Fortunately I did not have to out-sprint anybody to the finish because I’m not sure my legs could’ve responded. But, my split wasn’t all too terrible and I made it to the finish still feeling strong so I’m pretty happy.

Learning to Breathe

Notice how the swimmer breathes toward the shoulder

    Like most of you, I of course watched every single live final of the recent Omaha Olympic Swim Trials. Besides the fact that it’s incredibly exciting to watch the Olympic dreams of talented swimmers come true, it’s also very interesting to analyze the technique of the country’s fastest athletes and to see how stroke and wall efficiency has improved over time. Usually I enjoy watching the walls the most. The speed and power these athletes get off the turn is exceptional and a very sharp contrast to my own miserable turns. But this time I did notice something else that I found perplexing…almost every freestyle swimmer breached every other stroke.

    Now, I can’t even begin to count the number of times a coach has yelled at me for breathing too frequently in a race. The way I was taught growing up was to maintain a standard bilateral breathing pattern (meaning breathing to both sides) every three strokes for distance races and possibly even more for sprint races. So, I wondered, why are all these elite athletes breathing every stroke when they too, like me, was probably originally taught not to?

    And the answer is that they breathe every stroke in an attempt to supply the body with a greater, more consistent, flow of oxygen. Obviously this makes total sense. The more breaths you take, the less oxygen deprived your muscles become, the looser your muscles stay, and the faster you can ultimately swim….in theory, obviously.

    You’re probably asking yourself at this point, why are the elite swimmers breathing every stroke and the rest of us are still taught to breathe every three? Well, you just answered the question yourself. There are two types of swimmers…the elite and then everybody else.

Me and Gary Hall Jr. after an open water swimming event in '07

    Although we must take note of the amazing technique of the elite swimmers, we cannot apply all of it to our own swimming. And that’s a very important thing to realize. For most of us, bilateral breathing tends to even out our rotation forcing us into better technique. Take away breathing to one side and you’ll no doubt find that your body will begin to flatten out. Although you’ll be getting more oxygen to supply to your muscles by breathing every stroke, your body rotation will suffer. And, once you lose proper rotation, your speed will undoubtedly decrease thus defeating the whole purpose of making the change in the first place.

    The only reason why the elite swimmers can change their breathing pattern is because they’re good enough to still be able to maintain proper technique. Most of us would not be so lucky.

   In summation, although it’s exciting to watch the Omaha Trials and the Olympics, and although there are certain technique pointers we can take away to apply to ourselves, changing our standard bilateral breathing pattern is not one of them. And if you have any doubts, you can refer to my quick “Breathing Cheat Sheet” below. Happy swimming!

Swimming Breathing Cheat Sheet

Practice Pool Swimming: 

Bilateral Breathing. Breathe every third stroke alternating sides to maintain rotation. Focus on maintaining a consistent and even rotation pushing your shoulder towards the bottom of the pool as your hand enters the water. As you rotate, instead of turning your head directly to the side to breathe, turn your head to the side and back towards your shoulder. The body rotation causes a small air pocket located directly above the shoulder. Exhale while your face is still in the water and then inhale from that above-shoulder air pocket for quick and efficient breathing.

Try to do some sets practicing longer bilateral breathing to practice breath control. For example, do 8 x 50s breathing every 3,5,7,9 stroke by 50.

Race Pool Swimming (Mid-Distance and Distance): 

Bilateral Breathing following the same breathing technique as practice pool swimming. Breathe every third stroke alternating sides to maintain rotation. Take at least one stroke off the wall after a turn before breathing to not break your momentum off the turn. On the last lap, hold your breath from the flags into the wall in order to have a strong finish. 

Race Pool Swimming (Sprint aka 100m and under): 

If above 50, do Bilateral Breathing following the same breathing technique as practice pool swimming and Race Pool Distance Swimming. Feel free to hold your breath a bit longer on the last lap in order to really drive to the wall.

If only 50, breathe only as necessary. The goal is to finish as fast as possible, try to breathe less often but try not to lose proper body rotation. 

Open Water Swimming (Lake): 

Bilateral Breathing following the same breathing technique as practice pool swimming. Lift your head every once in a while to spot the buoys but try not to break stroke. It should be a very quick head lift and is not meant to be a break to breathe. Take one breath at most when lifting your head. If necessary, take one Breaststroke stroke to allow more time to spot the buoy but try to integrate the stroke seamlessly into your freestyle.

Open Water Swimming (Ocean): 

Be conscious of the waves and in what direction you are swimming. If swimming into the waves, Bilateral Breathing following the same breathing technique with head lifts as Open Water Lake Swimming. If swimming parallel to the waves, breathe every four strokes and only towards the beach side (you don’t want to breathe into a wave and get a mouthful of seawater). Don’t breathe every other stroke even though you might be tempted. Breathe every four in order to maintain proper stroke technique. Otherwise, follow the same Open Water Lake Swimming protocol for buoy spotting.