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OBJECTIVE
- To work through each of the timing and air exchange micro-skills that make breathing easier.
- To improve breathing timing on BOTH sides.
- To bring micro-skills from your strong side to your weak side.
DISTANCE
2500 meters
DRILLS AND FOCAL POINTS
Drills:
- Drill 1 = Superman to Skate, with single switch to skate (then stop, stand, or use interrupted breathing to rest)
- Drill 2 = Swing-Switch, slow-motion, with pauses at hip and Mailslot (pauses give you time to think)
Focal Points:
- A = Patient Front Arm (front arm does not move while breathing)
- B = Small Bubbles From Nose (continuous stream of small bubbles during non-breathing strokes)
- C = Split The Goggles (with the surface of the water, on your turn to breathe)
- D = Breathe Early As Possible*
- E = Blow The Hatches (clear your nose and mouth just a microsecond before touching the air)
- F = Quick Sip Of Air
- G = Race Recovery Arm Back (your eyes should not see your own Recovery Arm coming forward)
* The idea is that we want to breathe as early in the Catch phase as possible at the moment of peak acceleration and peak hydrodynamic lift in the stroke (body lifting a little in the water like an airplane wing due to acceleration). This is when it is easiest to breathe and requires the least amount of additional effort to reach air. Then we want to get the head back, eyes down, as soon as possible, before the Recovery happens to minimize drag from a turned head. Everything in the stroke cycle has interia working against early breathing so we must be diligent to practice and imprint an early breath habit.
TUNE-UP
800 meters total.
200m whole stroke, QUIET swimming.
Pay attention to what where your arm is (the arm on your breathing side) when you begin inhale, and then where it is when you start to turn your face back down into the water.6 rounds of 2x 50m with a new Focal Point on each round.
- Round 1 – use Focal Point A
- Round 2 – use Focal Point B
- Round 3 – use Focal Point C
MAIN SET 1
400 meters total.
Note: If you feel you have a smooth or strong breathing skill on one side, but not the other, start these sets on your strong side, and then use your strong side as a reference point for finding what skills are absent on your weak side. Compare the two, using Focal Points to show you what to examine.
4 Rounds of 2x (25m Drill 1, 25m Whole Stroke)
- Round 1 – use Focal Point D
- Round 2 – use Focal Point E
- Round 3 – use Focal Point F
- Round 4 – use Focal Point G
On each round:
- Start on LEFT Skate, breathe to LEFT.
- 25m Drill 1, breathe to LEFT, do only one switch from Superman to Skate.
- 25m Whole Stroke, breathe only on LEFT every 2 or 4 strokes.
- Start on RIGHT Skate, breathe to RIGHT.
- 25m Drill 1, breathe to RIGHT, do only one switch from Superman to Skate.
- 25m Whole Stroke, breathe only on RIGHT every 2 or 4 strokes.
Instructions:
On these drills practice the timing of the head (with torso) turn, without breathing at first. Do single switch so that you can think carefully before the turn and watch carefully that you perform exactly as you planned to. Finish in Perfect Skate position.
Stop and stand (or use Interrupted Breathing) to breathe after one switch so there is no pressure on you to tilt the head out of proper position as you feel a demand for air.
Be loyal FIRST to head position, SECOND to timing, THIRD to taking a sip of air. It is easier to make good timing if head is in best position. If head is not in best position, everything else becomes more difficult. If you are still having a hard time with head position, plan to spend more time on the Breathing Head Position practice sets.
MAIN SET 2
600 meters total.
4 Rounds of 2x (1x 25m Drill 2, 2x 25m Whole Stroke)
- Round 1 – use Focal Point D
- Round 2 – use Focal Point E
- Round 3 – use Focal Point F
- Round 4 – use Focal Point G
On each round:
- 1x 25m Drill 2, breathe to LEFT, do only ONE Swing Switch and finish in Perfect Skate.
- 2x 25m Whole Stroke, Breathe only on LEFT every 2 or 4 strokes.
- 1x 25m Drill 2, breathe to RIGHT, do only ONE Swing Switch and finish in Perfect Skate.
- 2x 25m Whole Stroke, Breathe only on RIGHT every 2 or 4 strokes.
(Use same instructions as Set 2)
MAIN SET 3
450 meters total.
- 1x 50m Whole Stroke, breathe on LEFT
- 1x 50m Whole Stroke, breathe on RIGHT
- 1x 75m Whole Stroke, breathe on LEFT
- 1x 75m Whole Stroke, breathe on RIGHT
- 1x 100m Whole Stroke, breathe on LEFT
- 1x 100m Whole Stroke, breathe on RIGHT
Instructions:
Breathe every 2 or every 4 strokes, or switch between 2 and 4 strokes.
If you are still new in these skills choose one Focal Point (D, E, F, or G) to use during each repeat. If you are feeling more confident blend two Focal Points together (DE, DF, DG, EF, EG, FG).
If at any time during whole stroke you fail repeatedly at performing the task you may stop and do 25 of Drill 1 or Drill 2 in order to isolate the micro-skill and tune-up your attention on it.
MAIN SET 4
250 meters total.
- 1x 25m Whole Stroke, breathe every 3 strokes.
- 1x 50m Whole Stroke, breathe every 3 strokes.
- 1x 75m Whole Stroke, breathe every 3 strokes.
- 1x 100m Whole Stroke, breathe every 3 strokes.
(Use same instructions as Set 3)
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