Master Class Breathing

Free up more energy. Breath with more skill, confidence and ease in 8 weeks.

Month 1 of 2

Instructions

Overview Of Master Class Breathing

This Master Class is divided into 2 stages, with 4 weeks and 1 test swim in each stage, with 3 practices in each week, for a total of 24 practices.

 

Stage 1

  • Baseline Test Swim #1
  • Week 1 – Strong side, weak side
  • Week 2 – Strong side, weak side
  • Week 3 – Bi-lateral Breathing
  • Week 4 – Bi-lateral Breathing

Stage 2

  • Baseline Test Swim #2
  • Week 5 – Breath Control
  • Week 6 – Breath Control
  • Week 7 – Breathing Patterns
  • Week 8 – Breathing Patterns

Final – 800m Test Swim

The first two test swims could be included in those practice times if you have time and energy for it. The final 800m test swim should be done on a separate day at the end, with your best tune-up before hand. This program is organized into 8 weeks. You are free to go through the course at a faster pace or at a slower pace (doing more practices per week or less), but I do recommend a minimum of 3 practices a week in order to maintain momentum in building fitness and skills. If you can do more practices per week then I encourage you to repeat those practices of that week which have felt most productive to you.

Objectives For Master Class Breathing

Your swim achievement goal is to swim 800 meters with significantly improved ease in your breathing. 800m is your quantity objective while breathing easier (which means swimming at lower effort level) is your quality objective. There are three categories of breathing skills to master in this course:

Breathing Skills 800x500

In order of priority to learn:

  1.  Head Position
  2. Breath Timing
  3. Air Management (exhale/inhale)

We may divide that goal into two levels:

For Level 1 swimmers you will be completing 800 for the first time, or for the first time with greater ease.

For Level 2 swimmers you may expect to complete 800 faster than before, with more ease than ever before because easier breathing has freed up more energy.

You will do this by:

  • Improving body position while breathing,
  • Improving the timing of each breath,
  • Improving the exhale/inhale pattern,
  • Improving synchronization of breathing to stroke movements,
  • Expanding your options for breathing patterns to fit tempo and effort level,
  • Improving calm in the brain about getting enough air.

Weekly Practice Pattern

3 practice patterns per week with a different focus for each.

If you have time and energy for it during the week, you may repeat any of these practices that feel most beneficial to you.

Stage 1

Week 1 – Balance

Baseline Test Swim #1

For your first test swim we just want to see what you can currently accomplish in breathing with your normal stroke. You may choose one of the following for your test swim:

  • 4x 200 with 10 seconds rest
  • 2x 400 with 20 seconds rest
  • 1x 800

You will simply go through your normal warm-up routine, then start the test swim.

You will start swimming and take certain measurements along the way. Since this course is about improving your ease of breathing, measuring your subjective sense of ease is the primary measurement we want to take in each test swim.

You will definitely notice it if getting to air gets easier, and if you simply feel you don’t need as much air as before. In addition to this, ease in breathing should free up more energy that you can use to swim farther or swim faster, or just lower effort to swim the same speed. As things improve inside your body, your external performance will show the evidence of it.

So, you will also want to take some objective measurements during the test swim.

If you complete the entire 800 meters that is fine. If you need to take more rest between intervals to complete the test that is OK. If you do not complete the entire 800 meters that is OK too. After all, this class is going to take your abilities to a new level. We just want to see where your current ability and ease is at.

Here are the measurements you need to make. You may not be able to do all of them – and that is ok too – but they are listed in order of priority. If you can only a few, do the first ones on the list.

  1. The total distance you swam (and note the interval distances, if you stopped to rest)
  2. The total time it took to swim that distance (plus any rest intervals you took).
  3. The number of strokes you took on each length (or on every fourth length)**
  4. The time splits at each 100m mark.*
  5. Tempo **

You may need to take a notepad to the pool with you so you can record your data while it is fresh in your mind after the test. Record these results in your Personal Discussion Zone.

*If you have a simple water-proof sports watch, you may set the chronometer and then hit the split button each time you finish 100.

**If you have a more sophisticated swimming watch it may record your strokes and tempo for you. But I will continually urge you to practice stroke counting in your head – it has many benefits.

Week 1 Homework Assignment

Improving control over breathing, in water or on land, begins with awareness of how you normally breath under a variety of conditions.

So, for this first week, your out-of-pool assignment is to simply observe details about your breathing at different moments throughout your day, throughout the week. In order to remind you to notice – you may draw a mark on your hand, tie a bracelet on your wrist, or perhaps set a random alarm on your smartphone to call your attention to this assignment periodically, during the day.

Here are some questions to ask yourself, and give you something to report in your PDZ:

How is your posture?

How quick is your breathing rate? (faster or slower than 12 breaths a minute)

Where are you breathing from? (the top of the chest, the middle of the chest, or down low in your belly)

What points of tension do you notice in your body when you direct your attention onto your breath?

Attention Practice 1.1

Main Set 1: Head Position

Focal Point: Laser Lead Head (Keep head on the Shishkabob).

First, put head in line with the spine, then let head (and chest together) find their weightless neutral point in the water. As you turn toward breath, DO NOT TILT your head upward, but keep it rotating sideways with the rotation of the shoulder.

Head Position Points 800x500

Main Set 2: Head Position

Focal Point: Kiss The Air (a.k.a. ‘Popeye’ in Coach Terry’s jargon)

As you turn toward the air, remember that you do not need your eyes to touch the air in order to breathe, just the side of the mouth. As you turn your head with the shoulders, turn the head just slightly further enough that you can stretch the side of your mouth to touch the air, as if you were going to kiss the sky with it.

Main Set 3: Air Management

Focal Point: Small Bubbles from the Nose

While your face is underwater, allow for a small, gentle stream of bubbles to come from your nose. The release of CO2 will relax the body, and prepare for a faster inhale.

When intensity is low, this bubble stream remains small and gentle. When intensity is higher the bubble stream starts gently and grows in pressure as you get closer to the turn to breath.

Tempo Practice 1.2

Choose focal points from the Attention Practice for this week.

Use the BEEP of the Tempo Trainer to help you establish rhythm, then integrate your breathing focal point into that rhythm.

Main Set 1: Tempo Pyramid

You may read more about how to use Tempo Pyramid.

600m total Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: 6x 50 with 10 seconds rest to change TT. Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC (your comfortable tempo). Then slow down the tempo by +0.01 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC + 0.05 seconds.

Round 2: 6x 50 with 10 seconds rest to change TT. Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC + 0.05 (your comfortable tempo). Then speed up the tempo by -0.01 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC.

Observe stroke count but you do not need to constrain your SPL.

Focus on a breathing focal point instead.

Main Set 2: Tempo Intervals

1200m total

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on round, and the second focal point on the next round.

Level 1 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC + 0.02
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC + 0.01
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC – 0.01

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Level 2 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (50, 100) at TC + 0.02
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC + 0.01
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.01

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Distance Practice 1.3

For these practices you will choose an optimal stroke count (= ‘N’ SPL) and count strokes on each length.  

Main Set 1

Distance 500m.

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: Drill for 2 minutes, then 5x (25+25) whole stroke with 10 seconds rest. Breathe on STRONG SIDE every 2 strokes.

Round 2: Drill for 2 minutes, then 5x (25+25) whole stroke with 10 seconds rest. Breathe on WEAK SIDE every 2 strokes.

Level 1 assignment: Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length.

Level 2 assignment: Use Tempo Trainer set to TC. Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length. 

Main Set 2

Level 1 Assignment with 3 Rounds:

  • 2x (75 breathe on STRONG SIDE, 75 breathe on WEAK SIDE)
  • Breath every 2 strokes.
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 900m

Level 2 Assignment with 5 Rounds:

  • 2x (100 breathe on STRONG SIDE, 100 breathe on WEAK SIDE)
  • Breath every 2 strokes.
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 1000m

Week 2 – Alignment

Week 2 Homework Assignment

Last week you practiced simply becoming more aware of your breathing patterns at different times of the day. This week, you can start to make a small improvement on it.

Now, with the same random reminders in place, you are going to work on breathing down lower in your diaphragm. One simple way of doing this is to place the palm of one of your hands just below your navel, then on inhale, gently push that hand away from the spine, and on exhale, let is come back toward your spine. 

Some questions to ask yourself:

How much of your normal daily breathing comes from the abdomen, like this?

How does this kind of breathing affect your rate of respiration?

How does it affect your posture?

How does it seem to affect your heart rate and mental clarity?

Attention Practice 2.1

Main Set 1: Head Position

Focal Point: Bow Wave

As in this picture, there should be a consistent bow wave breaking on your swim camp, at the top of your head.

Head Position Points 800x500

Main Set 2: Breath Timing

Focal Point: Quick Sip of Air

When head position is good, and timing is early, and exhale/inhale is set just right, you need just a quick sip of air.

Main Set 3: Your Choice

Focal Point: Choose a focal point from another skill project you are working on and notice how it may be affected by improvement in your breathing skill.

Tempo Practice 2.2

Choose focal points from the Attention Practice for this week. Use the BEEP of the Tempo Trainer to help you establish rhythm, then integrate your breathing focal point into that rhythm.

Main Set 1: Tempo Pyramid

700m total

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: 7x 50 with 10 seconds rest to change TT. Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC (your comfortable tempo). Then speed up the tempo by -0.01 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC – 0.06 seconds.

Round 2: 7x 50 Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC – 0.06 (your comfortable tempo). Then slow down the tempo by -0.01 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC.

Observe stroke count but you do not need to constrain your SPL. Focus on a breathing focal point instead.

Main Set 2: Tempo Intervals

1200m total

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on round, and the second focal point on the next round.

Level 1 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC + 0.01
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC – 0.01
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC – 0.02

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Level 2 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.01
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.01
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.02

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Distance Practice 2.3

For these practices you will choose an optimal stroke count (= ‘N’ SPL) and count strokes on each length.  

Main Set 1

Distance 500m.

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: Drill for 2 minutes, then 5x (25+25) whole stroke with 10 seconds rest. Breathe on STRONG SIDE every 2 or 4 strokes.

Round 2: Drill for 2 minutes, then 5x (25+25) whole stroke with 10 seconds rest. Breathe on WEAK SIDE every 2 or 4 strokes.

Level 1 assignment: Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length.

Level 2 assignment: Use Tempo Trainer set to TC. Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length. 

Main Set 2

Level 1 Assignment with 3 Rounds:

  • 1x (50 + 100) breathe on STRONG side, and 1x (50 + 100) breathe on WEAK side
  • Breath every 2 or 4 strokes.
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 900m

Level 2 Assignment with 4 Rounds:

  • 3x 100
  • Always breathe toward same wall (alternate sides per length)
  • Breath every 2 or 4 strokes.
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 1200m

Week 3 – Stability

Week 3 Homework Assignment

Last week you practiced taking breaths from lower down, in your diaphragm. This week, you can start to make a small daily exercise of breathing meditation, or concentration.

Set aside about 3 minutes, the sooner in your day, the better. But really, you could do this at any time in the day where you can sit undisturbed for a while.

Sit in your best posture, comfortably. Straight spine, head set squarely on your shoulders, shoulders over your hips. Place your hands in your lap, and relax the arms and hands and fingers. As you breath, emphasize the exhale, the contraction of the diaphragm muscles, without being excessive or exaggerated about it. It should be of steady rate and depth, without being forced or feeling unnatural.

Then guide the inhale so that it happens at about the same rate as the exhale. Make the transitions between inhale/exhale as smooth and continuous as possible.

To keep the brain occupied on your chosen task try to apply as many of your senses to the breathing focal point as possible – listen, feel, taste, imagine a part of the body or action in your mind.

Objectives

Your first objective is to simply stay focused for the series of breath counts – pick one point on your body, or about the sensation of breathing, or upon some specific effect you feel on one part of your body.

Your second objective, is not to have perfect undistracted focus, but to practice responding to distraction by returning attention to breath immediately, each time you notice it being pulled away. In time you will notice that the frequency of distraction goes down, without having to resist it so much.

Two Options

You can try this two different ways:

  1. If you are easily distracted or are new to meditative exercises, try this – if possible, set a timer on your watch or phone for 3 minutes. Then, you are going to simply count deep diaphram breaths, counting down from 3, 2, 1. Repeat until the alarm goes off. If at any time you notice your attention wandering, just restart the count.
  2. If you have some experience with concentration, try this – count deep diaphragm breaths, counting down from 30 to 1. Repeat 3 times.

At any time that you feel like you have totally lost attention just return to your breath and restart your count.

Questions to ask yourself:

How hard has it been to sit still?

What are the main difficulties in staying focused on the breath?

What small details have you noticed about your body or breathing that you did not notice previously?

How does your sense of time alter (going quickly, slowly, disappear) while doing this exercise?

Attention Practice 3.1

Main Set 1: Head Position

Focal Point: Look Directly Sideways (a.k.a. “Nod” in Coach Terry’s jargon)

When you turn to breath your eyes should be pointed directly to the side (toward the wall), not slightly ahead, not slightly behind, and not slightly tilted up toward the sky. Ideally, one goggle stays below the surface of the water and one goggle stays above.

Main Set 2: Timing

Focal Point: Turn Early As Possible

Resist the urge to turn towards breath late or slowly although the inertia of everything will urge you to do so. The earlier you turn toward the breath, then the sooner you finish and return to eyes-down position the more energy you will conserve in several ways.

Main Set 3: Your Choice

Focal Point: Choose a focal point from another skill project you are working on and notice how it may be affected by improvement in your breathing skill.

Tempo Practice 3.2

Choose focal points from the Attention Practice for this week.

Use the BEEP of the Tempo Trainer to help you establish rhythm, then integrate your breathing focal point into that rhythm.

Main Set 1: Tempo Pyramid

600m total

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: 6x 50 with 10 seconds rest to change TT. Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC (your comfortable tempo). Then slow down the tempo by +0.02 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC + 0.10 seconds.

Round 2: 6x 50 Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC + 0.10 (your comfortable tempo). Then speed up the tempo by -0.02 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC.

Observe stroke count but you do not need to constrain your SPL. Focus on a breathing focal point instead.

Main Set 2: Tempo Intervals

1200m total

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on round, and the second focal point on the next round.

Level 1 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC + 0.04
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC + 0.02
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC – 0.02

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Level 2 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (50, 100) at TC + 0.04
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC + 0.02
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.02

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Distance Practice 3.3

For these practices you will choose an optimal stroke count (= ‘N’ SPL) and count strokes on each length.  

Main Set 1

Distance 500m.

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: Drill for 2 minutes, then 10x (50) whole stroke with 10 seconds rest. Breathe on 3rd stroke.

Level 1 assignment: Use Tempo Trainer set to TC. Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length.

Level 2 assignment: Use Tempo Trainer set to TC – 0.02. Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length. 

Main Set 2

Level 1 Assignment with 4 Rounds:

  • 100 + 150 whole stroke.
  • Breathe on every 3rd stroke.
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 1000m

Level 2 Assignment with 5 Rounds:

  • 200 whole stroke
  • Breath every 3rd stroke.
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 1000m

Week 4 – Stability

Week 4 Homework Assignment

Last week you practiced a short breathing meditation exercise. This week, your are going to add a short breathing exercise to your routine, just before entering the water for your swim practice.

Make it about 3 minutes long. You may have a breathing exercise you like to do already, or you may use one of the options given in last week’s assignment. Or, you may do a little internet research to find a breathing exercise that is more attractive to you.

Your objective is to set the stage for a new habit you can add to your practice preparation routine. Please share your technique and results with your coach in your Discussion Zone.

Attention Practice 4.1

Main Set 1: Timing

Focal Point: Race Recovery Arm

If you can see your recovery arm with your own eyes, you have breathed too late or stayed too long. Let your forward-sliding shoulder urge your head to turn back to eye-down position before your recovery arm arrives in front – have your eyes race your recovery arm back into the water.

Main Set 2: Air Management

Focal Point: Clear The Hatches

Just as a dolphin or whale sends a burst of air to clear the breathe-hole at the last moment before breathing, you too should send of burst of air from nose and mouth at the last micro-second before your mouth is ready to touch the air.

This clears water away from the intake area as well as primes the elastic diaphragm to immediately begin inhale, wasting no time above the surface to do anything else.

Main Set 3: Your Choice

Focal Point: Choose a focal point from another skill project you are working on and notice how it may be affected by improvement in your breathing skill.

Tempo Practice 4.2

Choose focal points from the Attention Practice for this week.

Use the BEEP of the Tempo Trainer to help you establish rhythm, then integrate your breathing focal point into that rhythm.

Main Set 1: Tempo Pyramid

600m total

Choose two focal points.

Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: 6x 50 with 10 seconds rest to change TT.

Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC (your comfortable tempo). Then speed up the tempo by -0.02 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC – 0.10 seconds.

Round 2: 6x 50

Start with your Tempo Trainer set to TC – 0.10 (your comfortable tempo). Then slow down the tempo by -0.02 second on each repeat. You will finish on TC.

Observe stroke count but you do not need to constrain your SPL. Focus on a breathing focal point instead.

Main Set 2: Tempo Intervals

1200m total

Choose two focal points.

Use the first focal point on round, and the second focal point on the next round.

Level 1 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC + 0.02
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC – 0.02
  • 2x (25, 50, 75) at TC – 0.04

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Level 2 Assignment

4 Rounds:

  • 2x (50, 100) at TC + 0.02
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.02
  • 2x (50, 100) at TC – 0.04

Rest 15 seconds between repeats. Drill for 30 seconds between rounds.

Distance Practice 4.3

For these practices you will choose an optimal stroke count (= ‘N’ SPL) and count strokes on each length.  

 

Main Set 1

Distance 500m.

Choose two focal points. Use the first focal point on one length, and the second focal point on the next length.

Round 1: Drill for 2 minutes, then 10x (50) whole stroke with 10 seconds rest. Breathe on 3rd stroke.

Level 1 assignment: Use Tempo Trainer set to TC. Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length.

Level 2 assignment: Use Tempo Trainer set to TC – 0.02. Count strokes and hold SPL at N on every length. 

Main Set 2

Level 1 Assignment with 4 Rounds:

  • 100 + 150 whole stroke.
  • Take N-1 SPL on every 4th length (75m at N SPL, then 25m at N-1 SPL)
  • Breathe on every 3rd stroke
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 1000m

Level 2 Assignment with 3 Rounds:

  • 2x 200 whole stroke
  • Take N-1 SPL on every 3rd lap (100m at N SPL, then 50 at N-1 SPL)
  • Breath every 3rd stroke
  • 2 minute drill for active rest between rounds
  • Distance 1200m