06.03.09 - breathing (again) + 200 breakthru

200 ez
200 bk
50 breathe every 3
150 bk
50 breathe 3
100 bk/br
50 breathe 3
50 fly
50 breathe 3

8 x 100 @1:30.
I tried out different breathing plans on each one, did 1.) every other R, 2.) every other L 3.) every 3, 4.) 50 R, 50 L, 5.) 2 R, 2 L 6.) 3 R, 3L 7.) 50/50, 8.) 50/50

200 @2:40 (went 2:30)
100 mod @2:00
200 @2:45 (2:32)
3 x 50 @50
1 x 50 @40 (35)
4 x {
150 @2:00,
50 @1:00
} Held 1:54 on the 150s

4 x 100 K @2:00, odds fly, evens fr

3 x 300
1.) 150 fly/bk/br, 150 alt br
2.) 100 fly/bk, 200 alt br
3.) 50 fly, 250 alt br

6 x 50 K @1:10
4 x 50 K w/fins @1:00

warm down

I breathed every other stroke to the right on the first 200. It's way faster for me. Way, way faster. 2:30 was a practice PB for me in a 200m free. In fact, I went 2:29 in a race last year.

On the 150s, I alternated odds doing 50 breathe every other R/50 L/50 R with evens 50 L/50 R/50 L. I was holding the same pace either way. It seems that the main thing is just establishing a breathing rhythm to one side and sticking with it for a length or more. Switching sides slows me down.

I used to think breathing every other stroke was for some reason a no-no. Not anymore. I'm converted.

06.02.09 breathing

SCY - worked mostly on breathing
200 swim ez
400 pull
300 K
200 pull w/snorkel + buoy
100 swim w/snorkel
100 - 25 K on right, 25 on left
2 x 50 6K switch

400 swim - 200 breathe every stroke to R, 200 to L (4:50)
300 free - breathe every 3rd (3:34)
500 free - breathe 2 L, 2 R (6:04)

LCM - IM set
100 - 50 K/50 dr
5 x 100 fr desc @1:35 (went down to 1:15)
4 x 50 IMO drill @1:00
2 x 100 - 50 fly/50 bk @1:40
2 x 150 - 50 fly/100 bk @2:20
2 x 200 - 50 fly/150 bk @3:10
2 x 150 - 50 fly/100 bk @2:20
2 x 100 - 50 fly/50 bk @1:40
100 ez rec
2 x 100 - 50 bk/50 br @1:45
2 x 150 - 50 bk/100 br @2:40
2 x 200 - 100 bk/100 br @3:20
2 x 150 - 100 bk/50 br @2:30
2 x 100 - 50 bk/50 br @1:45

I skipped the last set of br/free swims b/c I had to head to work.

warm down.

Today I was working on the breath/hand connection that Patrick mentioned yesterday and discovered a couple of things, with the help of the eagle-eyed coach Lani:

1. Breathing to my left throws my stroke out of balance.
2. I don't have a breathing plan and so I just breathe randomly. It's screwing with my rhythm, especially when I breathe left at irregular intervals.

So I need to go into every swim knowing how I'm going to breathe during that swim. That really seems to help smooth out some of my extension issues. As for racing, I'll need to experiment with different patterns for different distances, but I should probably seriously think about just breathing to my right and not worry about bilateral breathing.