Final morning swim at Hills﻿ea Lido

Final morning swim at Hillsea Lido

1/9/2016

The Summer is nearly gone and I did my final morning acclimatisation swim at the 67m Portsmouth open air pool this morning. I have done no sea swimming this year apart from the Arun 3K river race and it's an experiment to see if I can use this pool as preparation for open water swimming with the Southsea 2k Pier to Pier race on 18th September as the test.

An effortless 1800 metres focussing on swimming in a relaxed Total Immersion style with neutral head, using the Two Beat Kick and noticing how well timed my kick has become when I breathe left and how I still have a fair bit of work to do unravelling what changes when I breathe to the right.

I appear to be swimming pretty straight when breathing left (surely no coincidence that this is not the case when breathing right) and can remain on track sighting only once or twice per lap.

In the sea it will be a different matter of course.

I am talking to the trustees of the pool about some one day workshops in this pool next year. Let me know if you are interested please.

4 Comments

Paul McNair

1/9/2016 10:59:40

I have the exact same issue :) Left side = lovely patient lead hand, good whale eye, popeye mouth and almost perfectly timed kick. Ride side = none of the above :) I am working on it though and won't abandon my quest for an effortless bilateral swimming stroke!

James Ewart link

1/9/2016 12:48:27

Hi Paul,
I used to prefer breathing right but was a bit of a head twister even though I breathed deep with one goggle out and still I think there is a little twitch in my neck and less relaxed exhale when I tell my my brain I'm going to breathe right. Definitely coupled with a tendency for the left arm to drift across a bit and more comfortable when I focus on it remaining on the wide rail. I was trying to force it but that wasn't working so am taking an occasional two or three right in an uneven breathing pattern to allow myself to relax more. Don't forget bilateral breathing does not mean you have to breathe every three unless you are comfortable doing so. But comfortable both sides would be ideal. Most of the longer distance pros have a definite preference for one side or the other; Keri-Anne Payne breathes to the left most of the time.

6/9/2016 12:53:06

Thanks James! Great advice. I was watching the elite swimmers at the Great Scottish Swim on the television and did notice them breathing on two mostly. Like you, I'll keep working away at it. I have tried incorporating even lengths to the left and odd lengths to the right. Having only ever swam on 3, I find it quite rushed. I'll persevere. Love your blog, really informative.

6/9/2016 13:21:32

Thanks Paul.
Breathing every three or so for a bit does help you notice what you are doing differently. Then try the odd length. Make sure the timing is the same both sides and make sure you focus on relaxing the head as you breathe to the less favoured side with no neck twisting movement.

Final morning swim at Hills﻿ea Lido

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Final morning swim at Hillsea Lido