For those new to swimming or unfamiliar with the term, bilateral breathing means to breathe to both the right and left side while you swim. Simple enough concept. Sorta like dribbling with your right and left hand when you play basketball. The problem is that quite a few new swimmers (and let’s face it, a lot of swimmers who’ve been at it for a while) shy away from it because it feels awkward and can take a while to adjust to. Added to that that, if you’re struggling with swimming to begin with, and then you must hold your breath for 2 strokes (if you’re breathing every 3) then you’re going to get winded in a hurry. But just because it’s difficult shouldn’t mean you gloss over the idea. The benefits associated with it are many. In fact, as you might have guessed, I’m going to go over a few of them here.

Sighting – For triathletes this is the most obvious argument that is made, and perhaps, one of the least important. In any given open water swim, you are bound to get the sun in your face at some point. So if you are breathing to your right side and the sun is in your face, then the ability to breathe to your left is a great help in navigating your way through the course. The reason I say that this might be the least important is that you can also just close your eyes when you breathe and lift your head to sight in front of you to get around this problem. Not a great solution, but it will do the trick.

Symmetrical Technique – This one’s a biggie. Almost without exception, swimmers will have a strong side and a weak side. Right handed? Then your right arm/pull is typically stronger than your left. To make matters worse, swimmers will cater to the strong side by breathing to the strong side. A the domino effect begins..In order to breathe just to one side (we’ll use the right for this discussion)  they start swimming with the left shoulder lower in the water to make for an easier breath.  This makes one arm pull deeper than the other. To compensate for that they begin to reach a little further with the right arm to get a bigger pull with the strong arm. This soon turns into an overreach, and now there is a slight wiggle in their stroke. In order to compensate for the wiggle, the swimmer adds one really large kick with his right foot to get the body to rotate back over. Now he has a scissor kick and can’t swim in a straight line. What started out as favoring one side of breathing a little has turned into a bit of a messy stroke. This isn’t an exaggeration either. I have corrected a stroke just like this on numerous occasions by simply forcing them to breathe every 3rd stroke to make the pull symmetrically. There are other examples I could give such as dropping the elbow and breaking form when you breathe, but this is a blog, not a book.
Notice the asymmetrical strokes in the following videos. Strong swimmers, but the uneven stroke is costing them efficiency.

Rotation – Good body rotation is a big focus in learning how to swim well. Grab any book on the subject of swimming and rotation is mentioned early and often. When you choose to breathe on just one side though, you only develop half of that rotation. Because you’re favoring (as I mentioned above) one side, you will not rotate fully back to the other side. This is also at trap when people breathe just to the right for a length and then just to the left for a length. It’s a typical workaround for those who just hate breathing every 3rd stroke. So by favoring one side you rotate well in one direction and then finish rotating on the other side completely flat on their stomach. By not continually alternating your breathing you don’t learn proper rotation, you just learn how to drop a shoulder.

Swimming Straight – This is also a play off of the technique issue (isn’t everything a play off of technique with swimming?). An imbalance in your stroke leads to swimming crooked. It’s quite simple really. If one arm has a bigger reach/stroke than another, even if by a tiny amount, then the stronger arm/bigger stroke will control the direction. Never an issue in the pool as you have a black line and your hands naturally adjust pitch to steer in a straight line. Get in open water however, and you you’ll find yourself swimming all over the place. Happens to everyone. When I breathe to my left I tend to steer right just a little. Still working on that.

Now, I know the first thing some of you are thinking. “Well I watched (Insert Name Here) race in the Olympics/Ironman/World Cup, and they breathed to the same side the whole race. If they don’t do it why should I think it’s important? Answer is pretty simple really. When you race, technique needs to almost be automatic and getting enough air needs to be the focus. In training, you are focusing on technique so that it becomes automatic, so that needs to be the focus. In other words, when the effort is big (training or racing) get your air, but the rest of the time dial in that stroke.

If nothing else, watch the best swimmers do it. If you think it’s tough and they make it look easy…maybe, just maybe, there’s something to it.

Now go breathe right…..and left.

As promised, on first inspection they are a Speed Socket top to bottom, so if you’re curious about fit, swing by your local swim store (tri shops and general sporting goods stores won’t carry these. They are elite level racing goggles) and try a pair on. If you’re used to Vanquishers, then this won’t be much different. Might even be a little more comfortable. If however, the larger sized goggles or swim masks are more your bag, then they might take a little getting used to. Being a swedish goggle man myself, this was more goggle than I’m used to, but for me they are considerably more comfortable than the Vanquisher.

The real beauty is what you see. Everything. It surprised me at first. I didn’t realize how much glare in a goggle messes with you. Now there’s something to compare it to. The vision is crystal clear and it cuts the glare wonderfully. I almost felt like I was on one of those Blu-Blocker commercials while I swapped back and forth. Now, admittedly I haven’t used them in open water just yet so I can’t give you a play by play on swimming into the sun and how they cut that reflection off the water. What I do know is that they are going to be 100 times better than my smoke goggles I’ve been using.

So who needs these goggles? Someone who trains outdoors and those who swim in open water, whether it be triathlons or open water races. If you have sun hitting your face, you are going to want these goggles. If you train indoors and compete in indoor pools, then skip it. I don’t see any advantage to swimming under fluorescent lights with these things. With a glowing review like this, there’s got to be a downside right? Well, there is the price. The Speed Socket Polarized sell for $65. That’s quite a leap from what we come to expect from goggle pricing. Then again, this is quite a leap from what we come to expect from goggle vision too. If you find yourself squinting during a swim, it’ll be worth every penny.

One of the big topics of discussion around our house is whether or not to enter the 2010 Ironman Cozumel. My wife and I both know that I am due for another challenge, but with the recent purchase of Swim Shops, I want to make sure I have enough time in my day to train for it. And then there’s the bike. In 2006 I rode a 2003 aluminum Specialized in Ironman Hawaii. It was in need of a few upgrades then, so tack 4 years onto it and we both know a new bike is needed.

Of course Cozumel itself is an easy sell to my wife. Go to a resort destination that is a non stop, 2 hour flight away? No problem. If this was a discussion about Ironman Wisconsin then it would have been decided long ago.

I will be keeping an eye on the race today and see how it goes, but have about 24 hours left to make a decision. Just a week ago, Ironman Arizona sold out in 25 minutes, so waffling on my decision will leave me on the outside looking in.

What to do..what to do….

The Start. Even though you are lining up in the front row(s) at the start, the goal of avoiding getting tangled up still applies. If you get caught up fighting for space with others, you will at best lose time, and potentially lose a tooth.  I have been the first out of the water at countless races and will tell you that I have only lined up on the inside line a handful of times. The reason is that it just doesn’t pay. The field is just too tight in that area. A good place to shoot for is 20% over from the inside (The start is 100 feet wide, so you look for a spot 20 feet from the inside line). This way you’re to the outside of the fighting, but still close enough to latch on and draft off of a faster swimmer as the pack thins out. The 20% rule doesn’t always work, so be flexible. The last time I was in Kona for the Ironman World Championships, I used my 20% rule and ended up physically fighting (no lie) for space with 5 minutes to go before the start! Apparently others use my rule too. I moved over another 5% and had plenty of clear water. 

Once you find your spot, you need to protect it before the race starts. Easiest way is to move from treading water vertically to treading water on your stomach. Extend your legs behind you and scull your arms way out to your sides. Throw in some stretching or some violent arms swings to “warm up” and you should have a nice little bubble of water to swim in when the gun goes off.

Fighting. Once the race begins it’s imperative that you start fast with a very large kick. Nothing will stop you faster than someone swimming up on your legs. A big kick will more than likely t redirect the person behind you, as they don’t want to get kicked in the face. Inevitably though you will find yourself getting tangled up if you do this sport long enough.  Remember that clear water is always the goal. Don’t forget this, especially as revenge and curse words start to creep in. First, lose the ego in the first 100 yards. If you are getting pushed a bit to the left, then go left. This is not the time for “This is my turf” attitudes. If you get squeezed on both sides then you need to prove that you belong on the front row. Up the effort to a sprint and be sure that your arms and legs are landing above theirs. As I mentioned before, nothing will slow someone down faster than if their arms and legs are being overtaken, or hindered by something. The sprint may seem long but these tangles clear themselves in a matter of 5-10 seconds. By keeping your arms and legs above theirs and adding a short sprint, you should come out ahead.  So what if you don’t win the supremacy battle? Once someone swims up to your butt from behind or comes across your spine from the side, then you need to conceed. I found the fastest way is to drop a foot or so below the water and let them swim by. This is counter intuitive however, because most people are fighting for air above all else. By dropping down you can quickly survey the surface to find some clear water. Again, this shouldn’t take more than 5 seconds, which is considerably faster than if you keep your ego and battle it out for the next 100 yards.

Shaking the Drafters. Ok, you you have broken free of all the fighting and settled in to a nice rhythm at or towards the front.  Problem is that this is a race and there are 3 people catching a free ride on your heels, one of which is a strong cyclist that you need some time on. Getting someone out of your draft is easier in the water than on the bike, but still no piece of cake.  The key is confusion and frustration.  Try and get a look at which side they are breathing to. Then, start with a short, bubbly kick so that they can confirm they are right in place. Next, kill the kick and take 3 hard strokes away from them opposite their breathing side. This should get you 4-5 feet over, and them squarely out of your draft. Then you need to put in a good 20-30 second surge.  Ideally, by the time they realize that you are not in front of them anymore, you have gapped them enough to break free. Sometimes you will need to repeat a couple of times to shake them.

Passing the Previous Waves. As the swim wears on you will end up catching the waves that started before you. Passing slower swimmers can slow your time more than anything else if done wrong.  I have found that swinging a little to the outside of the people gives me a little more freedom than trying to pass on the inside, right up against the buoys. I know that I have added a little distance, but like I’ve said, clear water is the goal, and swimming the shortest distance has to take a back seat. Best advice here though is to try and look for the trends. Everyone is out there following the swimmers in front, so if a group gets a little off course, there is a good chance that the long chain of followers will drift off course as well. 

The rest of the swim I’ve covered before. Watch the currents, use the surf to your advantage,  swim to the shallows at the finish, etc. Good Luck and remember the most important rule in the water… If you run into me out there you are not allowed to pass.

Many people commit to a triathlon and then proceed to have a melt down shortly after the start of the swim. I run an open water clinic every year in the weeks leading up to a big sprint race in the area and without exception there are a number of people who have an anxiety attack just 30 yards into our dry run of the course.

In the years that I have put on these clinics, I have learned some of the most common causes of anxiety in an open water swim. Hopefully this will help you get through the swim and onto your bike.

Breathing – 95% of the problems are breathing, and its not a physical thing, it’s mental. First there’s the anxiety. Most people are a little panicked in murky water with 100 other people and tend to get overwhelmed at the start with arms and legs going everywhere. The jump in heart rate with a dose of anxiety leads to hyperventilation and panic.   People also hate getting lake water in their mouth so they don’t exhale underwater. Instead they exhale AND inhale when they turn to breathe. That causes very shallow breathing and they end up out of breath. Finally, there’s the rough water as was mentioned. Poorer swimmers stop altogether to get a clear shot of air, but most won’t rotate enough to breathe and end up with a mouth full of water (see above).

The Unknown – It crosses everyone’s mind, but only a few admit it. Cloudy water brings horror movie type thoughts (I would love to know how many people won’t swim in open water because the movie JAWS ruined them for life). When it comes to animals there is almost nothing to worry about. Snakes, turtles, fish, etc are scared of us, so the last place you will find them is close to 900 people swimming in a lake. The other big unknown is the bottom, and what’s down there. Branches? A tree? A car? A monster? A body??. While I can’t speak to every body of water that we swim in, here in Texas where I live we have more lakes than Minnesota, but there is only one natural lake. Yep. One. That means there is a very good chance that the lake you are swimming in was planned, engineered, cleared and filled. So relax a little. If the swim start is in at a public beach or park, there’s not a lot of unknown down there.

 The Course – The vast majority of people entered have swum the distance at the pool and are very comfortable. 500 yards is a piece of cake when you break it into 20 lengths of the pool. Take that same 500 yards and drag across a lake and it can make you rethink things. It’s pretty common for me to see the swimmers head off swimming parallel to the shoreline doing just fine (after all, they’re only 15 yards from land), but that first turn away from the land and out into deep water will stop them dead in their tracks. My advice? Instead of doing a 500 in the pool to prepare for a 500 in open water, add another 25% to the distance and make sure that you’re not resting on the walls during the swim. The other to approach it is to swim a 500 to prepare for a 500, but do the whole thing without touching a single wall. It’ll force you to tread a little water just like you’ll have to do when you’re in open water.

The People – To be honest, this one even makes me a little nervous and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. All those people, all those arms and legs, and all that energy. The best way to avoid getting tangled up in the start is to seed yourself properly (or even conservatively for those with an inflated sense of their swim skills). Unlike running races, its not very easy to just swim around someone, so the chances of getting run over is pretty good if you start in-front of faster swimmers. The other problem is that we crowd the starting line and wait for the gun treading water in a vertical position. When the gun goes off we all get horizontal in the same amount of space.  This makes it nearly impossible to avoid bumping into others. So be sure to give yourself room. If that means you start 10 yards back or wait a few seconds before you put your head down and go then so be it. You’ll easily make that time back since you won’t have to fight for space.

 Of course this isn’t a complete list as everyone has their own personal demons to deal with, but they are the most common that I run into. Bottom line: if you just rationalize the situation that you’re in, you should be able to achieve some level of comfort out there and turn a scary experience into an enjoyable one. That is, of course, assuming Jaws doesn’t swim up from the deep, murky, waters and eat you whole.

Happy Swimming.

Bilateral Breathing – Learning how to breathe comfortably on both sides will help you in open water in two ways. First and foremost, bilateral breathing helps to keep your stroke balanced. This means that both arms are pulling with about the same force and one arm isn’t doing anything drastically different than the other arm. Doing this will keep you swimming in a straight (or straighter!) line.One of the biggest problems in open water swimming is trying to stay on course, so the straighter you teach yourself to swim in a pool, the better off you will be in the lake. Bilateral breathing also gives you the ability to switch your breathing to the side that you can sight better from and/or have the fewest obstacles with. Often in ocean swims (or any rough swim for that matter) you will find the need to breathe away from the source of the waves. It gives you a clearer shot at a breath without swallowing water. It will also allow you to switch sides when you have the sun in your face and are unable to see anything.  This can be critical for sighting the course.

Head Up Swimming – In order to keep yourself lined up with the buoys, you will need to lift your head every so often and target the next buoy to swim towards. While I don’t recommend swimming for any extended period of time in a race with your head up as it can be exhausting, from time to time it will be needed. To prepare for this, pick a small object at the other side of the pool and swim the length of the pool with your eyes locked on that object. Try not to throw your head from side to side as this can lead your body and get you swimming off of the straight line you’re striving for. Repeat this drill a number of times, changing the object each time. Don’t always pick an object directly in front of your lane either. Rare is the day in an open water swim that every buoy is directly in front of you. Track an object off to your left and right as well.

Drafting – Probably the easiest way to pick up some free speed is to learn how to draft behind someone. Just like cycling, the person in front of you breaks through the water and creates a current around and behind them. Slip into that current and it can have the effect of swimming down a river. Learning to draft in a pool can be achieved in a few different ways. If you swim with a group and circle swim, then instead of leaving 5 or 10 seconds apart, leave right on the feet of the person in front of you. Be sure to ask permission so they know what you are doing as some will get annoyed pretty quick if they don’t understand your objective. Try to stay within a few inches of their feet without touching their feet. I have seen fights start over people touching other’s feet too often. As you’re swimming, try and feel the immediate current that rolls off the person in front of you. That little pocket is where you want to stay. As you get more comfortable in the draft, try closing your eyes while staying in the draft, using only the feel of that current to keep you close/behind the draftee. This will become very important when you hit the open water, as most bodies of water tend to be cloudy and you may not be able to see the person’s feet in front of you.

If you’re practicing drafting as a group try forming a pace line. As everyone gets better, a great set is to rotate the pace line in reverse. That is to have to person at the end of the line sprint to the front in one pool length and then maintain the group pace for the next length as the next person overtakes them. Once overtaken, sit in and recover until you are at the back of the line again. You can also try pack swimming if you have enough people. Cram everyone together and swim one length at a time on a short rest. Be sure to alternate who swims in the front and who drafts.

Darkened Goggles -  For those who have trouble swimming in a straight line or get a little spooked when they can’t see anything in the open water, you might want to swim a couple of sets in some darkened goggles. Coat the out side of an older pair of goggles with black spray paint so that no light can come in from the front or sides. Then, take a key or knife and nick the paint (once it dries) so that all you have to see out of is that little scrape on the goggle. Now go swim in a straight line. If you can still easily see the black line at the bottom then you made the scrape too big.

Start Imitation -  The swim start is often the scariest part of the entire event. Arms and legs flying in every direction in an area that’s far too crowded. While there is no way to prepare for everything that can happen at the start, getting yourself comfortable in that environment will prevent you from panicking if you get in a tough position on race day. Get a bunch of your friends (the more the merrier) and get in the deep end, ideally in the middle of the pool (you may need to take a lane rope out for this). From the middle of the pool race everyone to the wall, leaving all at once. The fewer the rules the better. Don’t be scared to grab the person in front of you and dunk them or whatever it takes to put your hand on the wall first. Repeat this a number of times, but be sure not to get too mean out there and hurt someone. The idea is to get more comfortable in a crazy environment not to create enemies.

While each one of these drills can help with certain aspects of an open water swim, there is no substitute for the real thing. If you have a lake or river you can practice in safely, try and add that in periodically as a part of your training.

Enjoy your swim!