Thursday at lunch was an easy swim day – just 1500 yards – but I tried to breathe every third stroke bilaterally. This was tough stuff. I do have a tendency to hold my breath. This causes me to not be able to get a whole breath of fresh air. After just a length or two in the pool I start to run out of steam – no oxygen.
So I slowed the swim strokes WAY DOWN – uncomfortably down and just breathed out the whole time. I started with just breathing every stroke on one side – then every third and back to every stroke of the other side. I kept this up with a lot of rest.
I finished up this easy (effort wise – but mentally challenging) with 3 sets of 250 yards all bilaterally breathing. I will definitely keep up these drills on my swimming skill days!
This morning was a solo morning ride. I took out the road bike and headed west at 6AM towards Sumrall. This would be a 20 mile out and back with my cadence set low (75 – 85) and my heart rate capped at 150. It was a nice easy ride but with the Mississippi summer (read HOT and HUMID) just around the corner I was sweating profusely and completely soaked. Total time was 1:00:40 – I really wanted to clock under an hour but I kept my heart rate in check and stuck to the plan.
Easy 40 minute run at lunch today. I miss the speed work (seems like forever since I clocked off some decent times) but sticking to the plan for now.
Stick to the plan! Sounds like the breathing is coming along. I think that is the most natural thing to do, hold your breath. Keep hitting it, it will come. Oh, don't worry about times, just worry about distance;)
ReplyDeleteNice work the last couple days! I need to work on the bilateral breathing. It just seems impossible to me.
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