Ok, I Am Trying...

[Supernal]

Update...

My diet plan is going very well, I am eating lots of veggies and I must admit that I am looking for food only when I am a little bit bored...
Instead of cheating, when I feel hungry/bored, I grab a couple of carrots and I am able to control my reactions...
I am also noticing the first results of dieting wearing a pair of jeans that one month ago simply did not fit me...

Ragarding my swimming lessons I have to say that the pains I used to suffer during the first two lessons disappeared but my technique is simply appalling...
I am the weakest swimmer of my group and I simply wish the coach would assist me more closely but apparently she does not care too much about me...
My main problem is that I cannot breath correctly while swimming and I end up drinking a lot of water throught my nose...
Last time she gave me a sort of floating board that I had to use while crawling and things improved a little...
I did a couple of researchs on the InterNet and found some good pieces of advice anyway...
I thought about buying a noseclip but I do not think it is a good idea, if I get used to it I will never learn to breath correctly, do you agree ???
I am a little bit discouraged because it seems that I am not able to swimm correctly and I feel like I am not able to learn the right technique...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

Get private lessons. That helped me get over the breathing thing.

 

[Cacia]

get used to blowing small amounts of air out your nose, so the water cannot come in. Pretty soon, you don't have to actually even blow it out, you just keep a positive pressure in your nostrils and the water cannot enter. It is a certain type of coordination.

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

Get private lessons. That helped me get over the breathing thing.

I am already paying for the swimming course I am currently attending but I bet that if I take out more money for some private lessons I could get over this problem very quickly...

I cannot change coach but for the next lesson I will clearly state that I am a paying customer and I want some assistance and not a coach that stands on the edge of pool watching and doing nothing else for 60 minutes...

I bet my coach does not get big money out of it but this is not my problem, I paid a premium for this course and I want something in return...
I think it is better to swimm 50 mtrs with a good style than 100 mtrs whithout knowing what you are doing...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[annasea]

Update...
. . .
My main problem is that I cannot breath correctly while swimming and I end up drinking a lot of water throught my nose...
Last time she gave me a sort of floating board that I had to use while crawling and things improved a little...
I did a couple of researchs on the InterNet and found some good pieces of advice anyway...
I thought about buying a noseclip but I do not think it is a good idea, if I get used to it I will never learn to breath correctly, do you agree ???
I am a little bit discouraged because it seems that I am not able to swimm correctly and I feel like I am not able to learn the right technique...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

Thx for the update, Erik!

As someone who has learned to swim as an adult, I can related to your situation. So for what it's worth, here are my thoughts on your situation...

I had big problems with breathing as well. I'm not sure how your instructor is teaching you, but my instructor taught me rhythmic breathing by standing in the shallow end of the pool and dropping down until my head was more or less under water. When your nose is under, you exhale. Come up slightly to inhale, and then back down to exhale. I found it easier to exhale through my mouth rather than nose so now when I swim, I still do it. Some may disagree with this, but it works for me.

A kickboard can be a good way to learn rhythmic breathing while in motion, but I'd agree with you on the noseclip and leave it out of the equation.

As for private lessons... while they can be great (I just finished mine for u/w swimming but I learned the front crawl in a group class), it really depends more on the quality of the instructor, I think. Also, how big is your class size? If it's too big, that can be a problem as well. I'd try talking to your instructor after class and explain that you'd like more feedback and assistance.

How comfortable are you in the water? The more relaxed and calm you are, the easier swimming will be.

Another point to make, of course, is practice, practice, practice!!! Are you able to practice at least once a week? Although I had private lessons in order to learn how to swim underwater, I didn't actually learn it fully while in class -- my first successful u/w swim took place while I was practicing on my own.

Good luck to you, Erik! I know it can be frustrating at times, but it doesn't happen overnight, so relax and take it at your own pace.

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

How comfortable are you in the water? The more relaxed and calm you are, the easier swimming will be.

Good luck to you, Erik! I know it can be frustrating at times, but it doesn't happen overnight, so relax and take it at your own pace.

What drives me crazy is that I've got more that 150 dives under my belt but it seems that I am not able to breath correctly without my scuba gear...

I've spent countless hours u/w rescuing instructors at the bottom of the sea and kissed plastic manikin for my rescue class and apparently I am not able to breath rithmically, it seems such a stupid thing when you see someone else doing it...

On a single breath I can swimm without any problem and regarding going up-breathing through mouth, going down-exhale through nose (they call it the "Elevator") I can do it for hours without any problems...

Maybe you are right and I should relax, surely the problem is all in my head with this sens of "Frustration" but I must admit that I feel kinda stupid...

I know that I shouldn't feel like that but what else should I do ???

Thanks for your kind words...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[CameronMartz]

Hey, I don't think I ever met a new swimmer, regardless of their athletic backgrounds, who could keep from holding their breath while swimming at first. I assure you that the snorkel comment from your coach is commonly used.

It is unnatural to continue breathing with your face submerged, and you have to train your body to trust that it will not drown doing so. Having a mask cover most of your face, blocking the water from entering your nose, makes all the difference when diving. However, a pair of goggles just doesn't cut it in that regard.

You're right in realizing that a nose clip is a big step in the wrong direction. That will keep you from subconsciously making the changes in your breathing to keep the water out of your nose naturally.

Of course, once you think you've mastered breathing, you'll probably realize that you can only do it comfortably on one side. Then you have to work on bilateral breathing. <g>

Think of swim training like the marial arts. There are many steps to take before achieving your black belt. After years of training for triathlons, I'd consider myself a green belt- tough enough to slug out a 2.4 mile open water swim, but it's slow and ugly compared to those who have dedicated themselves to perfecting their technique for many more years. <g>

Which reminds me of another story. When I was training for my very first triathlon, I was already comfortably competing in half-marathons (13.1 mile runs). I was cardiovascularly very fit, but I had no technique whatsoever. I could only swim 25 yards before needing a break. A workout for me involved 10 minutes of swimming and 15 minutes in the shower. No joke.

My schedule had me at the pool the same time as a very senior gentleman, who looked very frail. He had trouble getting himself in and out of the pool, but when he swam, he swam like a fish- hardly any effort at all, but he was the fastest swimmer there at any age. One night I asked him how long he was swimming, and he mentioned that he was on the British Olympic swim team in the 30's.

Don't get discouraged. It might take months, but one day, you'll link a few perfect strokes together totally by accident and know what you're aiming for.

Cameron

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

It is unnatural to continue breathing with your face submerged, and you have to train your body to trust that it will not drown doing so.

You're right in realizing that a nose clip is a big step in the wrong direction. That will keep you from subconsciously making the changes in your breathing to keep the water out of your nose naturally.

Of course, once you think you've mastered breathing, you'll probably realize that you can only do it comfortably on one side. Then you have to work on bilateral breathing.

Don't get discouraged. It might take months, but one day, you'll link a few perfect strokes together totally by accident and know what you're aiming for.

There will be another lesson tomorrow and I have decided to attend it in a different way...

1) I will buy a "Regular" swimsuit, if being streamlined is one of the best rules in diving same should also be applied to swimming...
2) I will try and relax in the water, sort of "Zen" approach, water is not my enemy...
3) I will talk to my coach about developing my technique and I will tell her that if I feel "Abandoned" I will leave her class...
4) I will not buy a nose clip...
5) I will try to swim for a shorter distance but with a better style...

Ragarding bilateral breathing you are right on target, I was thinking about it but first I want to try to breath correctly from one side then I will consider bilateral breathing...
As you know, Rome wasn't built in a day...

I don't get discouraged but I read so many useful comments from you and from many Internet sites that I would have loved to hear from my coach who is, apparently, paid for this...

I will keep trying and I will also buy your book...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[ScubaJackie]

There will be another lesson tomorrow and I have decided to attend it in a different way...

1) I will buy a "Regular" swimsuit, if being streamlined is one of the best rules in diving same should also be applied to swimming...

Good idea, if you are more comfotable and don't feel like your suit is "attacking" you it should be better.

2) I will try and relax in the water, sort of "Zen" approach, water is not my enemy...

Yes!!! Absolutly!! Getting new swimmers to just relax and let the water hold them is sometimes the hardest part of teaching swimming. This is will make it easier. There should be no tension in your body when you are swimming, if you fight the water it will win and you will get no-where fast.
3) I will talk to my coach about developing my technique and I will tell her that if I feel "Abandoned" I will leave her class...

Communication is always good.

4) I will not buy a nose clip...

Good idea, one trick I use when teaching is to have students hum. Shut your mouth put your face in the water and hummmm, this will keep the water out of your nose and you will start to feel what you need to do to keep the water out.
5) I will try to swim for a shorter distance but with a better style...

Quality over quanity is always better.

Ragarding bilateral breathing you are right on target, I was thinking about it but first I want to try to breath correctly from one side then I will consider bilateral breathing...
As you know, Rome wasn't built in a day...

I don't get discouraged but I read so many useful comments from you and from many Internet sites that I would have loved to hear from my coach who is, apparently, paid for this...

I will keep trying and I will also buy your book...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

You can do this. Just keep working on it, practice practice practice.

I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express, but I did teach swimming for 6 years.

 

[Erik Il Rosso]

I've just come back from the lesson and I must admit I saw some slight progresses...

I had a word with the coach before entering the water and I told her that I needed her help more than anyone else in the class...
I got some some positive feedback from her...
I tried to concentrate onto breathing correctly and we had several talks at the edge of the pool to discuss what was right and what was wrong...
I discovered that as long as I kept blowing bubbles from my nose I had no problems whatsoever in swimming/breathing correctly...
I once hit the lane by mistake and as soon as I concentrated on the fact that I had to move aside I forgot to blow bubbles out of my nose and drank water...
It reminds me, more or less, when I was doing the OW course where I was concentrating on surviving and on my scuba gear and during the dive I could see very little or nothing underwater...

I also discovered by pure chance that I am able to do bilateral breathing without any effort, it looks like it is something I can do in a "Natural" way, better for me...

Changing swimsuit was also a good move, I experienced less drag while swimming...

No nose clip was another good move as long as I was blowing bubbles from my nose, it will also improve my "No Mask" drills while underwater...

The "Zen" approach also helped a lot, I tried to be more relaxed and was able to do it 3-4 times during the lesson but the first time I did it I was able to swim 25 metres with a farly good style, doing bilateral breathing and without drinking water...

It looks like things are looking up !!!

-6 Kgs in 3 weeks without too much sacrifice and I was also able to swim 25 metres straight with a fairly good style...

It's a good starting point, I feel less frustated tonight, the first step in the right direction has been made...

Buona notte...

Ciao Erik Il Rosso

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Outstanding, Erik. I've been watching this thread and cheering for you from the sidelines. You're on your way, and I just want to give you every bit of encouragement and applause that I can. Good job! Keep it up! The key is consistency and self-discipline, and day by day, you are building it!