Breathing Trouble | Mediterra Swim & Run

Faster Tempo = Easier Swimming?

by Coach Mat | 29 Nov, 2014

Could it actually be easier to swim at a faster tempo? Yes. This could be the case for some of you. To swim fast or swim far you are not looking for longest stroke or the fastest tempo – you’re looking for optimal combination of stroke length and tempo for...

Getting Enough Breath?

by Coach Mat | 2 Jun, 2014

Q: I have read your articles on Metrics-Tempo, Pace, etc with a lot of interest. What I was wondering, if you increase your DPS [distance per stroke], that means your SPL [strokes per length of pool] goes down. If SPL goes down, doesn’t that mean you will take...

Breathing Patterns

by Coach Mat | 15 Feb, 2014

What breathing pattern should I use? We take it for granted that we can breathe while running or while doing just about anything on land. Most probably pay no attention to it, as we can rely on our parasympathetic nervous system to keep exchanging that air for us...

Practice: Breathing

by Coach Mat | 14 Nov, 2013

I am posting this practice with my workshop students in mind. The terminology will make most sense to those who’ve taken TI lessons or a workshop before where we’ve introduced you to both the unique breathing Focal Points and the understanding for how to...

Snorkel For Drills?

by Coach Mat | 10 Aug, 2013

Here is a question I am often asked in workshops: “Can I use a snorkel when doing drills?” The short answer is “Yes.” The obvious advantage in using a snorkel while doing drills is that it allows the swimmer to concentrate on the drill without...

Breathe Easy 2

by Coach Mat | 2 Aug, 2013

There are several details to making the breath (in freestyle stroke) feel relaxed and easy. Among the several here is one that, coincidentally, several recent students have noted as making the biggest breakthrough: Turn to breathe sooner. Now, this assumes that you...