You Asked. She Answered.Click the questions below to see Natalie's responses
Question: Should I rotate slightly to non-breathing side, or do I stay flat in the water?
Natalie: Rotation is the key to using your core strength in swimming. You need to think of anchoring with your arms and rotating your body around that anchor point. That way you are engaging your core in addition to your arm strength when pulling, which will lead to better efficiency.
Question: It looks like you extend your arm in front of you, almost gliding a bit before the start of the next stroke. Is that something I should be doing? I'm training for my 1st half-Ironman in April.
Natalie: Not necessarily. Rotate into your catch, always maintaining hold on the water. If you feel like you are gliding you are probably losing speed and momentum. Focus on having an even, steady tempo that you can maintain for the distance of your triathlon.
Question: Do you use a sweeping motion on your pull? On your exhale do you use just your nose or nose and mouth?
Natalie: Try not to think of specific arm movement patterns while swimming. I've always found those to be confusing. Try to make the water feel as "thick" as possible, which means that you're holding water. If the water feels "thin," you're probably slipping. Exhale with both your nose and mouth while being as relaxed (not forceful!) as possible.
Question: How do I rotate my upper body and not my hips for the freestyle stroke?
Natalie: You want to rotate your upper body and your hips. When you're doing freestyle, everything rotates as a unit from the neck down. Also, remember that your body position in the water is much like good posture on land: Your head should be facing the bottom of the pool.
Question: I am struggling with the notion of unilateral vs. bilateral breathing. Why would I want to opt for bilateral breathing? Is it more efficient, and does it improve overall speed?
Natalie: Bilateral breathing is not necessarily more efficient or faster, but I think it is an important goal. When I train I always breathe every 3 or every 5. Bilateral breathing helps you to balance out your stroke and avoid muscle/strength imbalances that could lead to injury. Aim to breathe every 3 or 5 in practice, and do whatever is most comfortable in your races.
