Drill-Swim Series for Breathing Technique:Rest for Three Yoga Breaths/25 or Five Breaths/50

These balance-and-rotation drills heighten your sense of staying “tall” and balanced while breathing. It also imprints the habit of breathing by “rolling to the air” rather than by turning or lifting the head. Your main focus is staying “tall” and needlelike as you roll to air.

Do 1 to 4 rounds of the following with one length in the drill and one length swim:

2 × 50 or 4 × 25 Skate-Swim

2 × 50 or 4 × 25 UnderSkate-Swim

2 × 50 or 4 × 25 Zipperskate-Swim

In each set of 100 yards, breathe on the left for 50, and the right for 50. When you Skate on your right side (right arm extended), you’ll breathe to your left. On the next swim length, breathe to the left side, then switch on the next 50. A second option is to breathe bilaterally (every 3 strokes) on all swim lengths and just focus more on the left side breaths after Skating on your right. On all drill lengths, focus on rolling past your Sweet Spot when you roll nose-up to breathe. On all swim lengths, focus on keeping a long, needlelike body position as you roll to the air to breathe.