Swimming headaches

B

Bluepies

Guest
Alright, so I'm new to swimming. Taking it up in order to participate in my first-ever triathlon (Cactus Challenge on April 20th). I'm swimming five days a week and I'm starting to feel pretty confident about being able to swim a 1.5 k.

The thing is, about every other time I go swimming, as soon as I stop, I get a massive headache. It goes away after a few minutes though. Sometimes it's worse than others, and sometimes I don't get one at all. Anyone know a cause for this, and hopefully a cure? Maybe it's the chlorine, but I have a hunch it has something to do with my brain not having much oxygen while I swim, then a huge rush when I stop and catch my breath, then it dies out once I'm breathing normally again.

Anyone ever had this happen to them? Suggestions?

Oh, and CapTex sucks.
 
i swim regularly and have never experienced headaches, you very well may need to see your Dr.

As a beginner, I would think 5 days a week is too much. I typically swim a mile 3 days a week.

I would suggest swimming more relaxed - both technique and breathing pattern. you should never strain to hold your breath or in order to make it to the next breath - your breath (every third stroke) should feel natural and comfortable. you may need to work up to this, so breathe every other stoke. make sure your neck is relaxed, don't arch it to be looking forward, instead tilt it down a little, you should have the sensation that you're swimming downhill somewhat. and generally, just loosen your stoke up a bit, allow your body to swivel side to side, don't be tense/flat on top of the water.

also, practice exhaling under water just before you rotate to take a breath, therefore, the time your mouth is out of water can be used for inhaling, allowing you to get a full breath.

I would try swimming without a swim cap and loosening your goggle strap.
 
are you swimming at a gym pool (24-hour, etc..) ?
i dislike those pools because they keep the temp too high (for old ladies to do water aerobics) and there isn't good enough air circulation so the chlorine just hovers over the water. try to swim at the pool on campus (Jamail swim center) or an outdoor pool if you can.
 
maybe it's due to the fact that you have more blood in your head than normal coupled with an inadequate breathing technique, while swimming. i have no idea.

captex sucks
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Seems like the consensus is something to do with breathing.

I swim at the Gregory gym outdoor pool. I'd do the Jamail Swim Center, but it has funky hours and the outdoor pool at Gregory is open all day, so I can go whenever. Think the chlorine or temperature is bad there? I dunno.

I don't use a swim cap, so that's not it. I've tried loosening the goggles, and that's not it either.

I'm currently breathing every four strokes (as in right arm, left, right, left-breathe). I thought that's what you're supposed to do. Maybe not for long distances?

My girlfriend thinks maybe drinking some water before I start may help, since apparently you sweat and lose water while swimming, though you obviously can't tell you're sweating.

I'll try all the suggestions here and see what happens. Thanks again.
 
biggrin.gif

I really am lol-ing.
 
To be honest, I'd be interested in serious answers to whether a low-level swimmer should really be breathing as often as a high-level swimmer.

On the one hand the elite swimmer's respiratory and pulmonary systems are obviously much more efficient, which would indicate the low-level swimmer would need to breathe more often. But at the same time the low-level swimmer obviously isn't even able to exert the same amount of energy per stroke, so he wouldn't have to breathe as often.

Just curious.

Although I guess the answer is simple by just comparing to land athletes. I will be breathing much more and much harder after running 400 meters than an elite track athlete even if he beats me by 100 meters.
biggrin.gif
 
This thread needs a star rating just for Wingo's zinger.

By the way, breathing every three strokes seems to work really well for me. The headaches still happen occasionally, but much less often and much, much tamer. No apparent difference between doing every two and every three strokes, and I'm just more comfortable doing every three.

In other news, the triathlon I was training for (Cactus Challenge, just so you don't have to scroll up) has been cancelled, so I guess I've got even longer to train before my first-ever triathlon. I swear I'm the Kiss of Death with triathlons (see CapTex last year). Maybe I wasn't meant to do one.

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions. I think I've got it figured out now.
 
I am pretty sure Chico misread wingos post and thought he was saying every stroke. In fact I know he did since I saw him after that and we discussed why anyone would breath every stroke.
 
Maybe the point is that a beginner should focus on stroke technique by breathing bi-lateral so as not to be off balance. I guess I could buy that argument.

I swam for a long long time (no NCAA gold's) and pretty much always did every right stroke like most people do. But I can see how not breathing every stroke would help get your stroke technique down.

But I'm not disagreeing with Tom at all -- especially since I don't want to get pawned.
 
Also -- hate the threadjack..but Tom, do you know of any good online resources for workouts? I've been trying to vary up my workouts and I'm having a hard time dreaming up stuff to do. I found one website but everything is pretty lame. A 4000 yard workout will just be 4x1000 choice or something.

I typically like to do 3500-4000yds. Any thoughts on where I might find some workouts?

Thanks.
 
I applaud your accomplishments and in fact was probably cheering you on. Having some swimming experience at all levels(although without your sucesses) I just don't recall ever being encouraged to breathe every cycle. Of course as a short guy who ended up only focusing on butterfly, I sucked at anything above 50 meters.
I was coached by the same coach as future Horn swimmers Matt Hooper and Derek Howarth and seemed to recall working mostly 0/3/4 or 0/3/3 at longer distances.
I'll have to see what I'm REALLY up to next time I get in the water, which unfortunately hasn't been frequent enough.
crazy.gif
 
Midtown - -where do you swim? I just found a full 25yd pool for the first time in the City..and it's actually in Park slope. So that might not count.

Only a block away though. Problem is, it's crazy expensive and it's in a private school so the hours are wacky. LIke...8:15 pm - 9:45. Only four lanes, so it's a race to get there and get done before the old ladies come and float around.

here's my set tonight. Just built it, getting excited:

8x100 warm up (stroke/choice)
12 x 50 IM (I'll stroke the fly here like a p*ssy)
6 x 75: 25kick, 50 swim
Main Set: 2x
50/100/200/100/50 - Free/Stroke Alternate
4 x 100: Odd pull/Even kick
4 x 75 IM drill
200 cooldown

It's ambitious for me to finish that in time..probably just end up a straight swim.

-j
 
i would be interested in workout resources also. i swim a mile at Deep Eddy three times a week and would like to improve my time and have a variety of workouts that focus on either strength or form/technique.
 
Bluepies: Try a breathing pattern of 2-2-3. In other words, breathe 2 consecutive strokes to one side and then take three strokes, and breathe on the other side for 2 consecutive strokes. Distance swimmers will adopt this pattern, for it allows them to take in more oxygen than breathing every 3. Breathing to the same side all the time will create stroke imbalances and invite shoulder problems.

Also, as mentioned by another poster make sure you are exhaling and staying relaxed. you might want to try swimming with a pull buoy. This will quiet your legs and allow you to utilize oxygen more efficiently.
 
Bluepies, are you training on your own? The reason I ask is because (as someone else posted above) technique may be one of the culprits. It might be helpful to find a swim coach just to see if your technique is correct. This will make a world of difference if indeed that's the case. One session would probably be all it would take.

It's not just about distance, it's about efficiency. You should feel like you're gliding through the water, not laboring. Once I figured this out, the breathing came very naturally.

I'd also agree on the pull buoy drills. That is one of my favorites. You can just work on relaxing and coordinating your strokes with your breathing. It's also a good drill to help you keep your butt afloat (literally).

And I hate the old lady/hot pool issue. Damn them!! I quit two different pools because of this. I showed up at the crack of 5 a.m. to get my laps in before work, and those 80-year-olds were there water dancing or lane-walking and hogging all the lanes. Hello, you are RETIRED. Can you come at 9 a.m. when all the working people are gone? Trying to get a mile in at 82+ degrees is ridiculous and downright unhealthy.
 
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