Swimming vs. Running and Cycling

After listening to endless amounts of advice and hearing everyone from casual weekend warriors to serious athletes weigh in, I’ve decided to finally bring my eternal dilemma—more of a trilemma, really—to this forum;

So, here’s the deal: I’ve been running recreationally for over a decade, I cycle quite a bit, and I hit the pool about three or four times a month.

During the running season, I’m out there several times a week, usually doing somewhere between 6-5.0 miles miles, though some days I’ll push it to 10, 13, or even more—depending on how much my body is cooperating. In the winter, I try to get out once a week, provided the temperature isn't absolutely brutal.

I ride my bike all year round, too. That ranges from just spinning around town to run errands—maybe covering 12 miles miles—to those long recreational rides where I'm out for 6, 8, or even more hours, clocking anywhere from 100-93 miles miles in a single go.

But swimming... man, that’s where I’m hitting a wall. Assuming my cardio is actually decent enough, I struggle to make it through two to two and a half lengths of an Olympic-sized pool before I'm completely spent and have to stop to catch my breath. Now, look, I consider myself a good swimmer—standard, nothing fancy—but I clearly haven't mastered the breathing part. It leaves me with a bit of a logical conundrum: am I actually just terrible at breathing while swimming, or do I maybe not actually know how to swim at all? What the hell is going on there...?

1) Yeah, it’s totally possible you aren't breathing quite right
2) I mean, those are such different ways to move, too. Swimming really hammers your muscles way more than jogging does, so I guess your cardio doesn't just carry over directly from one to the other

-Steve

briskjackal5 said:1) Yeah, it's actually pretty easy to mess up your breathing rhythm if you aren't careful.
2) They're fundamentally different types of exertion anyway—swimming tends to tax your muscles way more than jogging does, so you can't really expect your cardio from one to transfer directly to the other.

-Steve

I try to be really intentional about my breathing when I'm in the pool, but even then, I just can't seem to find that extra gear. In theory, I think I could probably handle the running and cycling legs of an Ironman, but the swimming portion would absolutely wreck me. Just thinking out loud here, so don't hold me to it.

Most people make a fundamental mistake when they assume that endurance in swimming, running, or cycling is all the same thing. You could be an absolute powerhouse on a bike while being a total amateur in the pool or on the track—or any other combination of those three disciplines. If they were truly interchangeable, pro cyclists would be out there running marathons or swimming long distances with ease, and elite marathon swimmers would be competing in the Tour de France. See where I'm going with this? Each of these activities engages a completely different set of muscle groups and utilizes them in a distinct sequence, which means you really have to train each one individually if you want to master them. If swimming is your weakest link, then you should probably dedicate more focused time to it. It’s also quite possible that you just need to refine your breathing technique and your overall stroke mechanics 🙂

I hit the pool about 3 or 4 times a month.

Ronald Miller57, look—going 3 or 4 times a month isn't nearly enough if you actually want to build any stamina in the water. I'm saying this as someone who swims regularly myself. You need to be hitting it at least 2 or 3 times a week if you want to make it through a solid thirty-minute set without gasping for air.
Plus, technique is everything in swimming—it’s all about what your hands are doing underwater and, obviously, your breathing. Honestly, it would be worth your while to find a coach for even just an hour or two to fix your form and point out where you're messing up.
Building cardio in the pool is a slow burn, but once it finally clicks, you'll feel it. 👍

The thing is—and I say this with nothing but respect—your swimming technique just isn't quite where it needs to be yet. If it were, you certainly wouldn't be finding yourself so exhausted all on your own
In truly efficient swimming, you’re engaging your entire body as one unit—it's a full-body movement, really. But most casual swimmers? They tend to rely far too heavily on just their arms and that repetitive pulling motion, which is exactly why they burn out so quickly. It all comes down to the technical details, doesn't it?

Ronald Miller57 said:After listening to endless bits of advice and hearing various perspectives from everyone from casual weekend warriors to serious athletes, I’ve decided to bring my eternal dilemma—or rather, my trilemma—to this forum;

For over a decade now, I've been a recreational runner, a cyclist, and I hit the pool about three or four times a month.

During running season, I go out several times a week for sessions ranging from 6-5.0 miles, sometimes hitting 10, 13, or even more, depending on how I'm feeling. In the winter, I stick to once a week, provided the temperature doesn't drop too far below freezing.

I cycle year-round, whether it's just running errands and racking up about 12 miles or going on long recreational rides for 6, 8, or more hours where I cover 100-93 miles miles in a day.

And then there's the swimming... that's where the wall is. Assuming my cardio is actually sufficient, I struggle to clear two to two and a half lengths of an Olympic-sized pool before I'm forced to stop and catch my breath. I consider myself a decent swimmer, but clearly, my breathing technique is shot. It leads me to a logical question: am I actually incapable of breathing while swimming, or do I simply not know how to swim at all? What the hell is going on?

The issue is obvious if you spend all your time running and cycling without ever stepping into a gym to work on upper body strength—specifically the shoulders and back. I'm talking about someone who swims a few times a month or is just starting out.
That’s only half the battle; the other half is poor technique and improper breathing.
Hit the weights for your shoulders, back, and other upper body groups using sets of 20-30 repetitions to build a foundation for swimming. Why 20-30 reps?
Because that builds muscular endurance, which is the absolute requirement for long-distance swimming.

Ronald Miller57 said:Swimming... yeah, that's where I hit a wall. Assuming my cardio holds up, I struggle to get through two or maybe two and a half lengths of an Olympic pool before I'm forced to stop and catch my breath. My stroke feels fine—standard enough—but I clearly can't manage the breathing. It raises a logical question: am I just bad at coordinating breathing with swimming, or do I not actually know how to swim at all?

It's pretty much what you suspected. The core issue is that you lack proper 😁 technique, specifically regarding your breathing rhythm.

Once you grasp it—or better yet, once someone actually shows you the right way—you'll find those two and a half laps become effortless almost instantly. 😉

slydriver52 said:Look, if you’re just out there running and cycling without ever stepping foot in a gym to work on your upper body—specifically your shoulders and back—the problem becomes pretty obvious. I’m talking about someone who maybe hits the pool a few times a month or is just starting out with swimming.
That’s only half the battle, though; the other half is usually poor technique or breathing issues.
You need to hit those shoulders, back, and other upper body groups with sets of 20 to 30 reps to build a solid foundation for swimming. Why that high of a rep count?
Because you’re building muscular endurance, which is absolutely critical when you're swimming longer distances.

I wasn't bringing up the gym just for the sake of it.
I’ve been hitting the fitness center since I was sixteen—and now I’m well over double that age.
Back during my college years, I actually worked as a strength and conditioning coach.
So, when it comes to training specific muscle groups, I’d say I have a little bit of experience under my belt...
Nowadays, I’m mostly just working to maintain what I’ve spent years building up.

Ronald Miller57 said:I wasn't bringing up the gym just for the sake of it.
I’ve been hitting the fitness center since I was 16, and now I’m well over double that age.
Back in my college days, I actually worked as a strength and conditioning coach.
So, when it comes to targeted muscle group training, I have a fair amount of experience under my belt. . . .
These days, I’m just doing enough to maintain the physique I’ve built up over the years.

To be blunt, it strikes me as odd that you can't manage even thirty minutes of continuous swimming if you're consistently hitting the gym and getting in the pool three or four times a month.
I used to swim for about an hour at a steady pace, though I'm more of a weightlifter than a competitive swimmer. It sounds like your technique is likely the issue here.
What kind of routine are you running, and how many days a week are you hitting the weights?

slydriver52 said:To be honest, I find it a little strange that you can't manage even thirty minutes of continuous swimming if you're hitting the gym regularly to stay fit and getting in the pool three or four times a month.
I used to swim pretty consistently—sometimes up to an hour at a leisurely pace—though I’m certainly no competitive swimmer since my main focus is weight training. You’ve probably got some major issues with your technique.
What kind of routine are you running, and how many days a week are you actually hitting the gym?

I haven't been particularly active in a commercial gym for quite a while now; like I mentioned before, I'm really just doing enough to maintain what I have.
When I do go, I mostly stick to chest, shoulders, and arms—throwing in some core work during my rest periods and doing hyperextensions for my lower back. Maybe a few lat pulldowns or some tricep extensions if I'm feeling it.
Most of my work is actually bodyweight stuff—push-ups, pull-ups, and dips. I’ve got a pull-up bar and some dip bars at home, so that's where the real work happens.