6 Everyday Struggles of a Retired Breaststroker

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Diana Pimer, Swimming World Contributor

About two years ago in my senior year of college, I wrote the following article: 6 Everyday Struggles of a Breaststroker. After going for a (short, by the way) run yesterday and hopping in for an IM set today, I was quickly bombarded with sore abductors.

With this came an influx of horrid yet wonderful memories. Headaches from lack of oxygen, the most painful hamstring workouts imaginable and getting two seconds rest on freestyle intervals quickly came to mind.

It was in this moment, where I was hobbling around the pool deck trying to coach a club practice, that I remembered my original article. Except this time, the struggles are not only worse, but entirely different.

Photo Courtesy: acintosh)

1. Getting out of bed

This may be true for all athletes, current and retired. But there are specific difficulties that come with a breaststroker body. If your knees and ankles do not crack simultaneously in agony the moment your feet hit the floor, I envy you. Usually, the hips follow along shortly and I need to confirm that I was a 200 breaststroker and not a marathon runner in college. Less pounding, yet somehow these joints just aren’t what they used to be.

2. Squatting and running

Back to the inspiration for this article, over the last nine months I have learned that I can run, lift, or swim. But combine them? That is a pulled groin waiting to happen. Not only am I limited to front squatting because these muscles are so worn and beat down that back squatting puts too much pressure on them, (seriously, can anyone else relate to this?) but then trying to do a breaststroke set afterward is nearly impossible. And the day after a run is no better. Oh you ran a 5k yesterday? Looks like our breaststroke yardage today is limited to 5…hundred? laps? yards? Yards.

3. No, your traps do not go back down to a normal size

Every once in a while in our swimming careers we dress up. Prom, a yearly banquet, high school and college graduations. On the other 360+ days of the year, I was proud of these muscles. We shrug, it is what we do, and we have the glorious traps to show for it. And this proves true for other muscles as well, but for some reason I am pretty sure my ability to wear a strapless dress will be limited for the rest of my life. Could this just be due to my obsession with power snatching and cleaning? Possibly, but the results of that study are currently unofficial.

4. Driving slowly and waiting in lines

Look, I spent 16 years waiting for my turn in the back of lane and getting run over by All-American freestylers. I’m retired – this is my time to live with no limits in the fast lane! So every time I find myself stuck behind someone driving 20mph I get uncontrollably anxious and antsy. The same goes for waiting in lines, predominantly for food (some struggles never change). While I think breaststrokers excel at these tasks based on our long-term practice of patience being the slowest swimmers in the pool, it does not make it fun. We will not, we can not be held back! Well…aside from maybe speed limits, those are pretty important.

5. Searching everywhere for your timing

All breaststrokers know how hard it is to keep the timing of your stroke, even when you are in shape. It is very easy to lose and if it is off it is off, there isn’t really “okay, in-between breaststroke.” From experience anyway, you are either on or off. You can’t throw in a couple of extra dolphin kicks or change up your breathing pattern to get by on an off day. You send out a search party for your timing. And when you are not swimming for four hours a day or swimming consistent breaststroke, this timing disappears. I can usually hear it laughing at me somewhere in the distance. It could take weeks or months for it to come back, and by that point I usually just put my snorkel on and freestyle pull for 20 minutes anyway.

6. Getting made fun of for your feet

Okay so this struggle has not changed over the last two years. Except now, there’s not even a unique, somewhat cool excuse for it. “Oh these feet? Yeah I was given a gift at birth and was basically born to a be breaststroker.” And you said it with pride because at the end of the day you know you have a deep appreciation for your outwardly positioned feet. But now anytime someone asks me about this I fall into some sort of identity crisis…”Oh, um, well, they helped me win nine conference titles because I’m, uh well I was a breaststroker…yes, that’s the frog stroke.”

And while these are just the highlights, the struggles come with a side of pride. (There it is again, another food reference). While I may struggle to get a personal best back squat or wait in a line, it was all worth it. For that medley relay spot, for that unique bond between us all, being constantly reminded of your time as a breaststroker is actually a blessing, with just a dollop of struggle.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

33 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Kara Muscillo

6 years ago

Julianna Bender Remember these things…… hugs

Misja Klevstig

6 years ago

Joline Höstman nummer 4 ?

Joline Höstman

6 years ago

Reply to Misja Klevstig

Den var faktisk rolig ☝??

Laura

6 years ago

Aaahaaa..just wait till you go to the ortho and he says “oh you have breaststrokers knees….then schedule replacement….aaahhh no more pain..also no more kick

Bill Bloomberg

6 years ago

I had the lungs of a whale when I was in my teens and twenties. I could do endless sets of 200s going 12.5 yards on each pullout without a second thought. At 50 it is a whole new story. One of the hardest things now is that I run out of breath on my breaststroke sets. All I do now is sprint 25s when I want to prepare to race.

I enjoyed being a breastroker because it allowed me to swim at a high level. I went to Nationals but would have been a middle of the road swimmer with any other stroke. I can relate to having to do the same sets as freestylers who were 4 seconds faster. If I could do 10x100s on the 1:10, they should have had to do them on the 1:05.

Leon Chien

6 years ago

Don’t appreciate your post! BS.

Marissa Vallejo

6 years ago

Montana Clasby it’s a good read

Montana Clasby

6 years ago

Reply to Marissa Vallejo

Ahh i just read this!!! So true!! Hahaha some of these I never even realized I struggled with ?

Marissa Vallejo

6 years ago

Reply to Marissa Vallejo

Montana Clasby I figured you would like it!

Ori Levi

6 years ago

Daniel Rachlin דוד מנשר

Swim Giggles LLC

6 years ago

For all your Breaststrokers out there! 🙂

Caroline Dampier

6 years ago

Marilee Kiernan Susan Kim life strugglez

Jason Hite

6 years ago

Bartosz Zarzecki

Darius Dastur

6 years ago

Kelsey MacCuish

6 years ago

Reply to Darius Dastur

#6 for me and #2 for you

Daniel Moe

6 years ago

Good article from a fellow retired breastroker

Andrew Hebert

6 years ago

Corrina Nickerson

Cindy Kreeck

6 years ago

Junae Huynh me

Junae Huynh

6 years ago

Reply to Cindy Kreeck

i hate getting out of bed HAHAGA and bad timing gets me so frustrated o my god

Lin Tozer

6 years ago

Cameron Gillespie

Bob Perkins

6 years ago

Brian Sarah Dean

Dean Putterman

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

Sarah Rogers

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

I’m not retired, Bob?

Bob Perkins

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

“Retired” in the sense of prime age competition… yes, you and I are! ?

Sarah Rogers

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

I disagree, Bob
Plus, I wasn’t a breaststroke back in the day.

Sarah Rogers

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

I disagree, Bob
Plus, I wasn’t a breaststroker back in the day.

Bob Perkins

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

You’re missing the point Sarah…

Sarah Rogers

6 years ago

Reply to Bob Perkins

Len Iglar

6 years ago

Heather Moyer Iglar- lol

Lynette Besonday-Washburn

6 years ago

As a breaststroke I agree!

Russell Simpson

6 years ago

As a breastroker I can agree with this, except I still swim breastroke as a Master. I am so much a breastroker that if I swim these weird crawl kick sets, my feet cramp up after a while!?

Cedric Chan

6 years ago

Alyisha Beckingham Vladimir Pan

Eleanor.powellbutler@gmail.com

6 years ago

Appreciates your article some might scoff and dismiss it but it gives me an insight into how my 18 yr old is feeling ..now I understand even more whats going on when he tries to explain whats going on with his body and stroke .