I'm pretty new to swimming and am doing my first tri in a couple of weeks. I have been reading
the book "Total Immersion" and find it an excellent resource and feel it has greatly improved
my swimming.
One thing I haven't figured out yet is how to keep my rhythm. Sometimes it's there and sometimes I
feel like a zitty faced white kid who just got on the floor to dance for the first time. Usually I
have been breathing on every 3rd stroke, but today I fell into a much better rhythm breathing on
every 4th stroke. I felt like I could keep my forward momentum better, and my breathing felt less
forced. I have heard that an odd number of strokes is better since it forces you to breathe from
both sides. 5 strokes is too much and when I try that I find myself gasping for air. Is their any
reason not to use a 4 stroke breathing pattern ?
Ps what is loping. From what I've read it sounds like it refers to a form of swimming where a
swimmer favours one side of the body.