Swimming

How did you manage to swim breastroke with your goggles on your mouth at the Olympics? And to have such a great speed 👏 

Olympian overcomes goggles mishap with determination and focus

Yeah, so that was a really tough moment for me. But in that moment when my goggles came down, I thought about who was in the stands. There were three other people up there that could have been in that same relay spot. Just because I had my goggles in my mouth doesn't mean that I could use that as an excuse to not perform. I had been chosen for that spot for my country and for myself and for my teammates, and so I needed to step up and perform regardless of the scenario.

When my goggles came down during a race, I thought about the people in the stands watching and realized I had to perform regardless of the circumstances.

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Swimming breaststroke with my goggles in my mouth at the Olympics was definitely a challenging moment for me. However, I didn't let that become an excuse to underperform. When my goggles came down, I thought about the people in the stands and the fact that there were three other individuals who could have been in that relay spot. I was chosen for that position, representing my country, myself, and my teammates. So, despite the unexpected situation, I knew I had to step up and give my best performance.

How do you describe the breaststroke pull and recovery, including hand pitch, direction and head position?

Unlocking the Secrets of the Breaststroke Pull: Overthinking vs. Simplicity

So this is interesting. I think for a lot of people the biggest thing that holds them back in brushstroke is that they overthink it. In reality, it's not really that much different from all the other strokes, you know? In the pool, you're still trying to get that high elbow catch so catching early in your stroke and then pushing forward. When I was younger, I had a lot of trouble because I would stop here with my breath. But I think just remembering that you get to breathe every stroke so it doesn't have to be a big breath, that can also hold people up because they go here then they're breathing, and then it takes them a while to get back up. But just remembering smaller breaths so that you can move your arms around. For me, since my kick is kind of the stronger part of my stroke, that's also the driver for my stroke, so I kind of base the rest of it around the kick, which is different than a lot of people. So just finding what works for you, and yeah.

Brushstroke is not much different from other strokes, and people can get held back by overthinking it. Remember to take smaller breaths and focus on the kick to find what works for you.

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Describing the breaststroke pull and recovery, including hand pitch, direction, and head position, can be simplified. It's important not to overthink it and remember that it's not significantly different from other strokes.

In the pool, focus on achieving a high elbow catch, catching early in the stroke, and pushing forward. Some people struggle with breath timing, but it's essential to remember that you can breathe every stroke. Taking smaller breaths allows for smoother arm movement.

Personalize your stroke based on what works best for you. For example, if your kick is stronger, use it as the driving force for your stroke. Experiment and find what feels most comfortable and effective for your own technique.

What are your favourite 3 drills for breaststroke? Why and when do you practice them?

Mastering Breaststroke: 3 game-changing drills to level up!

OK. Three brushstroke drills. The first, I'd say it's a super basic one, and super great for a timing technique, all that is two kicks one pull. It just really tightens everything up for me, so I'll often do that one and warm ups. I've also really enjoyed a drill recently that saw you swim like half the pool, just light sculling and light flutter kicking, and then about halfway down the pool go into fast breaststroke stroking and heavier flutter kicking. Just that super confusing. But so you scull halfway, fast breaststroke arms halfway so that you can kind of feel the beginning of your pull and translate that into your pull. Lastly, I would say that for me since my pullouts are kind of a weaker spot on my stroke, I've been doing a lot of just pull down, so I'll do a pull down, come up, do two strokes, go back down, to another pull down, just do that all the way down the pool.

Three brushstroke drills that I like to use are two kicks one pull, light sculling and light flutter kicking followed by fast breaststroke stroking and heavier flutter kicking halfway down the pool, and pull downs with two strokes in between.

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Three of my favorite breaststroke drills are the two kicks one pull drill, the sculling and fast breaststroke drill, and the pull down drill.

The two kicks one pull drill is a basic yet effective drill for timing and technique. It helps tighten up my stroke, so I often incorporate it into my warm-up routine.

Recently, I've been enjoying a drill that involves swimming half the pool with light sculling and flutter kicking, and then transitioning into fast breaststroke arms and heavier flutter kicking for the second half. This drill may sound confusing, but it allows me to feel the beginning of my pull and translate that sensation into my full stroke.

Since my pullouts are a weaker aspect of my breaststroke, I've been focusing on the pull down drill. I perform a pull down, come up for two strokes, then go back down for another pull down. I repeat this sequence all the way down the pool to improve my pullout technique.

I practice these drills at different times depending on my training plan and specific areas I want to target for improvement.

Training for 50’s, how often would you have sprint/speed focused sessions and what type of training would you do on lower intensity days?

Sprinters' Training: Balancing Strength and Technique for Peak Performance

So I'd say for sprinters, there's kind of two elements that you want to focus on. One is strength and the other is technique. And feel for the water kind of. Obviously, sprinters spend a lot of time in the weight room, so I'd say that makes up quite a bit of practice time. Usually the sessions are a bit shorter, but more high intensity. I would also say on off days, I spend a lot of time-- I mean, I guess I'd consider myself a sprint breaststroke more focused in the hundreds and working on the 50. I personally focus a lot more like technique and then just like stretching out in the water, like getting a feel for the water. And then I don't know. It depends on the week, but I do maybe two to three sprint sessions a week.

Sprinters should focus on strength and technique, spending time in the weight room for high intensity sessions, and a few sprint sessions a week. On off days, focusing on technique and getting a feel for the water is also important.

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For training sprinters in their 50s, there are two key areas to focus on: strength and technique. Sprinters typically dedicate a significant amount of practice time to weightlifting in the gym. These sessions are shorter but high intensity.

On lower intensity days or off days, I personally spend a lot of time working on technique and getting a feel for the water. As a sprint-focused breaststroke swimmer, I focus on stretching out in the water and refining my stroke. The specific training on these days may vary depending on the week, but I typically aim for two to three sprint sessions per week.

Can you give me a favorite set of yours for speed development breastroke?

Unlocking Speed: Personalized Sets for Breaststroke Development

So I think one really important thing to think about when you're working on speed development is that each swimmer is different. I know on days when I get in the pool, and my breaststroke just isn't clicking. There's days like that. I think any coach or any swimmer knows that is not to force it. If you're swimming kind of off, you don't want to reinforce and reinforce that off swimming. So like if you get in the pool and your stroke just isn't clicking, maybe work some more technique, some drills to kind of get your timing locked in before you move on to fast stuff. But on days when I am feeling good, and I'm trying to work some speed, one of my favorite sets is nine 100 sprint from the blocks, and you can do this on anywhere between 3 to 9 minutes, depending on what you're going for. But it's a good way to practice going fast under fatigue.

When working on speed development, it's important to consider each swimmer is different. On days when your stroke isn't clicking, work on technique drills to get timing in. On good days, try a set of nine 100 sprints from the blocks on 3-9 minutes depending on what you're going for. This is a great way to practice going fast under fatigue.

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When it comes to speed development in breaststroke, it's important to remember that each swimmer is unique. If you're having a day where your breaststroke isn't clicking, it's best not to force it. Instead, focus on technique and drills to improve your timing before moving on to faster work.

However, on days when you're feeling good and want to work on speed, one of my favorite sets is nine 100 sprints from the blocks. The interval can vary between 3 to 9 minutes, depending on your goals. This set allows you to practice going fast while experiencing some fatigue.

Remember to listen to your body and adjust your training accordingly.

What did you do differently than others that helped you maintain an elite level of performance for such a long period of time?

Unlocking Peak Performance: The Crucial Role of Lifestyle Choices

I think this is an answer that you'll get from a lot of high-performing athletes. But I put a huge emphasis on stuff outside of training. I think what makes the difference between a very high performer and a medium performer is that practice and performance doesn't just happen at the pool or in the weight room. It's all the time. So think about where you sleep, when you're sleeping, what you're eating. All of that plays a huge role in performance.

High-performing athletes emphasize factors outside of training, such as sleep, diet, and rest, which are essential for optimal performance.

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To maintain an elite level of performance for an extended period, I focused on aspects beyond training. This is a common approach among high-performing athletes. I recognized that practice and performance shouldn't be limited to the pool or weight room; it should encompass all aspects of life.

I placed great importance on factors such as sleep quality, sleep schedule, and nutrition. These elements play a significant role in overall performance. By considering the impact of these factors and prioritizing them alongside training, I was able to sustain a high level of performance over time.

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Lydia Alice Jacoby is an American professional swimmer. She was the first Alaskan to qualify for the Olympics in swimming, winning gold in the 100m breaststroke in 2021. In 2022, she set a national age group record of 57.54 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke. In 2023, she further lowered the record to 57.29 seconds and set a national age group record of 2:04.32 in the 200-yard breaststroke. She is the 2023 NCAA Division I champion in the women's 100-yard breaststroke.

Lydia Jacoby