u/Ok_Construction_6599

Hello swimmers! I am working hard on timing my breath with my stroke rhythm. I've noticed that when I start to fatigue that I sometimes change my breath pattern, or quickly hold my breath unintentionally, or need to change the length of my inhale / exhale. Also at times when I'm really fatigued I'll take in a little bit of water which really throws me off. It seems that I need to be perfect with my breath timing to stay in rhythm with my stroke.

What I'm wondering is how do people handle a change in your breath timing when swimming longer distances and/or open water?

Do you need to be perfect on your breathing to stay consistent or do you eventually learn how to handle unintended interruptions?

Thanks All!!

Here's a quick summary of me: Been in staffing for 20 years now. I've worked for large mid, and small agencies for about 14 years. Never stayed at one company for more that 4yrs. I went in my own in 2017 and have done OK. Never made more than $200k but always made over $120k (minus COVID year).

Ove the past 8-10 months I've never struggled so mightily on 1. Getting new clients. 2. Winning jobs against other competitors. My last placement was in February and I only have 3 jobs that I'm working on. I'm about to lose my company because I can no longer keep up with paying the bills.

I love in a US city on the West Coast that is not doing well economically or job growth. We are in the bottom 10% of economic growth coparititve to 50 other cities.

I've tried going after different verticles (traditionally been A&F), skill marketing, reaching out to past clients, paying for focused email marketing campaigns to gain business in other areas/regions, and many other staffing sales techniques.

I know that even if I win one of the 3 jobs that Im working on, it will be same stress of where will my next placement come from and will it take months to get it paid?

Am I burn out? Am I too old and jaded to continue? Am I not working hard enough? Am I too negative? Am I just that unlucky? Why does it seem that every other staffing company can do this while im struggling this bad? Why had I been successful for so many years then this past year it's like I'm a pariah??

I would love to hear some.suggestions on how to move forward? Do I just give up and look for another job? I will not work for another staffing agency as I never lasted that long with that route before. Why do I fucking suck so bad I can't win a single placement anymore? Even when I get an opportunity I either lose out to competition, or internal fill, or some other stupid horseshit scenario.

The stress of being such a loser is affecting my health, family, and mental well-being. I've never felt so pathetic and useless in my life.