Like many others, I've made the transition to outdoor LCM swimming for the summer. I love it in many ways. But I have noticed that the "garbage yards" problem creeps in when I swim long course. I work on my stroke, which is good, but my tempo and overall intensity drop. I swim with fitness lap swimmers for the most part, or alone. The other day I swam some 100s alternating between easy and hard, and made some progress on the hard ones. But I notice that I anticipate my pool time less because it feels like I'm mailing it in.
Does anybody else have this problem? If so, do you have suggestions for how to introduce more variation and intensity into long course swimming?
Parents
Former Member
You may actually be pushing harder swimming LCM than you think you are. We've been swimming LCM for about a month and a half. I had to swim SCM at a different pool this morning, and found that I was about two seconds faster per 100 than I usually am for SCM. I didn't feel as if I was swimming any harder, and I didn't think I had been practicing at a different intensity level during LCM practices than I do during short course practices. And *** and fly were significantly easier than I remember them being. Needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise!
I find that I relax more LCM, and am able to get into a better rhythm. I'm wondering if it just feels easier, but in reality we are working just as hard if not harder since we're doing more pure swimming and relying less on turns.
You may actually be pushing harder swimming LCM than you think you are. We've been swimming LCM for about a month and a half. I had to swim SCM at a different pool this morning, and found that I was about two seconds faster per 100 than I usually am for SCM. I didn't feel as if I was swimming any harder, and I didn't think I had been practicing at a different intensity level during LCM practices than I do during short course practices. And *** and fly were significantly easier than I remember them being. Needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise!
I find that I relax more LCM, and am able to get into a better rhythm. I'm wondering if it just feels easier, but in reality we are working just as hard if not harder since we're doing more pure swimming and relying less on turns.
