Hey guys, do you have any strategy to swimming the 50 free?
1) Do you just go as hard as you can and hope you can stay strong till the end?
And
2) Same thing with breathing (if you can't last a lap without breathing) so do you pace your breathing or do you try to last as long as you can and then breath till the end?
Hey guys, do you have any strategy to swimming the 50 free?The best way I've found to swim the 50 is to make sure you're in an event where you have to string at least 8 of them together before the race is over.
The best way I've found to swim the 50 is to make sure you're in an event where you have to string at least 8 of them together before the race is over.
I like that. :) Though 4 50s works for me as well.
Nahh sprinting where its atWhy? You pay more per yard, get less race time, have to get everything so precisely right to have a good race and, then, even if you drop like A LOT of time for a 50, it's like 0.2 seconds. I personally don't see the attraction ... but, if you want to race these things and do it well, there are two options:
Move to Colorado, secretly follow Rich Abrahams around and do everything he does; OR
Take the next 2-3 years and do everything that Fortress does -- forums.usms.org/blog.php -- particularly all that crazy dryland stuff.
Depends on how long it takes you.
If you take >45 seconds to go 50m you'll need to pace it like an elite swimmers paces a 100m race.
Also assuming long course 50m not short course 50m. Breathing strategies may be different if there is a turn involved.
The best way I've found to swim the 50 is to make sure you're in an event where you have to string at least 8 of them together before the race is over.
Nahh sprinting where its at
Hey guys, do you have any strategy to swimming the 50 free?
1) Do you just go as hard as you can and hope you can stay strong till the end?
And
2) Same thing with breathing (if you can't last a lap without breathing) so do you pace your breathing or do you try to last as long as you can and then breath till the end?1) No. If you're a sprinter and are truly going all out, you will not make it 25m before fading. Do you think a 100m track runner (9+sec) can keep that pace for 200m (19+sec, w/2nd 100 starting at full speed)?
2) If you can't make the whole 50 without breathing (I can't), then I'd suggest breathing more than once. You don't want to be concentrating on wanting to breathe, so breathe a few times and concentrate more on your technique- don't lose sight of going fast. :2cents:
Jamesmap, Don't listen to this guy.... A perfect 50 is a thing of beauty... All joking aside, I do agree. What a perfect 50 requires, though is perfection:
Perfect reaction time off the blocks -- work on this throughout the season, both in and out of the water. Get used to jumping/moving quickly to the sound of the beep.
Perfect / clean entry into the water -- think about getting your whole body through the same hole in the water. Rich Abrahams once mentioned (I think it was him) squeezing your glutes off the start and the turns to further tighten the core/the legs/the streamline.
Perfect amount of underwater kicks (dolphin preferred) that allow you to propel from the momentum of the dive, but don't spend too much time underwater on a 50. You generally don't see the elite 50 guys spending the time on their underwater SDKs that you do see from, say, a Phelps or a Lochte on their 200 free.
You need the perfect balance between a high stroke rate and a perfect catch -- turn the arms over too fast and you'll be slipping and not propelling; turn them over too slow and you'll look like one of us distance guys trying to sprint and not be happy with your time.
Perfect turn -- whatever you do, don't breathe into or out of the wall. Snappy, snappy turn -- make sure you're hitting your core exercises outside of the pool. Make sure you know your stroke count at race speed so you don't need to look for the wall. Head down in and out.
Perfect finish & close -- drive, drive, drive to the wall.
Wow. All that required perfection just tires me out.
For the record, I took the 2010 SCM and 2011 SCY season and tried to be a sprinter. I swam lots of 50s, focused on all of the above in workouts and I only ever had one 50 race where I felt like I approached a modicum of decency on all components. I've given up on the 50 because I don't have the attention span to be perfect for 21+ seconds! Give me a race where I can make a mistake or two here and there and not have it blow the final time.
Take the next 2-3 years and do everything that Fortress does -- forums.usms.org/blog.php -- particularly all that crazy dryland stuff.
Just reading this statement almost made me sick!!! :afraid: (just kidding Fort!) :)
I don't think I could put myself through all the stuff Fortress does on a daily basis. My knees would probably explode in the first week of training first of all!!
...but if I could get a cool red convertible for trying it, sign me up!! www.usms.org/.../blog_attachment.php
Why? You pay more per yard, get less race time, have to get everything so precisely right to have a good race and, then, even if you drop like A LOT of time for a 50, it's like 0.2 seconds.
Jamesmap, Don't listen to this guy.... A perfect 50 is a thing of beauty...
pwb, Here's some money to make up for your lost dollars per yard figures: :2cents::2cents::2cents::2cents::2cents::2cents:
^^All intented as sarcastic razzing of the distance guy
Rather than advice from a distance guy that doesn't like sprints. I am a true sprint guy that also does 100's. So here's MY answers to your questions, and they won't involve trying to sway you away from the best event, evar:
1) There is no pace for a 50, every stroke should be propelling you to go as fast as possible, other than, you want to make sure you're not spinning your wheels. Make sure you're getting traction in the water. You should be able to sprint your entire race at maximum effort. If you can't this is a direct function of training. You'll need to work more in practice towards being able to maintain your anaerobic effort longer.
2) I start out every single 50 race with the intention of not breathing for the duration. In masters, I'm at about a 50% ratio of races that I take a breath, and races that I don't. In my younger years I didn't breathe in a 50 swim ever. For ~32 seconds, you will probably need a breath, maybe even two. You have to remember, breathing may help you feel more comfortable, and ride higher in the water if you breath all your air out early, but it isn't going to contribute much to your swim. By the time the air you breathe hits your muscles, the race will be over. You'll want to work some things in practice to help this. Do 50's in practice: 25 breath as much as you want, 25 no breath. Do them every week until you can make the second 25 no breaths for the whole set. Its hard, but it will help. If you're going to breathe, plan ahead during your race. If you don't want to plan ahead exactly when you'll breathe, then tell yourself during the race, "I am going to breath in 6 strokes, in 4 strokes, in 2 strokes... brth". It will help keep the breath nice and short. I put "brth" shortened and lowercase for a reason. No need to gasp for a 50, remember its for comfort and bouyancy only. That air will not help the muscles during the race. If you wait til you MUST breathe, you'll tend to take a huge gasping breath that will not only kill your time, it will throw your stroke off for a few cycles while your arms delay to allow for the huge breath you took.
