No pacing ability

RE: No pacing ability

Allen Stark — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:17:33 GMT

What do you see as your events? You are going to Nats so I assume you are serious about your swimming.As Jim said if you train sprints you will do better in sprints and if you train distance you will do better in distance.If you want to keep up with the interval keep going to those workouts and it will come,if you want to swim fast at 200s and shorter talk to the coach about helping you sprint.

RE: No pacing ability

Former Member — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:26:35 GMT

I think that the most important thing you can do is focus on what you want to do. The change doesn't look that dramatic on paper, but I guess you're describing feeling a pretty dramatic change. Ultimately, if you are racing sprint events and want to swim fast, why train for endurance? You left the last programme in great shape, so it wouldn't be for general health & fitness. It might be worth sitting down with the coach and discussing the benefits of providing more of a sprint-based program for those that want it. It may be that your coach doesn't really know anything other than waht they've already done and by working together the whole program could benefit. For what it's worth, I just don't see the point in doing high yardage as a masters swimmer. Yes, there are some distance swimmers but how many people in the programme only do 400+ in races? We have a very broad range of people in our club, from 'elite' masters to recreational and a good number of triathletes - who enjoy and value the work that we do at a higher intensity as it challenges their view of what's swimming fast (and they get aerobic conditioning in spades on the bike and from running). For me focusing on higher intesity work keeps training fun, helps with weight management and helps build (or keep) strength. It's been discussed on other threads, but time is a scarce resource for masters swimmers so if I want to build my aerobic base I'll do it in the most time-efficient way by going for a jog!

RE: No pacing ability

orca1946 — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:45:56 GMT

What do you mean by fall apart on 200's? Can you still make them on 300? OR are you not making them on 300?

RE: No pacing ability

Redbird Alum — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:38:45 GMT

My events are 50 and 100 free and butterfly events... ....I can do main sets like 10x100 on 1:30 intervals holding about a 1:06-1:08 pace but if we do 5x200 on even a 3:00 interval i collapse....but I will talk to my coach... I think when you talk to your coach, find out if it would be okay for you to modify the sets the coach has to fit your needs. You say you can do 10x100 on 1:30 Practice calls for 5x200 on 3:00 Seems you could make this work out without significantly impacting the team's workout intervals. You might have to swim first, or last, in your lane, but otherwise, you should be able to work something out.

RE: No pacing ability

ande — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:54:58 GMT

you wrote: Help!!! You've completely lost the ability to pace yourself in practice you changed masters teams a year ago because of work former team trained for speed and sprinting 3k yrds 4 times a week with an emphasis on dryland and weights on non swim days. you acheived dramatic PB's lyour events new team does more endurance 3.5k per practice. in the summer you only got in the pool once-twice a week basically did a good warmup you worked hard in the weight room improved your max lifts for about 3 months then in late july you added a good cardio regimen 2-3X / wk did a spin cycle class for an hour and 1-2 X / wk ran a 125 step stair case you started the swim season a month ago in what I thought was pretty good overall shape. you CAN'T seem to split distances above 100yds you can hold hard consistant 50's and 100's but when you do a distance set you fall apart. Have you trained youself into a drop dead sprinter??? not necessarily, you barely swam over the summer and didn't do much before that. Distance/endurance training takes a while to acclimate. Plus you're probably going too hard on the longer swims and need to pace yourself better. Our bodies adapt to the kind of training we do, I've seen college sprinters turn into elite triathletes. It's all about how you train. Do the training and be patient. Should I just gut this out and use the time to improve my endurance?Probably, What are your goals? your body comp has changed Spring Nats in Mesa you were 6'3 at 217 with 17% body fat now you're 210 and 10% body fat so it sounds like you're training sincerely and your body responds well. my thoughts: Only swimming is swimming. Sounds like you're strong and can sprint. You can only do what you're capable of. Getting in shape, takes time and it takes what it takes When Sprinters do longer swims, they think they're starting out easy but it often isn't easy enough so they fade and settle into a sustainable pace. how many times a week do you swim with your new team? 3.5k per practice isn't much and 2 to 4 times a week isn't either. consider ramping up to 4.0 - 4.5 per practice and 5 to 6 work outs a week you started this post with I've completely lost the ability to pace myself in practice SO concentrate on even splitting and negative splitting longer swims in practice do an easy 2 beat kick Breathe often. do set survival, which is, hold back a bit on the front end of sets and swims so you can perform better on the back end. Swim next a swimmer who's close to your ability, who has a better sense of pace and hang with them. sounds like you're going to nationals What are your best events and recent times? What are you goals? If you only want to sprint and you're on a distance based team. Talk with the coach and modify sets to fit your needs. Let your lane mates know what you're doing and stay out of their way Begin a blog You can Swim Faster Faster, Ande

RE: No pacing ability

Waterdog7946 — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:07:30 GMT

My events are 50 and 100 free and butterfly events...every so often I'll swim a 200 free just to fill up my event card but I'm notorious for splitting it badly. 200 is really a nemesis for me.....and the crap part its not even the total yardage that I have a hard time with...its simply how the sets are set up....I can do main sets like 10x100 on 1:30 intervals holding about a 1:06-1:08 pace but if we do 5x200 on even a 3:00 interval i collapse....but I will talk to my coach...

RE: No pacing ability

jim thornton — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:37:25 GMT

You have fast twitch and slow twitch muscles plus an intermediate type of switch hitters that can be trained to go one way or the other. It sounds like you've trained your anaerobic system to the exclusion of your aerobic system. Why not go in on your own once or twice a week and do some long, slow, steady, nonstop hour swims? This should quickly bring your endurance back, and with this, an ability to hold a good pace over distances longer than 100s.