My big question is...how often should I swim/train to achieve my swim goals?
I never know if swimming 5 days a week vs swimming 7 days is better because some days your body is just tired and you end up having not-as-good-workout. Does that make the workout productive or is rest better?
I was swimming everyday for 3 months straight practically, working myself really hard, doing twice a week weights, and then I hurt my shoulder for the 1st time in my life! I swam competitively in high school and never had an injury. It made me feel old.
However, I still want to work hard and achieve my goals but I just don't know if swimming everyday is the answer. I understand that it also depends WHAT I swim daily and how intense I work as well...but I just do whatever workout the masters coach gives us that day. So it varies.
I feel like I'm training without any idea of how to get to where I want.
I have a very ambitious goal...but fortunately I told myself I'd just like to achieve this some time in my life..whether it's in two years or 20 years....but I would like to drop 5 seconds in my 100 freestyle. Someday. Yes, it's obviously incredibly difficult to drop that much time in a sprint event but I want to! The question is...how to get there? Is swimming everyday the key? Or maybe it has nothing to do with number of times I work out but more about what I'm actually doing at the practice. But what should I be doing? Of course technique is important.
I'd just like to hear some suggestions. I feel like I'm swimming in the dark!
Thanks!
-Helen
Former Member
I think Kirk was right in asking your age. 27 year olds still have magical recovery and healing capabilities. :) But a day off is still a good strategy regardless.
Some people alternate between higher intensity days and active recovery days. And they seem to adjust quite well to 5 or 6 days a week of practice month after month. Us swimmers tend to be highly self-motivated athletes and it's fairly easy to work one's self too hard which can lead to injury. At the end of the day, I think most people will discover when they have reached their limits.
A higher than normal resting heart rate and muscle soreness that doesn't go away after a day off are a couple of warning signs that the work load might be too much.
...Fortress's blog is a great resource for your specific question about training.
Yes, I'm on a masters team! They are pretty great with their workouts but we do different things everyday. Once a week I get a sprint freestyle day so that's when I really try to get in my sprint time.
In terms of swimming fast at practice, I always try to get in a lane that's faster than me so I'm always trying to catch up to people, which forces me to swim faster. The hard part is, each day when I go to practice, we are working on different things, such as one day IM, one day is distance...so they are not 100s fast all the time. But you're right, at the same time, I cannot swim that hard everyday...I think that's how I injured myself.
I feel like I don't know the line between working too hard where it's unproductive vs training hard and making myself faster. I felt like I was working too hard in the past because that's how I hurt my shoulder.
I haven't been doing too much weights but I know I should. Once or twice a week maybe?
I can currently do 10 x 100s on 1:30 which allows me 5 seconds rest. My best 100 yards free time is 1:07. My goal of 1:02 is a super long term goal, so maybe I should start with something simple like trying to get to a 1:04 in the next two years. Is that reasonable?
5 x 100 on 8:00?!! That's like...6 minutes and 30 seconds of rest?
I'm not saying you'll want to do a set like this all the time, but it's probably a great benchmarking kind of set. I have a feeling by that fifth 100 you'll be very grateful to have that much rest!
A caveat is that I personally never train like this, but sprinting is not my specialty.
I agree that Fortress' blog would be a great resource for you. Also take a look at Speedo's. He been concentrating on sprinting this season and swimming some very times in practice swims.
5 x 200 on a similar interval can be worse. Especially if you man up and do it fly.
Now, this is a good discussion. Which set is more painful? Excluding the fly nonsense, I'm not sure. Do both today and report back please.
Yes, I'm on a masters team! They are pretty great with their workouts but we do different things everyday. Once a week I get a sprint freestyle day so that's when I really try to get in my sprint time.
In terms of swimming fast at practice, I always try to get in a lane that's faster than me so I'm always trying to catch up to people, which forces me to swim faster. The hard part is, each day when I go to practice, we are working on different things, such as one day IM, one day is distance...so they are not 100s fast all the time. But you're right, at the same time, I cannot swim that hard everyday...I think that's how I injured myself.
I feel like I don't know the line between working too hard where it's unproductive vs training hard and making myself faster. I felt like I was working too hard in the past because that's how I hurt my shoulder.
I haven't been doing too much weights but I know I should. Once or twice a week maybe?
I can currently do 10 x 100s on 1:30 which allows me 5 seconds rest. My best 100 yards free time is 1:07. My goal of 1:02 is a super long term goal, so maybe I should start with something simple like trying to get to a 1:04 in the next two years. Is that reasonable?
Howdy Helen,
Yes, I'm on a masters team!
GOOD
They are pretty great with their workouts but we do different things everyday. Once a week I get a sprint freestyle day so that's when I really try to get in my sprint time.
OK
In terms of swimming fast at practice, I always try to get in a lane that's faster than me so I'm always trying to catch up to people, which forces me to swim faster. The hard part is, each day when I go to practice, we are working on different things, such as one day IM, one day is distance...so they are not 100s fast all the time.
you don't need to do fast 100's all the time in practice
plus ironically doing fast 100's in practice may actually prepare you for longer events. Seriously, work on your 25, 50, & 75 swimming and kicking speed
I feel like I don't know the line between working too hard where it's unproductive vs training hard and making myself faster.
I haven't been doing too much weights but I know I should. Once or twice a week maybe?
weights can help, but be careful, start out easy
I can currently do 10 x 100s on 1:30 which allows me 5 seconds rest.
work to improve that
My best 100 yards free time is 1:07.
OK, what are your 25 & 50 times?
What kind of suit did you wear when you did it
you say: My goal of 1:02 is a super long term goal
but you might be able to get there quicker than you think
you're young, you'll respond to training,
work on speed, technique, correct splitting, and racing.
how's your kick?
what are your kicking times for
25, 50, 75 & 100?
How's your SDK?
Swim fast in practice
Kick fast in practice
Get Strong
Train to race
have fun
you can surprise yourself
