In my most recent blog entry, "One Man's Garbage..." forums.usms.org/blog.php , I asked my fellow swimmers their respective opinions on the impact long, slow, continuous swimming has on meet performance.
The expression "garbage yards" (and the pejorative overtones such a phrase conjurs) has become so embedded in the forum lexicon that many, I suspect, now consider as indisputable truth swimming this way is a waste of time for anyone with competitive ambitions.
Such a view appears particularly well-entrenched among the many non-credentialed exercise physiology pontificators here on the forums who also have a fondness for sprinting and dry land exercise.
But is the concept of garbage yards truly valid--or a kind of urban legend made up largely by sprinters who would rather be doing something other than spending 90 minutes without stopping in the pool?
I don't mean only practicing this way. But if you are, like me, inclined to enjoy swimming, once or twice a week, long, slow, relatively relaxing, continuous yards, do you believe (and more importantly, perhaps, have any evidence to bolster said belief) that so-called "garbage yards" can have some value for actual racing?
Or do these only teach your body to swim slow?
I invite you to read my recent blog forums.usms.org/blog.php and post your thoughts advice there or here.
At the risk of provoking censure by the forum authorities, I furthermore ask you to leave all civility by the wayside.
Feel free to trash talk and smack upside the head of any and every one who disagrees with your personal bias here!
It's been way too long since these forums have had a good, old-fashioned range war of opinions run amuk and ad hominem attacks!
Go at each other tooth and claw. It will only stir the blood of us all, I say--something we garbage yard enthusiasts probably need a bit more of, I will admit.
Garbage Yardage is subject to a swimmers expectations, perception, attitude, mood, conditioning, events, & time of the season.
It's the belief that what they are being asked to do or what they just did serves no purpose toward getting them closer to their goal.
Swimmers don't self inflict garbage yardage. It's usually when there's a coach or training group. Certain swimmers have a tendancy to be in foul moods or complain more often than others. They might be more likely to be vocal that a set is.
Most swimmers can handle a lot more training than they think they can.
Extreme sprinters & quality based swimmers don't want or need to do long swims, much aerobic training, threshold training or high repeat low rest type sets. And when such sets are given. They call them garbage yardage.
Garbage yardage is going further and harder than planned or necessary.
the solution is to know your goals, know who you are and where you are and what you need, and if you are given a set that doesn't really fit in with your plan. Tell your lane mates how you're going to modify the set and stay out of the way.
Today we were given an 800 set that was
150 DPS 50 strong with 4 breaths
I did 100 DPS 50 rest on the wall 50 fairly fast with 4 breaths
Masters is different than age group, HS and college swimming.
Masters can do what they want, we can arrive late, leave early, skip days and modify sets. Younger swimmers need to do what their coach says unless they have a very good reason not to.
Garbage Yardage is subject to a swimmers expectations, perception, attitude, mood, conditioning, events, & time of the season.
It's the belief that what they are being asked to do or what they just did serves no purpose toward getting them closer to their goal.
Swimmers don't self inflict garbage yardage. It's usually when there's a coach or training group. Certain swimmers have a tendancy to be in foul moods or complain more often than others. They might be more likely to be vocal that a set is.
Most swimmers can handle a lot more training than they think they can.
Extreme sprinters & quality based swimmers don't want or need to do long swims, much aerobic training, threshold training or high repeat low rest type sets. And when such sets are given. They call them garbage yardage.
Garbage yardage is going further and harder than planned or necessary.
the solution is to know your goals, know who you are and where you are and what you need, and if you are given a set that doesn't really fit in with your plan. Tell your lane mates how you're going to modify the set and stay out of the way.
Today we were given an 800 set that was
150 DPS 50 strong with 4 breaths
I did 100 DPS 50 rest on the wall 50 fairly fast with 4 breaths
Masters is different than age group, HS and college swimming.
Masters can do what they want, we can arrive late, leave early, skip days and modify sets. Younger swimmers need to do what their coach says unless they have a very good reason not to.
