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.
:) Though I've also read that some college sprinters avoid aerobic sets like the plague.
I'm still waiting for Leslie to put up the Auburn sprinter's Gatorade workout in her weekly workouts. :)
What would you consider that? Speed, lactate, or just pure amusement. Definitely not garbage yards, because it is funny as hell!! :applaud:
The Auburn Puke Session.flv - YouTube
P.S., was your resting heart rate naturally low to begin with? How much has the daily 10k swimming helped to lower it further still?
Hey, thanks for the kind words from my fellow masters swimmers across the pond. Much appreciated.
To answer Jim's question - My heart rate was pretty normal (for a swimmer) before I stepped up the yardage. I have a friend who is a pharmacist. He supplies me with magnesium and potassium tablets, and also beta-blockers. I eat them like sweets, although I know I shouldn't! These help to keep my resting pulse rate down. Every three months I have a course of botox around my eyes. This keeps the eye muscles and nerves absolutely solid. It may sound like I go to extremes, but I'm used to it now. It's only when I tell people how I work that it doesn't sound so normal.
A
I've got relatives in Birmingham -- is your studio / works open for viewing to the public? If so, PM me the details or post the details here. I'd love to send folks your way and to come see your work some day when I'm next there.
You are more than welcome to call in. I've PM'd you.
Since taking up swimming again in my late 30’s (inspired by reading the Total Immersion book), I spent years doing nothing but low intensity stroke drills and “fitness” swimming – which was definitely not “garbage” because I was working on things like alignment, streamlining, balance, rhythm, core rotation, efficiency – all that good stuff, which I had been pretty much oblivious to in my earlier high school team swimming. But when I finally did try racing again at a local mini-meet a few weeks ago, I found that my years of fitness swimming had done almost nothing to prepare my body for the stress of all-out racing. So I’m thinking that maybe fitness/distance swimming can be very good, non-garbagey swimming if used to ingrain good technique (I mean for people like me who do not already have good technique and/or who would not be able to maintain good technique throughout a race-oriented practice session); and this may serve as a good foundation for race training; but fitness/distance swimming in and of itself may not do much of anything to prepare the body for racing.
Just a theory at this point.
But I find the whole thing intriguing and am testing this theory by adding in higher-intensity/sprint days – hopefully without letting my still-fledgling technique completely fall apart – leading up to a meet in a few weeks. Then, since I still feel that I have a lot to learn from the low-intensity fitness/technique/drill-based swimming, I’ll probably return to that for a while. Then pick another meet to gear up for…and so on - and see how that works out.
That link to Graham’s video was amazing. I’ll now have to totally re-evaluate my views on just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin…
What exactly do you mean? Is there a difference between a sprinter swimming 50 event and a sprinter swimming 100 event? IMO there's a difference. If 100 oriented swimmer works only on sprints he might not have enough endurance to keep the speed on last 25 yards/meters. If sprinter prepares only for 50 event I agree - there's no need in such sets.
I don't think you need "distance oriented" aerobic sets for 100s either. To me, those type of sets may border on garbage yards for sprinters. Some lactate tolerance/production sets specifically geared to sprint distances should do the trick, especially in short course. Something like 8-10 x 50 AFAP @ 2-3:00 will help your 100 and sprint endurance more than 10 x 100 @ 1:30 or, even worse, 10 x 200 @ 3:00. Just my opinion. :) Though I've also read that some college sprinters avoid aerobic sets like the plague. And it is true that anaerobic/sprint work can train the aerobic energy system too.
Every sprinter at our club, and we have quite a few, are perfectly fine doing long distance sets and vice versa. It's still fun swimming together no matter what kind of swimming you prefer. But, we have 50-60 people per workout.
Every sprinter at our club, and we have quite a few, are perfectly fine doing long distance sets and vice versa. It's still fun swimming together no matter what kind of swimming you prefer. But, we have 50-60 people per workout.
There are many ways to skin a cat. I wonder, though, if they'd be even faster if they skipped the long distance sets and focused on sprint sets? Sprinting is fairly neuromuscular, after all. I admit I am not remotely well-rounded in my training, but it works for me. And though I am not doing distance or aerobic sets, I am working damn hard.
So.... I'm guessing... no caffeine?
To answer Jim's question - My heart rate was pretty normal (for a swimmer) before I stepped up the yardage. I have a friend who is a pharmacist. He supplies me with magnesium and potassium tablets, and also beta-blockers. I eat them like sweets, although I know I shouldn't! These help to keep my resting pulse rate down. Every three months I have a course of botox around my eyes. This keeps the eye muscles and nerves absolutely solid. It may sound like I go to extremes, but I'm used to it now. It's only when I tell people how I work that it doesn't sound so normal.
If your sole reason for swimming is to improve your race performance, then yes.
For those who don't want to race and are swimming for fitness, perhaps swimming just to swim is the right thing to be doing?
The majority of masters swimmers in the US are perfectly happy with training to train better, from what I've seen. And, that's ok. The joy is in the journey for many of us. Enjoying challenging your body every day and feeling like you are getting better at that can be, in itself, very satisfying.
I agree that "garbage yardage" = mindlessly swimming along with no purpose or goal. Everything else, no matter the distance, is fun to try.
