Hi everybody,
first of all I'm glad to know you.
I'm an italian master and I'd like to improve my sprint.
My strokes are:
Free (50 & 100), Fly (50 & 100), IM (100 & 200)
I've a problem every time I've a race.
I can't mantain my speed till the end of the race.
For instance, 50 mt free. 35/40 mt are ok, then I go down so quickly.
Same thing with 50 mt Fly.
My 100 mt free are: 60/70 mt ok, then ... boom :-)
I really would like to change this way to race.
Do you have some suggestions to improve my stroke?
Some good workout to do ?
Just some information to understand what kind of swimmer I am:
- I swim 3/4 times per week, 1 hour per time.
- Some personal best: 50 free (27"50) ; 50 fly (30"00) ; 100 free (1'02"50).
Thanks a lot in advance
Giampiero
P.S: I'm sorry about my english :-)
Former Member
Train more sprint kick, train more sprint and your competition sprinting should improve.
I suggest reading thought this workout thread, maybe following the workouts or at least stealing ideas. Following that thread (you can subscribe the the master thread and get emailed when new workouts are posted and any comments are made) will be more help than just collecting some ideas here and going off to try to implement them. By following the workout thread, you will be fed new training ideas, be reminded of what you should be working on, see the questions others have about this training approach and get your questions you might have on sprint training answered by an expert.
High Intensity Training - by Leslie Livingston - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums
HI,
Thank you so much.
It's a very interesting thread.
Thank you again for your suggetion.
Hi, Giampiero,
My advice would be to pay attention to how you pace your races.
Granted, a 50 should be a sprint the whole way, and your time of 27.5 is not bad. You didn't mention whether this is LCM or SCM, but either way, it's natural to feel that you're dying a little at the end of an all-out sprint. And though you may feel you are slowing down, you might not be losing as much speed as you think you are.
The 100, on the other hand, is a different matter.
Last year, my best LCM times for the 50 and 100 respectively were 28.3 and 1:01.90. (I was 59.) So you beat me by nearly one second on the 50, but I beat you by almost as much in the 100.
Granted, I am more of a middle distance swimmer than a sprinter. Still, I suspect you should have beaten me in the 100, too, given how much more raw speed you have than me.
I think the key is pacing.
Do you have your splits from your best 100?
In my 1:01.90, I went out in 30.36 and came back in 31.54, a difference of 1.18 seconds per 50. Since the dive gives you a 1.5 second advantage, this differential is almost like negative splitting the 100.
I don't suggest that you try negative splitting your own 100, but I would be willing to bet that the reason you die on the second half is that you go out way too fast on the first 50.
If you followed my approach, you would go out in a 29.5 (about 2 seconds slower than your fastest 50) and come back in a 30.7 (second 50 1.2 seconds slower than first.) This would give you a 1:00.20.
The key, in my opinion, is to try to swim the first 50 in easy speed mode--under control, smooth, plenty of breaths, don't overuse your kick.
Then build the second 50, bringing in the kick as you go. Chances are you will still die a little, but if you can forestall this and use your kick to compensate at the end, I think you can come close to breaking a minute.
Good luck!
Hi Jim,
thank you so much.
Well 27"5 is in short course, just 2 weeks ago I raced on 50mt and my time was 28"4.
My best on 100mt in short is 1'02"60 and in long course is 1'03"50.
Usually, my time in the first 50mt is 29"8 (short) and 30"2 (long).
So I have a difference of 3" more or less.
I think is too much. You have only 1"2.
I would reach your difference. It should be fantastic.
Surely, I have to improve my kick.
Jim, thank you so much to joined with me your way to race with me.
I learned a lot and it's very interesting to know your experience.
I really appreciated.
Thank you
Giampiero
In addition to feedback on approach and conditioning, sometimes watching yourself on video can illustrate simple mistakes, and uploading it would probably be the most effective route. I learned to swim as a total non-swimmer in my 40's, from tips, feedback, and reading (haven't been coached).
You definitely have the engine with a sub 28s 50M, how is your 200?
In addition to feedback on approach and conditioning, sometimes watching yourself on video can illustrate simple mistakes, and uploading it would probably be the most effective route. I learned to swim as a total non-swimmer in my 40's, from tips, feedback, and reading (haven't been coached).
You definitely have the engine with a sub 28s 50M, how is your 200?
Hi Steve,
I think you're right when you say to watch myself on video. I've some video but out of water.
200mt free are not my race :-)
If I well remember, long time ago, a raced a 200mt in long course and my time was 2'27"
At the moment I don't know.
Thank you Steve