My apologies up front for asking a question that has been asked on various different threads over the past couple of years I have been in USMS. I don't remember the responses, however, and can't seem to find the answers in my searches.
Here's the deal: I started as a breaststroker and only competed in the three breaststroke events as a newbie. Seven months later, however, I competed in a pentathlon and found I really enjoyed racing the stroke sprints and 100 IM. Last year, I ended up winning my age group and felt even more encouraged to continue working on my other strokes.
Recently, I attempted an easy 400 IM in workout to see if I could swim a 100 fly without pausing at the walls. I came in at 7:24 :cane:, but it wasn't the worst in my age group in the rankings! :D
Today, after my usual three day post-meet bout of insomnia, I thought, what the heck, I'll try it again. (Yes, I AM crazy!) Again, I took the fly out very easy with the intent of surviving without rescue. My time ended up 7:16, now placing me 56 out of 71 in my age group; still low, but improved. :wiggle: So, now, I'm thinking of giving it some real effort and see where I can go with this...
50 breaststroke is my best event, followed by 100 breaststroke. After that is 50 free and 100 IM. Don't even ask where my 200 breaststroke rates... :bitching: But, my 400 IM, with some effort, will have it beat soon enough.
As a six day per week swimmer on pace to beat my goal of 400 miles for the year, how would you recommend I plan my swim week out to train 400 IM without losing breaststroke speed? I average 3,000 yards per workout and currently dedicate Mondays and Fridays to Allen's breaststroke sets or Ande's sprint IM sets that he wrote up for me. Saturday is my recovery day. September thru May, I train in a challenging coached adult program and swim 3,500 - 3,800yards; a mix of speed, endurance, etc.
Any advice or suggestions would be most appreciated! (Oh, and, by the way, I am working up to swimming 400m IM and 200yd fly, too.) :afraid:I hope to swim 400IM at Dixie Zone Championships, in August, and see where it goes from there. :worms:
How do I train 400 IM without losing sprint speed?
Recently, you attempted an easy 400 IM in workout to see if you could swim a 100 fly without pausing at the walls.
you went 7:24
you did a 400 Im in a meet & went 7:16
you swim 6x per wk & 3 to 3.8k per practice
Train with a team & coach as often as you can
don't train in that HOT pool
If you only trained for the 400 IM,
you wouldn't lose speed.
Your BR would be fine.
Bump up your daily yardage to 4, 4.5 or even 5k per practice.
but do some speed training in every practice.
Train for the 200 & 400 free plus Br & IM
follow my tips in the Last 150 of my 500 falls off
Train Free: 3 or 4 x/wk
Train BR/IM 2 or 3 x/wk, but kick 400 BR in every practice.
but not 400 straight, do 8 x 50 or 16 x 25
Train for longer stuff until you are 1.5 to 2 weeks away from your big meet then switch to sprints.
Get a tech suit for big meet and you will BE AMAZED at your time improvements.
Consider my 400 IM race strategy as described in my
Thu Jul 21st, 2011 blog
Ande's 400 IM Race Strategy
FL
fast start, a few small easy SDKs, cruise it, breathe every stroke, barely kick, do small amplitude kicks with less effort, think about keeping your body flat, smooth & easy speed, not many SDKs off your turn, SAVE your legs, FEEL like you could go much faster
BK
cruise it, easy speed, small steady kick, great technique & body position,
pick up the pace on your 2nd 50, not many SDKs, take extra breaths as you approach your BK to Br turn, you want to feel fairly decent at the 200
FAST BK to BR turn
Flip it
push off hard and glide FAR
BR
fast hands on your insweep and thrust,
kick HARD and glide far after each kick
Great DPS, go fast don't spin,
Ride the Glide after each kick,
Br is where you catch and pass people who went out too hard.
FR
bring it home strong,
give it all you got,
Breathe every stroke except from the flags in on your 2nd 50,
6 beat kick the WHOLE 100
Hey Ande!
I appreciate your input on my thread. Hey, that 7:16 I swam was just in a post-meet workout, a few days after. I was tired from insomnia and had no competition to push me. I just slugged along in my community pool. (By the way, they reduced the temperature to 82 for the summer, so conditions have improved. :banana: )
It's good to hear you don't think I would lose breaststroke speed training for the 400 IM. I would still do your speed workouts, as well as Allen's, so I would hope that would be enough to prevent a loss of speed.
No can do on the bumped- up yardage, though. As you know from earlier posts, I have had previous injuries and major surgery that make that kind of yardage quite risky for further repetitive stress injuries. I also have autoimmune issues that would make that kind of yardage too hard on my body. When I tried swimming even more yardage than I am now, I paid for it with two miserable, painful months. :cane: Remember... As I have said before, I am in this for the long haul; I want to grow up to be just like my 95 year old teammate, Anne Dunivin. ;)
Thanks for your set ideas/ weekly plan. :applaud: And, thanks TONS for your race strategy! :applaud: :applaud: This is great; just what I needed. I will do my best to follow that strategy- except for one thing: The flip from back to ***. One of my autoimmune issues is Meniere's (inner ear disorder) which becomes quite evident when I attempt flips. I used to do them quite well in high school; now they just make me disoriented and seasick. Once I snap at the waist and my head goes down, I'm in trouble! :afraid:So, my coach has worked with me on improving my open turns.
Thanks again for your input, Ande!
:D
How do I train 400 IM without losing sprint speed?
Recently, you attempted an easy 400 IM in workout to see if you could swim a 100 fly without pausing at the walls.
you went 7:24
you did a 400 Im in a meet & went 7:16
you swim 6x per wk & 3 to 3.8k per practice
Train with a team & coach as often as you can
don't train in that HOT pool
If you only trained for the 400 IM,
you wouldn't lose speed.
Your BR would be fine.
Bump up your daily yardage to 4, 4.5 or even 5k per practice.
but do some speed training in every practice.
Train for the 200 & 400 free plus Br & IM
follow my tips in the Last 150 of my 500 falls off
Train Free: 3 or 4 x/wk
Train BR/IM 2 or 3 x/wk, but kick 400 BR in every practice.
but not 400 straight, do 8 x 50 or 16 x 25
Train for longer stuff until you are 1.5 to 2 weeks away from your big meet then switch to sprints.
Get a tech suit for big meet and you will BE AMAZED at your time improvements.
Consider my 400 IM race strategy as described in my
Thu Jul 21st, 2011 blog
Ande's 400 IM Race Strategy
FL
fast start, a few small easy SDKs, cruise it, breathe every stroke, barely kick, do small amplitude kicks with less effort, think about keeping your body flat, smooth & easy speed, not many SDKs off your turn, SAVE your legs, FEEL like you could go much faster
BK
cruise it, easy speed, small steady kick, great technique & body position,
pick up the pace on your 2nd 50, not many SDKs, take extra breaths as you approach your BK to Br turn, you want to feel fairly decent at the 200
FAST BK to BR turn
Flip it
push off hard and glide FAR
BR
fast hands on your insweep and thrust,
kick HARD and glide far after each kick
Great DPS, go fast don't spin,
Ride the Glide after each kick,
Br is where you catch and pass people who went out too hard.
FR
bring it home strong,
give it all you got,
Breathe every stroke except from the flags in on your 2nd 50,
6 beat kick the WHOLE 100
Hey Ande!
I appreciate your input on my thread. Hey, that 7:16 I swam was just in a post-meet workout, a few days after. I was tired from insomnia and had no competition to push me. I just slugged along in my community pool. (By the way, they reduced the temperature to 82 for the summer, so conditions have improved. :banana: )
It's good to hear you don't think I would lose breaststroke speed training for the 400 IM. I would still do your speed workouts, as well as Allen's, so I would hope that would be enough to prevent a loss of speed.
No can do on the bumped- up yardage, though. As you know from earlier posts, I have had previous injuries and major surgery that make that kind of yardage quite risky for further repetitive stress injuries. I also have autoimmune issues that would make that kind of yardage too hard on my body. When I tried swimming even more yardage than I am now, I paid for it with two miserable, painful months. :cane: Remember... As I have said before, I am in this for the long haul; I want to grow up to be just like my 95 year old teammate, Anne Dunivin. ;)
Thanks for your set ideas/ weekly plan. :applaud: And, thanks TONS for your race strategy! :applaud: :applaud: This is great; just what I needed. I will do my best to follow that strategy- except for one thing: The flip from back to ***. One of my autoimmune issues is Meniere's (inner ear disorder) which becomes quite evident when I attempt flips. I used to do them quite well in high school; now they just make me disoriented and seasick. Once I snap at the waist and my head goes down, I'm in trouble! :afraid:So, my coach has worked with me on improving my open turns.
Thanks again for your input, Ande!
:D
