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:
Hey Elaine-Iak,
Nice writing, Inspiring. and True
when you first hit the forums as "ElaineK" you were and still are quite eager peppy & positive, someone way into swimming (& smilies) , a sort of Swimming maniac, so we had to add the I A to ElaineK
IF-THEN confidence is true and real.
It's great to test your limits and do things you never thought you could.
Sometimes we need to pick priorities and think:
I could ___ but if I do I'm likely to _____ so I choose to _______
Like "I could race 5 events a day at zones plus relays
but if I do i'm likely to not do as well in my most important events
So I choose to enter 5 and make choices at the meet or just enter the few events based on my priorities and the order of events."
Confidence is great but we also need a dash of insecurity, if you are truly confident, then you KNOW with out a doubt that you can do something and because you know it you don't need to prove it. to improve in swimming it helps to be confident, but you also need to PROVE it each day with your actions, so it helps to be a little insecure, so you feel compelled to perform at your highest levels and constantly push the boundaries of what's possible for you.
Challenge yourself to do something outrageous (for you) and out of your comfort zone; the resulting confidence it builds will fuel plenty IF-THEN scenarios of your own. And, in the process, you may discover something new about yourself. In my case, I discovered the "...Iak" part of me; I really am "Elaine-Iak"! Besides my best event (50 breaststroke), I really am an "Aqua Dog" (my husband's nickname for me) who belongs in the animal lane.
We should all challenge ourselves, get out of our comfort zones, get comfortable with the unknown.
Ande
Tell your husband you're not "Aqua Dog," you are "Aqua fox" & he better get used to it.
Hey Elaine-Iak,
Nice writing, Inspiring. and True
when you first hit the forums as "ElaineK" you were and still are quite eager peppy & positive, someone way into swimming (& smilies) , a sort of Swimming maniac, so we had to add the I A to ElaineK
IF-THEN confidence is true and real.
It's great to test your limits and do things you never thought you could.
Sometimes we need to pick priorities and think:
I could ___ but if I do I'm likely to _____ so I choose to _______
Like "I could race 5 events a day at zones plus relays
but if I do i'm likely to not do as well in my most important events
So I choose to enter 5 and make choices at the meet or just enter the few events based on my priorities and the order of events."
Confidence is great but we also need a dash of insecurity, if you are truly confident, then you KNOW with out a doubt that you can do something and because you know it you don't need to prove it. to improve in swimming it helps to be confident, but you also need to PROVE it each day with your actions, so it helps to be a little insecure, so you feel compelled to perform at your highest levels and constantly push the boundaries of what's possible for you.
Challenge yourself to do something outrageous (for you) and out of your comfort zone; the resulting confidence it builds will fuel plenty IF-THEN scenarios of your own. And, in the process, you may discover something new about yourself. In my case, I discovered the "...Iak" part of me; I really am "Elaine-Iak"! Besides my best event (50 breaststroke), I really am an "Aqua Dog" (my husband's nickname for me) who belongs in the animal lane.
We should all challenge ourselves, get out of our comfort zones, get comfortable with the unknown.
Ande
Tell your husband you're not "Aqua Dog," you are "Aqua fox" & he better get used to it.
