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How do I train 400 IM without losing sprint speed?

Elaine Krugman
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:
  • The Check Off Challenge sounds perfect for me ... I have my own version of the check-off challenge: To swim every event at least once, in competition, while I'm still in this age group (that is, before I age up). This time around, I'm going to get it done for all the SCY events, even if I have to clench my teeth and enter a 50 *** in the last possible meet. When I age up, my new challenge will be to swim all events at least once in all of SCY, SCM, and LCM. Yes, that means 50 *** at least 3 times in the next five years. Ugh!
  • 2k straight fly!?! you crazy, that's why you are the Elaine-Iak. my suggestion is don't swim sloppy fly Since my 2k straight fly, I have come to realize an unintended benefit of doing something that crazy- sloppy or otherwise; it builds IF-THEN confidence: - IF I can swim 2k straight fly, THEN I can swim a 3k open water (my first open water competition), hop out, and swim a 1k a few minutes later (and negative split it). - IF I can swim 2k straight fly, THEN I can swim 10 individual events (5 new brute squad) and 2 relays in a two day LCM meet. (Ok, my times didn't exactly set any personal best records, but I sure had a blast at the meet!) - IF I can swim 2k straight fly, THEN I can hop back up on the blocks 3 minutes after a 50m breaststroke race and swim a 200m fly race. - IF I can swim 2k straight fly, THEN I have the endurance to race a 1650 (I have done a practice "race" and plan to race it in the future). - IF I can swim 2k straight fly and have negative-split my distance races since, THEN my coach and pwb (and Geek :bouncing:) are right; I really am an animal, better suited to cross over to the dark side of the jungle, and join the animal lane. And (so far), - IF I can swim 2k straight fly, THEN I could choke down 2 quarts of disgusting "MoviPrep":afraid: to prepare for last Wednesday's colonoscopy. :bolt:(Note to you, Ande: You're almost 50. ;) Just wait; the IF-THEN mantra will come in handy for this one...) My advice to all; animals, aspiring animals, possible animals, and non-animals alike: 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. :bliss:
  • 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.
  • Yes, I do like my Smilies! :bliss: As for the rest of what you said, this Smilie should suffice: :smooch:
  • Training in the animal lane is working, Patrick; I dropped my 400yd IM from my previous best of 7:03 from a push-off to 6:51.08 in today's meet. :ohyeah: I just watched the video and my splits were: +/- 1:46, 1:50, 1:45, 1:30 Here is the link if anybody wants a good :lmao:: www.youtube.com/watch
  • Training in the animal lane is working, Patrick; I dropped my 400yd IM from my previous best of 7:03 from a push-off to 6:51.08 in today's meet. :ohyeah: I just watched the video and my splits were: +/- 1:46, 1:50, 1:45, 1:30 Here is the link if anybody wants a good :lmao:: www.youtube.com/watch good job!