Hi,
I've only been swimming masters for a few years and only recently moved up to working out 3 x a week. All sessions are 1.5 hours and I tend to swim just under 4000 yards.
I find myself getting really tired doing this to the point where usually on one of the workout nights, I barely have the energy to swim and often end up getting out early.
I tend to workout hard, since I've recently moved up to a more 'competitive' lane and want to 'keep up', as well as pushing myself to swim better.
Any thoughts on how I can manage my workouts better i.e.
Should I push hard on 2 of the workouts, then move to a slower lane to do an easier workout during the 3rd session
Should I stick swimming hard but just swim for an hour each time
The workouts tend to be the evening and I often don't get home until 10pm at which point I don't tend to eat much - perhaps I should increase my calories
Any advice would be appreciated ?
Former Member
How much were you swimming before and how long has it been since you started doing the 1.5 hour practices? It can take a little while for your body to adjust to an increased training volume. If you moved to a faster lane at the same time it is a big change for your body.
If you can't complete the workout as you are too worn out you should probably swim in the slower lane until you can handle the 1.5h practices. If not all the time then 1 or 2 practices a week. When you are in the faster lane you should make sure you are getting enough rest during warmup and drills so you can improve your technique. If you are pushing yourself hard just to make the pace time at the beginning of practice you probably aren't helping yourself get better and might be damaging your technique.
You can track your body weight to see if you are eating enough. If you eat a full dinner before your evening practice you shouldn't need to eat too much when you get home. In the winter my practices finish at 10pm. I usually just have whey protein powder in milk and maybe some yogurt, a banana, and/or nuts etc.
How much were you swimming before and how long has it been since you started doing the 1.5 hour practices? It can take a little while for your body to adjust to an increased training volume. If you moved to a faster lane at the same time it is a big change for your body.
If you can't complete the workout as you are too worn out you should probably swim in the slower lane until you can handle the 1.5h practices. If not all the time then 1 or 2 practices a week. When you are in the faster lane you should make sure you are getting enough rest during warmup and drills so you can improve your technique. If you are pushing yourself hard just to make the pace time at the beginning of practice you probably aren't helping yourself get better and might be damaging your technique.
You can track your body weight to see if you are eating enough. If you eat a full dinner before your evening practice you shouldn't need to eat too much when you get home. In the winter my practices finish at 10pm. I usually just have whey protein powder in milk and maybe some yogurt, a banana, and/or nuts etc.
Thanks for the quick response.
Previously I'd been doing 1 x 1.5hr and then 2 x 1hr workouts for probably 6-8 months - although these were all during the day.
I do find myself getting little rest between sets, so I think you're right that I should move to a slower lane (perhaps for 2 of the sessions at the beginning).
I have a hard time digesting food easily so tend to eat lite (bagel and peanut butter) around 5.30pm and then swim from 8 to 9.30pm and eat dinner around 10pm.
My weight has stayed pretty constant (between 185 and 190lb - I'm 6'4").
