Set design for HIT training for the 200m and 400m events.
Have any of you any experience with this? I know there are prominent sprinters among you of the HIT persuasion, but have it been done for, say, the 400 IM or 200 ***?
Both in my teens and the four years I have been swimming masters, I have focused on mid distance and distance events - the 400, 800 and 1500 free, the 400 and 200 IM and the 200 *** and fly. I've been doing traditional high volume training, although as a master, 'high volume' is a third or less of what it used to be.
The last two years I've incorporated an increasing amount of race pace training, and the first set after warm up is always a sprint set - 4-8x10-25 m. For the 1500, race pace training is close to traditional nx100 sets, but with a keener eye for the rep times.
I am now thinking of taking it further. After finding this link on the Science of Swimming thread, I am curious to see if one can train for the 200m and 400m events with HIT training as explained here:
coachsci.sdsu.edu/.../energy39.pdf
The problem now is how do I design the sets and the workouts? I get a fair idea of how to train for the various 200s, but I find the paper vague when it comes to IM training. Do I swim one set of each stroke? 20x50, 'five of each'? Or do I mimic the race by swimming the repeats in IM order - 50 fly, 50 back, then ***, free, fly, back, *** etc for the 200 and, perhaps, 2xfly, 2xback, 2xbreast etc for the 400?
And if this is an acceptable interpretation one will probably have to add some mixed style repeats to practice the turns, but then speed will be harder to monitor.
Former Member
I did 2:04.something at 19 y, I think 2:04.8, and I did 2:05.61 in March this year, 26 years later. I think it's possible to go sub 2:04, but I believe I need more speed work.
Depends if its just a matter of two seconds to you. Ande mentioned some things already relating to the swim. But there are other ways you might be able to "find" that time in mistakes you make in your swim. By this I mean things like...
How are your turns? You only have to be 3 tenths faster on each turn to get 2 seconds in a 200. Are your turns PERFECT?
How is your start? If you have a bad reaction there might be a few tenths there too meaning you only have to drop 2 tenths off each turn. If you break streamline too quick it could cost you a few tenths too. Is your start maximized?
How is your underwater kicks? With your improved start, if you could just gain just 1 extra tenth in the underwater, your turns only need to be 1-2 tenths faster each to get your two seconds. Are you streamlining and pushing those underwaters to carry your pushoff as far as possible?
There's probably at least a few tenths of time to "find" in your current race if not more. The only thing you'll really want to think about is where your bar is set. Lets say its this easy to pull the 2 seconds out with mistake corrections, now you need to think about 2 seconds faster than that... because what you're really thinking about here is the swim time itself. Ande has addressed much of that already. In those splits alone I see 3-5 seconds you could shave off with more aerobic work. Holding those splits better and working on what I mention I think you have a good shot at breaking the 2:00 barrier. I don't think sheer speed is what you should focus on just yet. Maximize the speed you have by correcting mistakes and adding aerobic capacity, and get those splits closer together. It'd be nice to see them be 28, 30, 31, 31 before you fix your mistakes. Easier typed than done, of course.
Former Member
Thank you for your thorough comments, fmracing!
Depends if its just a matter of two seconds to you. Ande mentioned some things already relating to the swim. But there are other ways you might be able to "find" that time in mistakes you make in your swim. By this I mean things like...
How are your turns? You only have to be 3 tenths faster on each turn to get 2 seconds in a 200. Are your turns PERFECT?
While I cannot claim perfect turns, they are reasonably good. I've worked a bit on my turns, my main event being the SCM 1500. My SDKs are weak at best. I don't use them much for distance, it seems to take too much breath. I can shave a tenth or three on each of the turns.
How is your start? If you have a bad reaction there might be a few tenths there too meaning you only have to drop 2 tenths off each turn. If you break streamline too quick it could cost you a few tenths too. Is your start maximized?
-As with the turns, my start is not maximized (again, main event 1500). My reaction is not bad; for backstroke (only stroke where it's been measured), my best is 0.61, and usually 's probably at least a few tenths of time to "find" in your current race if not more. The only thing you'll really want to think about is where your bar is set.
- Like Ande said, I want to obliterate 2.04. I believe I can go
29.2-31.2-31.2-31.2: 2:02.8. And then some.
Lets say its this easy to pull the 2 seconds out with mistake corrections, now you need to think about 2 seconds faster than that... because what you're really thinking about here is the swim time itself. Ande has addressed much of that already. In those splits alone I see 3-5 seconds you could shave off with more aerobic work.
-I can understand your point of view from the splits. But if you look at 28.8/29.2 for the 100; a SCM 1500 of 17:31; a LCM 400 IM of 5.09.56 and a LCM 200 *** of 36.60-39.91-40.22-39.75 (2:36.48) in Riccione, I am not so sure that the aerobic capacity is the problem. I could be wrong.
Holding those splits better and working on what I mention I think you have a good shot at breaking the 2:00 barrier.
-Yeeeah! It sounds outlandish, but WHY NOT?!?
I don't think sheer speed is what you should focus on just yet. Maximize the speed you have by correcting mistakes and adding aerobic capacity, and get those splits closer together. It'd be nice to see them be 28, 30, 31, 31 before you fix your mistakes. Easier typed than done, of course.
Thank you again, I really appriciate this feedback.
Former Member
Hi again,
I realise I made a mess of my last posts, with the quotes and the formats and all. I tried to be clever and do like I've seen Ande do, and write the comments/answers into the quote after each question. I've been wondering if I should clean them up and post them again, or if that just would be annoying.
It would really be helpful to get some further comment on how to break the two minute barrier, or even drop a second or two.
My splits for SCM 200 free were 28.30, 31.14 (59.44), 32.78, 33.78 (1:06.17) - 2:05.61 (March 2011). The pacing is awful.
My 2012 best free times:
50: 27.10
100: 58.06 (28.82, 29.24)
400: 4:27.56 (1:04.34, 1:08.25, 1:08.02, 1:06.87)
1500: 17:31.38 (4:36, 9:19, 14:00)
