Help me break through a wall please!

These are short course 25 meter races. The pools here in Hokkaido are all quite old, and I haven't come across any blocks where I could feasibly do a track start. All the blocks are tiny, and some are not even angled forward. I used to swim 50km a week in school, but quit when I was 20. Now I'm 28 and have just gotten back into swimming. Work keeps me pretty busy, so I only swim once a week. Just about 1.5 km. It's just for fun. I don't race 100's or 200's because I just don't have the fitness. 25's and 50's I can get away with anaerobic, so I don't really need to be too fit! What's a jammer? Is that a fast suit? I'm from an era before those! I like my Alexandre Popov style costume! This weekend I'm swimming a 25 and 50 free, and a 50 fly down in Obihiro. It's SC. I'll really work my SDK and try and keep my head down. Fingers crossed I can get a 23. it all boils down to this question: "How bad do you want to be good?" you race short course meters It's well worth your time to travel to a meet in a better pool with better blocks you swim once a week 1.5 km I think you could swim faster if you swam 3 or 4 or 5 times a week Are you lifting weights? Strength and speed go hand in hand. Get stronger swim faster you can probably get away with 100's too for speed and strength training you don't need to swim much or far you just need to warm up and do a few very fast 15 & 25 swims & kicks with plenty of rest Plus maybe a very fast 50 or two once a week What's a jammer? a jammer is a swim suit that covers more of your leg the rule for men is below the belly button and above the top of your knee The Swim Faster faster Index has a link called FINA Approved Tech Suits where you can see examples. work on your SDK and test it, only use it if it's faster you want to do small fast SDKs Probably the best race footage of AWESOME SDKing is: Michael Phelps Mens 100m Butterfly Rome, 2009 WR FINA Emotional Phelps supports Speedo - YouTube Cavic went out in 22.6 ultimately what you want to do is improve your SDKs, test your SDKs & SFK (streamlined flutter kick), to figure out what gets you to 15 meters the fastest, if it's SDKs, come up with a kick count for your FL & FR races IE I SDK faster on my back than my belly, so I do more SDKs in my 50 bk than my 50 fly, also my 25 free than than my 25 SDK so I do less SDKs on my 50 FR than my 50 FL My race kick counts are: 50 bk 11 off the start & 12 off the turn 50 FL 8 - 10 off the start & turn 50 FR 6 off the start & turn don't "try and keep your head down" KEEP your head down also check out study and practice "Dive Work with World Record Holder Roland Schoeman" Hope you go 23, obliterate 24 Ande Ask the person filming you to: 1) Film you from an unobstructed elevated point 2) use a tripod 3) zoom in enough to get good race details but not too much so that they lose you on the turn or don't show the swimmers next to you unless they're really far behind & 4) practice following you while filming through a few fast turns in warm up so they keep you in the frame during your 50 races.

Are you using hand paddles, fins, and pull buoys during your workouts? If no, I encourage you to incorporate them into your workout.

Hi guys. I woke up at 3.45 am this morning and drove 3 hours to Obihiro. It was a small meet held by my fitness club. I was told it was a mixed meet with kids and masters alike joining in the fun. When I got there, it was nearly all kids! I felt kind of embarrassed to swim with 15 and 16 year olds, but it turns out one of them gave me a good run for my money! I dived in and got a reasonably good streamline, but after 3 or 4 SDK's I felt like I was slowing down so I surfaced. I thought about lengthening the back of my neck and opening up a big kick. At the 25 meter mark, I turned and saw that the 16 year old to my right had come with me, which really got me motivated. I worked hard for about 6 SDK's before surfacing and upping my stroke rate while still concentrating on looking downwards. In the end I got a nice finish on the wall and got a personal best of 23.92 seconds! I feel like I might be able to find some more time next time because I don't think I got a very good start, and my front half may not have been as explosive as it could have been because I was focusing on my head position. The young chap finished in 24.8 which I thought was pretty quick for 16! Thanks for all your helpful advice! If I can find the video, I'll post it up!

"How bad do you want to be good?" I swim these days because it's a fun reminder of my roots, I don't have aspirations of competing with the big fish. you race short course meters It's well worth your time to travel to a meet in a better pool with better blocks Unfortunately the swimming infrastructure here in Hokkaido is sorely lacking. Today was my 7th meet this season and I haven't found blocks that I could tracks start from. you swim once a week 1.5 km I think you could swim faster if you swam 3 or 4 or 5 times a week At the moment, I only do 25s and 50s and so all my racing is anaerobic. My work schedule precludes me from training with guys my speed, so I'm stuck with the 40 somethings and 50 somethings in the masters class! Are you lifting weights? Yes sir, twice a week Strength and speed go hand in hand. Get stronger swim faster you can probably get away with 100's too for speed and strength training you don't need to swim much or far you just need to warm up and do a few very fast 15 & 25 swims & kicks with plenty of rest Plus maybe a very fast 50 or two once a week I've only tried one 100 this year, and the back end was a disaster! I might give them a go next year What's a jammer? a jammer is a swim suit that covers more of your leg the rule for men is below the belly button and above the top of your knee The Swim Faster faster Index has a link called FINA Approved Tech Suits where you can see examples. I might invest next season. My teammates do laugh at me for my 1990's style costume. work on your SDK and test it, only use it if it's faster you want to do small fast SDKs This is going to be my biggest focus, and I thank you for pointing it out to me. Probably the best race footage of AWESOME SDKing is: Michael Phelps Mens 100m Butterfly Rome, 2009 WR FINA Emotional Phelps supports Speedo - YouTube Cavic went out in 22.6 That's outrageously fast! ultimately what you want to do is improve your SDKs, test your SDKs & SFK (streamlined flutter kick), to figure out what gets you to 15 meters the fastest, if it's SDKs, come up with a kick count for your FL & FR races IE I SDK faster on my back than my belly, so I do more SDKs in my 50 bk than my 50 fly, also my 25 free than than my 25 SDK so I do less SDKs on my 50 FR than my 50 FL My race kick counts are: 50 bk 11 off the start & 12 off the turn 50 FL 8 - 10 off the start & turn 50 FR 6 off the start & turn don't "try and keep your head down" KEEP your head down Goal achieved. also check out study and practice "Dive Work with World Record Holder Roland Schoeman" Hope you go 23, obliterate 24 I got back into the 23's! Only just! P.B. by 4 hundredths! Ande Ask the person filming you to: 1) Film you from an unobstructed elevated point 2) use a tripod 3) zoom in enough to get good race details but not too much so that they lose you on the turn or don't show the swimmers next to you unless they're really far behind & 4) practice following you while filming through a few fast turns in warm up so they keep you in the frame during your 50 races. Filming is hit and miss unfortunately. Everyone has their hands full with their own races, so I get it when I can. I didn't expect this kinds of in depth advice when I posted on here. I really appreciate you taking the time to write helpful advice. Thank you!

Hi Andy, I swim these days because it's a fun reminder of my roots, I don't have aspirations of competing with the big fish. It's fun to find out how fast you can swim. Unfortunately the swimming infrastructure here in Hokkaido is sorely lacking. Today was my 7th meet this season and I haven't found blocks that I could tracks start from. keep looking At the moment, I only do 25s and 50s and so all my racing is anaerobic. My work schedule precludes me from training with guys my speed, so I'm stuck with the 40 somethings and 50 somethings in the masters class! That's ok, swim easy with perfect form then sprint during moments when you have open water, like as your lane is coming in on a set or about to turn Are you lifting weights? Yes sir, twice a week Can you do 3? Strength and speed go hand in hand. Get stronger swim faster 100's I've only tried one 100 this year, and the back end was a disaster! I might give them a go next year Splitting is the secret, use easy speed to cruise the 1st 25 or 50 kick at a low intensity then pick it up on the 2nd 50, split your races close you went 23.9 go out in 25.9 then try to go 26.4 on your 2nd 50 I might invest next season. My teammates do laugh at me for my 1990's style costume. INVEST IN A JAMMER SDKs This is going to be my biggest focus, and I thank you for pointing it out to me. GREAT Cavic went out in 22.6 That's outrageously fast! IT IS, THE WR IN BODY SUITS IS 22.4 LCM, A FEW HAVE BEEN UNDER 23 IN JAMMERS I got back into the 23's! Only just! P.B. by 4 hundredths! CONGRATS NOW GO FASTER SWIM MORE, 3 30 MIN PRACTICES A WEEK IS BETTER THAN 1 HR LONG ONE I didn't expect this kinds of in depth advice when I posted on here. I really appreciate you taking the time to write helpful advice. Thank you! YOU'RE WELCOME, BECOME FASCINATED WITH HOW FAST YOU CAN SWIM ON LIMITED TRAINING TIME.

Do you pull with a straight arm, or with elbow high?

Andy, great job. First time out after getting some advice from the peanut gallery, giving it some thought, then getting hunted by a young lion on the back end, you get a new PB. Presto magico. Only the beginning, would be my guess. Why Not returns to a big point, asking about EVF. Gary Hall Sr. makes this a very interesting topic with his views on the subject. Here's a nugget: www.theraceclub.net/.../

High elbow. Swimming at Joy - YouTube Very short vid of my underwater technique. (Got a new GoPro and wanted to test it's waterproofing) Have you tried sprinting with a straight arm? From what I see there is a lot of strength in your arms and in the race you are more shoulder driven then rotating. With a straight arm you might even get a bit more lift. I would give it a try and see what works best for you. Look at this video on minute 3.09

Do you pull with a straight arm, or with elbow high? High elbow. Swimming at Joy - YouTube Very short vid of my underwater technique. (Got a new GoPro and wanted to test it's waterproofing)

Are there 50 M sprinters who don't use shoulder driven strokes? I know some of the 100M guys like Magmessun use a hybrid of shoulder and hip driven.