Drop-off in speed as distance increases

Former Member
Former Member
If you compare your best times for the various events of a stroke, where does the biggest drop-off occure? Is this different for a sprinter compared to a swimmer of a distance persuasion? I noticed that there was little difference between my speed for the 800 free compared with my best 1500. In fact, my two best 800s are splits from my best 1500s. So I decided to take a closer look: Freestyle Masters PB, SCM: 50: 26.87 (100 m= 53.74) 100: 58.06 (58.06), drop-off=8.0 % 200: 2:05.61 (1:02.81), drop-off 8.2 % 400: 4:27.56 (1:06.89) drop-off 6.5 % 800: 9:19.13 (1:09.89) drop-off 4.5 % 1500: 17:31.38 (1:10.09) drop-off 0.3 % How would you analyze this? I would think that my 200 is sub standard (biggest drop-off), and so is my 800 (no faster than 1500). There's a lot of variables, of course; was I shaved and tapered for all these swims, what kind of suit did I wear, was it early or late in the meet etc. For the shorter swims, the drop-off is more substancial than for the longer swims. Is this due to my slow-twitch dominance or is it general? Could it have something to do with the different energy systems? Freestyle with all its events was the most interesting subject, but of course I checked the other strokes too. Not all to my surprise there was a discrepancy between butterfly and backstroke drop-offs, from 100 to 200 my speed dropped by 2.6 % (backstroke :)) and 18.0 % (butterfly :afraid:).
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Oh,come on.Let's face it,everybody would be a sprinter if they could.If I was a 6'6" muscular ball of fast twitch fibers I'd be a freestyle sprinter. You're right, of course :blush:. For me, it's the 100 free that's the most glorious event; I would love to do a 55-56 SCM 100 free. But in my opinion it is perhaps the 400 IM that is the most complete acchievement: all strokes, speed, endurance, transitions. And in practice it's clear that I gravitate towards the longer endurance sets. I find lactate tolerance sets almost unbearable, uncomfortable and boring. So I guess it's distance for me. And I like it :).
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Oh,come on.Let's face it,everybody would be a sprinter if they could.If I was a 6'6" muscular ball of fast twitch fibers I'd be a freestyle sprinter. You're right, of course :blush:. For me, it's the 100 free that's the most glorious event; I would love to do a 55-56 SCM 100 free. But in my opinion it is perhaps the 400 IM that is the most complete acchievement: all strokes, speed, endurance, transitions. And in practice it's clear that I gravitate towards the longer endurance sets. I find lactate tolerance sets almost unbearable, uncomfortable and boring. So I guess it's distance for me. And I like it :).
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