I have a swim meet coming up this weekend Nov 1, Nov 2. I haven't raced in almost 6 years. I have, however, been swimming all the time. The meet restricts each competitor to only two events. Each event is a timed final. I guess they do this to save time. I have entered the 50 m and 100 m free. The last time I raced these events I went 26.15 and 59.01 respectively. Back then, however, I did more training than I am doing now.
Recently, I have been swimming 4 times a week, averaging about 1500 m to 2300 m per session. In the mornings I follow a home fitness program which involves some very vigorous cardio, dumbbell work, body weight workouts, etc. It can be really exhausting and leave my muscles sore for a couple of days afterwards.
My questions are:
should I drop the home exercise program in this final week before the meet?
how much swimming should I be doing and what should I be concentrating on in the pool?
what should I be eating?
and probably the biggest question of all,
how do I warm up on the day of the meet?
Good advice. And that article is excellent. Really sensible. I tend to do too much and wear myself out, I think. I almost feel I have to swim the entire distance at race pace just to make sure that I am still up to the task on the day.
Today, I warmed up doing an easy relaxed 600 m concentrating on my stroke and counting my strokes, working on my turns. I followed up descending 4 x 50 m: 36, 34, 32, 30. Then I did a similar set on 25 m. I hardly rested in between. Did a slow 50 m and then blasted out a 100 m from a push off. Went 63.01 in the wave pool and felt really disheartened because last week I went 61.xx from a push. But then when I thought back on it, I realized it was in the wave pool (my name for the kids training pool because it is only waist high and the waterline doesn't go up to the same level as the deck so the water sloshes around like in a box with high sides) and I hadn't really rested and I duffed my turns. Note to self: need to be more patient.
Should I be trying to swim all out 100's this week or should I only stick to the shorter stuff. I am worried about my endurance on the second 50. I am worried I am going to lose it this week. Have taken everyone's advice and stopped the drylands. Last bit of cardio I did was on Monday and it was only half of what I would normally have done anyway.
Thank you.
You are not going to lose conditioning in a week.You want to think of it as tuning up. 100s aren't going to help you as you can't do them at race pace with a reasonable recovery.Doing the entire distance at race pace before the meet is like striking all your matches before the camp out to make sure they all work,you'll have nothing left.
Good advice. And that article is excellent. Really sensible. I tend to do too much and wear myself out, I think. I almost feel I have to swim the entire distance at race pace just to make sure that I am still up to the task on the day.
Today, I warmed up doing an easy relaxed 600 m concentrating on my stroke and counting my strokes, working on my turns. I followed up descending 4 x 50 m: 36, 34, 32, 30. Then I did a similar set on 25 m. I hardly rested in between. Did a slow 50 m and then blasted out a 100 m from a push off. Went 63.01 in the wave pool and felt really disheartened because last week I went 61.xx from a push. But then when I thought back on it, I realized it was in the wave pool (my name for the kids training pool because it is only waist high and the waterline doesn't go up to the same level as the deck so the water sloshes around like in a box with high sides) and I hadn't really rested and I duffed my turns. Note to self: need to be more patient.
Should I be trying to swim all out 100's this week or should I only stick to the shorter stuff. I am worried about my endurance on the second 50. I am worried I am going to lose it this week. Have taken everyone's advice and stopped the drylands. Last bit of cardio I did was on Monday and it was only half of what I would normally have done anyway.
Thank you.
You are not going to lose conditioning in a week.You want to think of it as tuning up. 100s aren't going to help you as you can't do them at race pace with a reasonable recovery.Doing the entire distance at race pace before the meet is like striking all your matches before the camp out to make sure they all work,you'll have nothing left.
