I am swimming at nationals in San Antonio. Have had a solid season of training, focusing on sprints, particularly. (50 fly, 50 free and 100 IM at nationals.) I swam in a local meet over the weekend; rested a little, but not much, beforehand. Felt tired and a little sore, due I think to high intensity stuff in workouts. I had very little backend on 100s and 200 IM, but I attribute that to being a little run down.
My question is this: how much sprinting should I do over the next month? Feel as if the sprints (lots of 25s fly and free, especially) have helped me edge toward higher turnover, and I'm pleased about that. I want to be sharp but not tired in San Antonio. I have been swimming 10,000 to 12,000 yards per week through the first quarter. Any insights welcome.
I'm reporting back on my results on prepping for San Antonio after feeling tired in a meet three weeks out. I took the advice to give it a rest, and was out of the water for 4 straight days. When I got back in, it was at less yardage with more rest heading toward Nationals. I felt sluggish 10 days out, but stuck with it and by the time I got to the meet I felt fast again. My times dropped: almost a full second in the 100 IM to an all-time Masters best; 50 free dropped .7 to an age group best, just as I aged out; 50 fly I stayed stuck in the same two to three-tenths neighborhood where my best times have hovered for the last several years. Using the Virginia LMSC rating system
www.vaswim.org/.../rcalc.cgi
(which is very helpful for tracking performance across time and age) I found that I had swum my three most highly rated swims (age + time x masters world record algorithm) since returning to competition 8 years ago.
I also got to swim against my old teenage friend and rival for the first time since 1978, and squeaked out a win in the 100 IM by two-tenths. That was a huge treat (seeing him and his wife, also competing). Seriously affirming.
I attribute some of that success to the advice I got here to back off some (thanks mrbacky, steve and fort). I had slowed down to taper in prior years, but this time I was more careful and attentive during the last 10 days, especially. I definitely swam less in the last week than I ever had before, but had a nice base to back off from, too.
Thanks for the assist, forumites!
I'm reporting back on my results on prepping for San Antonio after feeling tired in a meet three weeks out. I took the advice to give it a rest, and was out of the water for 4 straight days. When I got back in, it was at less yardage with more rest heading toward Nationals. I felt sluggish 10 days out, but stuck with it and by the time I got to the meet I felt fast again. My times dropped: almost a full second in the 100 IM to an all-time Masters best; 50 free dropped .7 to an age group best, just as I aged out; 50 fly I stayed stuck in the same two to three-tenths neighborhood where my best times have hovered for the last several years. Using the Virginia LMSC rating system
www.vaswim.org/.../rcalc.cgi
(which is very helpful for tracking performance across time and age) I found that I had swum my three most highly rated swims (age + time x masters world record algorithm) since returning to competition 8 years ago.
I also got to swim against my old teenage friend and rival for the first time since 1978, and squeaked out a win in the 100 IM by two-tenths. That was a huge treat (seeing him and his wife, also competing). Seriously affirming.
I attribute some of that success to the advice I got here to back off some (thanks mrbacky, steve and fort). I had slowed down to taper in prior years, but this time I was more careful and attentive during the last 10 days, especially. I definitely swam less in the last week than I ever had before, but had a nice base to back off from, too.
Thanks for the assist, forumites!
