So many swimmers classify themselves as a "sprinter", "breaststroker", "middle distance", "IMer", etc.
Since training can affect the outcome, how can you tell if your talent matches what you're training?
To clarify with an example: How can you tell if you're really meant to be a distance swimmer vs. you like distance and you've trained yourself into it?
There's definitely something to be said for just doing what you like and going with it. Or to just take an all around approach similar to what is recommended for age groupers.
But what if you want to pick something to really throw your focus into?
Is there an objective way to decide what distance a person should focus on or what stroke a person should focus on?
If you have a specialty, how did you decide?
Considering about 70% of the propulsion in breaststroke comes from the kick, one must have an incredibly bad stroke, or stroke timing, in order to be falling behind by 15 seconds against those you beat in kick sets. Are you out-kicking high school breaststrokers who go like 1:10ish, or guys that have sectional times?I probably shouldn't compare myself to HS swimmers since I have no idea how much effort they are putting forth. They train different than I do. So, here's a more reasonable metric: all out I can kick 100 yd br on about 1:23 w/ kickboard taking a pull before each wall. I can sustain about a 1:33 pace for 500+ yards. In meets, my 50 br is around :33, my 100 is around 1:10 and my 200 is around 2:35. Maybe my expectations are too high?
Considering about 70% of the propulsion in breaststroke comes from the kick, one must have an incredibly bad stroke, or stroke timing, in order to be falling behind by 15 seconds against those you beat in kick sets. Are you out-kicking high school breaststrokers who go like 1:10ish, or guys that have sectional times?I probably shouldn't compare myself to HS swimmers since I have no idea how much effort they are putting forth. They train different than I do. So, here's a more reasonable metric: all out I can kick 100 yd br on about 1:23 w/ kickboard taking a pull before each wall. I can sustain about a 1:33 pace for 500+ yards. In meets, my 50 br is around :33, my 100 is around 1:10 and my 200 is around 2:35. Maybe my expectations are too high?
