Sets that make your mind stronger:

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

Former Member — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 15:40:15 GMT

True stuff. If your mind isn't in it...

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

Former Member — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 10:17:28 GMT

Thank you for being honest, guys. I struggled with this short course when I first came back into masters, and last week I did my first long course 200 in about 4/5 years. I haven't yet got it right long course and went out too slow last week. My experience of 200 *** as a masters says that if I go out slow, I'll still get slower.I got over it short course, somewhat by just taking a "f*ck it" kind of attitude and realised that no matter how hard it was, it didn't hurt for long. i guess there's a little more fear for me long course of going "backwards" but really it shouldn't be much different. Since the 200m long course last week I've set out to convince myself that there isn't much missing, by doing some testing sets - and I guess this is just in line with the cycle I'd planned leading up to the Europeans anyway. So last week I did some fairly challenging aerobic sets and I've ticked aerobic conditioning off the list. It's at least in the ballpark. Now, when I do some 200 pace work I'll do more of it on 100s rather than 50s to better replicate the feeling of swimming long course. Like you guys, I'll probably throw in a timed 200 or two between now and taper time, too.I am generally a big believer in race pace, but sometime with the 200 BR I will either get scared of taking it out too fast and dying or of running out of breath on the pullouts.To deal with the fear of "dying" I will swim a 200 BR taking the first 50 out AFAP and then trying to hold the stroke and the stroke count together.I don't do those too often as they really hurt. To deal with the running out of air fear I do 100s at about 200 pace doing 2 pullouts each turn,or sometimes 100s at 200 pace doing 2 pullouts on the last turn.

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

Sojerz — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 11:01:42 GMT

A friend posted this up on FB thee other day - navy Seals 40% rule - not sure if it urban legend or true, but "you gotta believe" you can do it first (Tug McGraw, I think): www.youtube.com/watch

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

sunruh — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 03:10:16 GMT

the alarm goes off at 5:01am - 'nuff said

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

ForceDJ — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:18:29 GMT

I've been swimming for years (decades) but have only ever done minor, insignificant pool competition. I've always done lots of pool workouts while training for military fitness tests, triathlons, and other open water swims. Years ago I read something by some accomplished runner that said training for most athletic endeavors is really training your mind that you can accomplish the feat, and not so much to get you physically in shape. Anyone who is at a point where they've already done the specific event, or close to it, already has the physical aptitude to complete it. All the additional training is just to tell your mind that you can do it faster/better/longer. There's a Yogi Berra quote that says "Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." I've always believed that same thing about any physical activity...especially endurance events that require more than just a sprinter's natural abilities. Dan

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

orca1946 — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 01:06:24 GMT

Sets with only 10 seconds rest interval really make me work hard to keep on the clock. Free sets are easier for me than fly.

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 08:48:39 GMT

My mentally challenging "set": To prove to myself I could swim a legal non-stop 200 fly, I had my husband shoot video (for proof). I told him that if I survived 200 fly and thought it was all legal stroke, I would keep going with the crazy goal of trying to make 500 yards of non-stop legal fly, so I could join the Butternuts. The first 200 yards were the hardest, but I kept going, and I actually felt better as I went along. I figured mentally that if I could swim xxx yards of legal fly, surely I could compete in 200 fly in the Ironman Pentathlon at the Southside Pentathlon Swim Meet here in Georgia (run by forum moderator, Rob Copeland). I was still able to keep going after hitting 900 yards; however, the battery in the camera died and my husband stopped me for fear I would ruin my (previously operated on) shoulder (thoracic outlet syndrome). It turns out my shoulder was just fine, and all 900 yards of the fly were legal, so I thought about a future mental challenge... After I became a Butternut, it gave me the confidence I could make it in a 200 fly race, so I entered the Pentathlon, and I have been competing in 200 fly regularly ever since. I'm still slow, and the first 200 yards of fly are still the hardest, but I know I'll make it. :agree: Footnote: Next time out for that mental challenge, I set the camera up on a tripod (hubby wasn't happy about hand-holding the camera for a slow 900 yard fly!), and recruited him once again to video an attempt to go 1,000+ yards. I made it to 2,000 yards, and could have kept going, but the camera's battery died once again, and hubby called it quits. After that, I joined a few other Forumites for an end-of-the-year 1,000 fly challenge.

RE: Sets that make your mind stronger:

Allen Stark — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 05:36:06 GMT

I am generally a big believer in race pace, but sometime with the 200 BR I will either get scared of taking it out too fast and dying or of running out of breath on the pullouts.To deal with the fear of "dying" I will swim a 200 BR taking the first 50 out AFAP and then trying to hold the stroke and the stroke count together.I don't do those too often as they really hurt. To deal with the running out of air fear I do 100s at about 200 pace doing 2 pullouts each turn,or sometimes 100s at 200 pace doing 2 pullouts on the last turn.