500 yard free prep

Hi Fast Ion, Much physiological improvement occurs during the rest periods (or the increased speed resulting from the rest) during interval training. If that were not the case, why do intervals at all? With your meet speed I suspect that you are not getting much rest during your interval training - in that case, what you are doing is little different from swimming the total distance straight. You may think you are working hard, but what your body is doing is lowering the intensity so you can last the distance - but that is not what you want to do while you are racing a 50, 100, or 200! Instead, you should train at a speed that you can not maintain for long. Then you recover, and then you try again. If you are training for a 100 I think you should have at least :30 rest between swims, during the early taper phase, more later in the season. But don't try it and decide you are not working hard enough, and reduce your rest! Instead, sprint harder. And remember, the development of your 'fast twitch' muscles may take some time. It sound like yours are somewhat atrophied. The workout you quote is pace training during the taper, not what one would do during the period that you develop your aerobic system. I know you are in excellent shape; you need to work on your speed, and you need to take that brave leap of faith into more rest during your workouts. You've been told this on this forum before. Perhaps you should find a good coach you trust and do what s/he says, no matter what your mind tells you you should be doing. And don't be proud - swim in the lane with other swimmers that do a hundred yards in a minute, rather than those that do it in :50. Those intervals are designed for them, not for you (yet).

Hi Fast Ion, Much physiological improvement occurs during the rest periods (or the increased speed resulting from the rest) during interval training. If that were not the case, why do intervals at all? With your meet speed I suspect that you are not getting much rest during your interval training - in that case, what you are doing is little different from swimming the total distance straight. You may think you are working hard, but what your body is doing is lowering the intensity so you can last the distance - but that is not what you want to do while you are racing a 50, 100, or 200! Instead, you should train at a speed that you can not maintain for long. Then you recover, and then you try again. If you are training for a 100 I think you should have at least :30 rest between swims, during the early taper phase, more later in the season. But don't try it and decide you are not working hard enough, and reduce your rest! Instead, sprint harder. And remember, the development of your 'fast twitch' muscles may take some time. It sound like yours are somewhat atrophied. The workout you quote is pace training during the taper, not what one would do during the period that you develop your aerobic system. I know you are in excellent shape; you need to work on your speed, and you need to take that brave leap of faith into more rest during your workouts. You've been told this on this forum before. Perhaps you should find a good coach you trust and do what s/he says, no matter what your mind tells you you should be doing. And don't be proud - swim in the lane with other swimmers that do a hundred yards in a minute, rather than those that do it in :50. Those intervals are designed for them, not for you (yet).