Apologies if this has been asked before, but I can't find it if it has.
I'm trying to create workouts and can't find an answer to this. If you are doing your set of repeat 50's, how does your body determine the difference between swimming at 100, 200, 400? It's all just 50's some of which could be at a 30 sec target time (for 100's) or at 35 sec target time for 400's for example. For instance, am I "detraining" my 100 speed by swimming the same repeat distance at a slower 400m pace?
Thanks.
Thanks for that Glenn, Nothing wrong with repetitive.
One thing struck me, if you are doing your set and manage to come in consistently under your target time, can you predict your next PB by how you perform in training? eg, if i'm doing 50's at my current 400m race pace and come in 1 sec under per 50, logic would indicate my next race will give me an 8 sec PB. Have you found this?
Ignoring USRPT for a second, I have found this doesn't normally work (and can lead to playing bad mind games with yourself). There isn't necessarily going to be the 1:1 correlation between how you pace in practice and how you swim in the event in a meet. Anecdotally, readers of my USMS blog would probably swear I should have killed it at YMCA Masters Nationals last week. Instead, the meet was a dud. Nowhere near what I might have expected to go given how I was training. Just because you are kicking ass in practice won't necessarily mean you are going to do the same in a meet. However, before you get concerned, also know that swimming terribly in practice and missing pace/goal times is also not an indication that you will swim poorly.
Especially during taper, I liken pace/goal and broken swims to NFL preseason: If your team sucked, it doesn't mean they will be terrible in the regular season (or playoffs). If your team does fantastic, it isn't a guarantee they will be amazing in the regular season (or playoffs).
Obviously most important thing you can do, regardless of how you do it, is to trust your training. If he doesn't mind me saying, I think part of Glenn's success is due not just to doing USRPT, but believing in his training as well.
Thanks for that Glenn, Nothing wrong with repetitive.
One thing struck me, if you are doing your set and manage to come in consistently under your target time, can you predict your next PB by how you perform in training? eg, if i'm doing 50's at my current 400m race pace and come in 1 sec under per 50, logic would indicate my next race will give me an 8 sec PB. Have you found this?
Ignoring USRPT for a second, I have found this doesn't normally work (and can lead to playing bad mind games with yourself). There isn't necessarily going to be the 1:1 correlation between how you pace in practice and how you swim in the event in a meet. Anecdotally, readers of my USMS blog would probably swear I should have killed it at YMCA Masters Nationals last week. Instead, the meet was a dud. Nowhere near what I might have expected to go given how I was training. Just because you are kicking ass in practice won't necessarily mean you are going to do the same in a meet. However, before you get concerned, also know that swimming terribly in practice and missing pace/goal times is also not an indication that you will swim poorly.
Especially during taper, I liken pace/goal and broken swims to NFL preseason: If your team sucked, it doesn't mean they will be terrible in the regular season (or playoffs). If your team does fantastic, it isn't a guarantee they will be amazing in the regular season (or playoffs).
Obviously most important thing you can do, regardless of how you do it, is to trust your training. If he doesn't mind me saying, I think part of Glenn's success is due not just to doing USRPT, but believing in his training as well.
