I am notorious in my own book for producing workout times that are sometimes -not always, but frequently- faster than my competition times, no matter the tapering for competition.
Today was such an example.
One and a half months ago, I switched to a new Masters program, and today without tapering it was asked of us to do a T30 in a 50 meters pool, meaning swimming the maximum distance one can cover during 30 minutes.
I went a faster split at 800 meters than my tapered 800 meters swam in competition in Cleveland two months ago.
Today at the 800 meters mark I split 11:31.
In Cleveland it was 11:45.xx.
My distance covered today was 2,040 meter in 30 minutes, for an average of 1:28.23 per 100 meters.
In Cleveland, my 11:45.xx over the smaller 800 meters, is an average of 1:28.13, barely faster than the one during today's T30.
The fastest swimmer in the workout today, was in my lane, swimming 2,450 meters, for an average of 1:13.06 per 100 meters.
Last December, in the Masters program where I was then, in a 50 meter pool again, I swam 16 x 100 meters leaving every 1:25, so I started hoping to succeed a sub 11:00 in 800 meters in August 2002 in Cleveland.
I guess doing lots of quality swims so that the body remembers at least one of them during competition, leading a peace of mind life allowing for these swims, and tapering well -including carying a feel good sentiment into competition-, they are part of a fragile balance to achieve, and to maintain:
it is 'getting into the zone'.
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Originally posted by Paul Smith
Ion, I was a lot faster 10 years ago then I am now and even faster when I was in my 20s. Truth is we both are getting older ...
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Exactly.
I asked you August 2001 when you did 1:58.xx in 200 meters free Long Course, what is your lifetime best 200 meters and you didn't know, but I imagine as being maybe 1:50, or 1:51, or 1:52, around and at the time of the 1984 US Olympic Trials.
So, when August 2001 I did 2:34, 7 seconds off my lifetime best, that's on the scale of a similar slow down, even with a better potential for me since in one workout in July 2001, leading in the lane, with no diving, no tapering, no pull buoy, fins or paddles, I did a 2:33, then a 2:34 and another 2:34.
It's just that a slow down from 2:27, is not as good a swim that the same slow down from 1:50.
Hence, my emphasis on training more and stronger than some others, so that I develop further a swimming VO2 Max on top of what I managed to build when beginning to swim well into adulthood.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
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As for racing to much, I think you said you swam in two meets last year (SC & LC Nationals), if you think that's to much competing I'll refrain from even debating the issue.
...
In 2001 I swam four meets, two small, and Short Course and Long Course Nationals.
In 2002 I swam five meets, three small, and Short Course and Long Course Nationals.
Like Cynthia writes, there are some people who don't travel well, and I am one who hates it, even though as a foreigner in France, in Canada and in US, I traveled a lot to these countries, inside these countries, and to other countries.
Another condition to negotiate with in order for me to sneak a travel, is that my high-tech work is competitive in a nerdy way -unrelated to the hobby of swimming races-, and has a possessive side often requiring overtime during weekends.
One year ago, I remember you were consulting the USMS listings for places to swim, I guess since your work was making you traveling -like going to Los Angeles for a workout under Gerry Rodriguez which I recall-, and it seems to me that you travel well.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
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I also do 100% race pace work with dive starts 1-2 times a week durning mid season training.
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That's the kind of coaching I need:
.) race oriented, with 'Race Training' workouts, not only aerobic fitness like my T30 above, but also anaerobic, 'VO2', and 'Sprint Training';
.) tapering under a responsible coach, so that August 2001, I swim faster in competition than a 2:34 for 200 meters free, giving a 2:33 in a regular workout.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
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Last but not least, you keep emphasizing finding the correct coach. I beleive Karlyn Pipes-Nielson & Caroline Krattli both train with SD and they certainly don't seem to have much of an issue with the quality of coaching. Both swam this past weekend at the ASU meet and broke multiple world records without fully resting.
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Karlyn Pipes-Nielson trains with a US Swimming club in Coronado, coached by her husband Eric Nielson.
Caroline Krattli trains partly at UCSD were I trained for almost two years, and she trains elsewhere too, I don't know where.
Both have a wealth of experience and development in swimming, from their age-group swimming up until now, and they know what they choose to do in San Diego, better than me.
I came to San Diego two years ago, I don't have an age-group background, and I still discover by trial and error in competitions, what fits me here.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
Ion, I was a lot faster 10 years ago then I am now and even faster when I was in my 20s. Truth is we both are getting older ...
...
Exactly.
I asked you August 2001 when you did 1:58.xx in 200 meters free Long Course, what is your lifetime best 200 meters and you didn't know, but I imagine as being maybe 1:50, or 1:51, or 1:52, around and at the time of the 1984 US Olympic Trials.
So, when August 2001 I did 2:34, 7 seconds off my lifetime best, that's on the scale of a similar slow down, even with a better potential for me since in one workout in July 2001, leading in the lane, with no diving, no tapering, no pull buoy, fins or paddles, I did a 2:33, then a 2:34 and another 2:34.
It's just that a slow down from 2:27, is not as good a swim that the same slow down from 1:50.
Hence, my emphasis on training more and stronger than some others, so that I develop further a swimming VO2 Max on top of what I managed to build when beginning to swim well into adulthood.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
...
As for racing to much, I think you said you swam in two meets last year (SC & LC Nationals), if you think that's to much competing I'll refrain from even debating the issue.
...
In 2001 I swam four meets, two small, and Short Course and Long Course Nationals.
In 2002 I swam five meets, three small, and Short Course and Long Course Nationals.
Like Cynthia writes, there are some people who don't travel well, and I am one who hates it, even though as a foreigner in France, in Canada and in US, I traveled a lot to these countries, inside these countries, and to other countries.
Another condition to negotiate with in order for me to sneak a travel, is that my high-tech work is competitive in a nerdy way -unrelated to the hobby of swimming races-, and has a possessive side often requiring overtime during weekends.
One year ago, I remember you were consulting the USMS listings for places to swim, I guess since your work was making you traveling -like going to Los Angeles for a workout under Gerry Rodriguez which I recall-, and it seems to me that you travel well.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
...
I also do 100% race pace work with dive starts 1-2 times a week durning mid season training.
...
That's the kind of coaching I need:
.) race oriented, with 'Race Training' workouts, not only aerobic fitness like my T30 above, but also anaerobic, 'VO2', and 'Sprint Training';
.) tapering under a responsible coach, so that August 2001, I swim faster in competition than a 2:34 for 200 meters free, giving a 2:33 in a regular workout.
Originally posted by Paul Smith
...
Last but not least, you keep emphasizing finding the correct coach. I beleive Karlyn Pipes-Nielson & Caroline Krattli both train with SD and they certainly don't seem to have much of an issue with the quality of coaching. Both swam this past weekend at the ASU meet and broke multiple world records without fully resting.
...
Karlyn Pipes-Nielson trains with a US Swimming club in Coronado, coached by her husband Eric Nielson.
Caroline Krattli trains partly at UCSD were I trained for almost two years, and she trains elsewhere too, I don't know where.
Both have a wealth of experience and development in swimming, from their age-group swimming up until now, and they know what they choose to do in San Diego, better than me.
I came to San Diego two years ago, I don't have an age-group background, and I still discover by trial and error in competitions, what fits me here.
