best 1500m free times

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Sun, 08 Feb 2004 11:36:28 GMT

If you want to swim a 1500 in 25 min you'll need to swim at a pace of 1:40/100m. You should use interval training to achieve this--sets of 100's at your desired race pace (in this case 1:40). When you can swim 15 100's on 2:00 holding a pace of 1:40, shorten the interval.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Sun, 08 Feb 2004 08:57:00 GMT

dratt!!!!my secret weapon didnt work..i added flip turns all the way through yesterday and only managed 33 mins appx...maybe i need more time to hone my turns / stroke and then maybe i'll do 25 mins

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Sun, 18 Jan 2004 17:26:56 GMT

The way I swim breaststroke I woudn't want to do it for a 1,500 unless I got rid of the underwater pulls. It might be easier for you to swim freestyle open turns. I sometimes do the 1,500 with mixed of open turns and flipped turns. In practice I think I did the 1650 around 27 minutes to 28 mintues. I have done in a short distance health club pool 1,400 yards of all 4 strokes and I was sore from that.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:34:44 GMT

another 31 mins this morn,gonna add flip turns next(my secret weapon)25 mins get ready for me!!!:D

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:58:07 GMT

I agree with Matt. A lot of workouts have middle aged swimmers or seniors on 5 to 10 second rest intervals. That's ok for short distances or swimming more moderately. But I believe that its better for many of us 45 plus that are not the top swimmers to go with intervals that match our ability. I can't do a 1:30 freestyle interval since to go under 1:25 in workouts I have to swim fairly fast. I can't do 1:50 intervals on ***, or fly or back or IM. I rarely go under 1:40 in workouts in these strokes.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:02:33 GMT

Mark Varney; I wish that I lived nearer Gareth Eckley from Wales who posts on here.He has given me a lot of good advice but I guess that I really need a "coach" that can actually see where my fault are when I am swimming Gee, thanks !! You could always send me a video of your swim. Film this from front, side and back at slow, medium and fast speed, also showing turns and push offs. I will see if i can help. I could also send you workouts by email. There are Ti clinics in the UK that you could tryout: www.totalimmersion.co.uk There also clinics by Robin Brew, UK swimming Tri coach, that you could try. These are in the UK and in Lanzarote. Go to: www.robinbrewsports.com/

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 09:52:25 GMT

31 mins it took today,i managed good stroke counts at around 19-21,maybe i'll get to that 25 min goal this year after all,gonna take a lot o work though

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 17:49:55 GMT

I agree 100% knelson, the extra oxygen will offset any balance advantage you get from bilatteral. I wish I could find the article, perhaps someone will remember, but (I think) Don Talbot said that the number one reason Austalia dominates the US in distance swimming is because the US emphasizes bilatteral too much. This was from Swimming World 1997-98?

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 14:02:51 GMT

Matt S, Thanks I appreciate that advise and the contact details about Emmett Hines.When you are swimming a 1500m do you breathe bilaterally??Does the oxygen debt get to you after a while when using this breathing style??Also how do you remember exactly how many laps you have done while you are swimming a 1500m session??My target for January and February is to do a regular stroke count of 18 strokes for a 1500m session. :D Mark

RE: best 1500m free times

knelson — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 12:42:25 GMT

Originally posted by mattson Bilateral breathing is emphasized, just because you are more likely to have a balanced stroke than if you breathe to one side only. (The latter is bad, because you will tend to speed up on your strong side, and slow down on your weak side. Water friction penalizes that type of motion.) So if you *can* breath bi-laterally, then that no longer becomes the issue. Definitely emphasize the "if you can." There have been many incredible swimmers with a very pronounced asymmetry to their strokes. Tom Dolan, for example, and he swam a 1650 yard free in around 14:30, I believe. In my opinion the advantage of getting more oxygen offsets the advantage you might get by having a more symmetric stroke.

RE: best 1500m free times

mattson — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 11:02:43 GMT

Hi MV, Bilateral breathing is emphasized, just because you are more likely to have a balanced stroke than if you breathe to one side only. (The latter is bad, because you will tend to speed up on your strong side, and slow down on your weak side. Water friction penalizes that type of motion.) So if you *can* breath bi-laterally, then that no longer becomes the issue. The question is, do you want to breathe every 2 strokes, 3, 4? Which side is the competition that you are watching? Oxygen debt and 1500 should never be used in the same sentence! :cool: For 500 yards and over, there will be cards (provided by the meet organizers) to keep track of the number of lengths that you swim. Now, you just need someone on your team willing to do the counting for you! (The cards are odd numbers only, and are inserted in the water before your flipturn. There are a set of bright orange cards that are used with 1 length to go, to wake you up.)

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 12:36:03 GMT

Mattson and Matt S, Thanks for that advice.I will now split my sessions between cardio work and technique work.Just out of interest what sort of stroke count do you guys do for a 1500m swim.I'm doing 20-22 strokes per 25m lap for my swims.:p

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 09:38:29 GMT

Mark, 22-25 is a little high. I'm thinking I can sustain 18, maybe better since I have not worked-out in a SCM pool for some time. I have also found that I can go much lower when I do 25's focused only on stroke length, but that is not a realistic measure for racing, or longer sets. In other words, compare drill 25's to drill 25's, and racing stroke counts to racing stroke counts. The good news is that you appear to have a good opportunity to get faster with improved stroke mechanics. I should also mention that Emmett Hines has something he calls the virtual coach. I am a little vague as to its details, but my general understanding is that you video tape yourself swimming, then send it to him for critique. That may be useful since you live some distance away from the kind of coaching you'd like. You can try his team's site www.H2Oustonswims.org to see if they have any more details. Sparx, yes when I count strokes, I seem to involuntarily lengthen my stroke, even when I am not actively trying to do this. Since I often find myself trading off stroke length with oxygen debt, I pick and chose when I do count strokes during a hard set. Better to complete the set, that go out great and boink half-way through. And, if I really want to focus on mechanics and stroke length, I will intentionally swim in a slower lane to avoid boinking. Matt's homily of the day: avoid interval envy. Make sure your interval is matched to your ability and the objective for your workout. You are not a slave to the interval; it should be vice-versa. Matt

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 08:23:03 GMT

i find it very difficult counting my strokes and doing the strokes properly at the same time,i think that if i count them they differ from when i dont count them.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 08:21:50 GMT

I'll say a word in support of Mattson. You can use training to overcome mediocre stroke technique in the middle distance events, 200-400. But for a mile, you can't get away from your technique. Eventually, you will no longer be able to flog yourself into going faster than your sustainable speed (in his book Fitness Swimming , Emmett Hines calls it your "cruise pace"). Improving that means improving technique. As far as that is concerned, there are lots of good articles out there. Some of Emmett's best are available in the Training...Technique section of this web site. The key concept is reduce drag, and go father for each stroke you take, i.e. use fewer strokes per lap. I know I sound like a broken record on this, but I have used Total Immersion with good success. Mark V, if TI comes through your area in the U.K., you may find their weekend seminar useful, if not cheap. I would also agree with Mattson that making permanent stroke improvements will take months of consciously working on fine points, but the good news is that you do see initial progress much sooner than that. I have been using TI drills for over 2.5 years now, and their are some drills that I think I mastered only a couple of months ago. Really dialing in these improvements takes much more than a one weekend seminar, but it is far more interesting than just pounding yardage. I last did a pool mile about a year ago, a 1650 SCY, in about 22:08. However, I did the Big Shoulders 5K open water in about 1:05:and-something. (The race organizers did admit towards the end of the race that they might have missed a bit laying out the course, so...we have the usual imprecision that makes open water swimming so delightfully unpredictable.) Matt

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Tue, 06 Jan 2004 10:52:59 GMT

Well spotted Mattson!!!!!My time for 100m should have read 2min 5 secs,LOL:D

RE: best 1500m free times

ArtShark — Tue, 06 Jan 2004 04:01:45 GMT

My coach times me in the 1500 with a Calander.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Mon, 05 Jan 2004 07:28:12 GMT

Originally posted by mark_varney47 Do people feel that they can learn a lot in a week to be able to change their swimming style permanently?? Mark Varney There si a lot of info you can pick up at a swim clinic, even within a span of couple of hours. Then, it will take you months and months of practice to incorporate experiment and fine tune it in your stroke. Just make sure that you don't forget most of it. Some things will probably sink in right away, with others, it will take time. The way I look at things, I rarely miss an oportunity to learn something new. It's always worth it, but, that's just the way i look at it. If I learn something new now, even if I don't use it right away, it might come in handy sometime in the future.

RE: best 1500m free times

knelson — Mon, 05 Jan 2004 03:01:57 GMT

My personal best in the 1650 yard free is just over 16 minutes. I think times for the 1650 yard and 1500 meter short course are very comparable (1650 yards = 1509 meters). I haven't swum it lately, but could probably go about 18:30 now. 16:00 seems pretty fast, but remember there are people who can swim well under 15:00!

RE: best 1500m free times

mattson — Mon, 05 Jan 2004 01:55:46 GMT

Originally posted by mark_varney47 I 'm able to do 50m in 56 secs and 100m in 1 min 5 secs,but after that I slow down so much. That is a smoking second half for your 100! ;) Your mile time is appropriate for your 50 and 100 times, so you don't slow down any more than everyone else does. Originally posted by mark_varney47 Do people feel that they can learn a lot in a week to be able to change their swimming style permanently?? Three things I learned during age-group: 1) Less than ideal technique will have more immediate results, but will limit how far you can improve. 2) Doing the right stroke will take more work, but will let you go to your maximum potential. 3) When switching from "wrong" to "right" technique, you are going to get a lot slower before you get faster, as your body gets used to doing something different. But if you have the faith to stick with it, it will pay off in the long run.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Sat, 03 Jan 2004 16:40:04 GMT

Well I guess that I am going to be the slowest person to post their 1500m time here.It is 40 mins,plus or minus 30 secs.I 'm able to do 50m in 56 secs and 100m in 1 min 5 secs,but after that I slow down so much.I actually swim 4 times a week.doing about 2000m each session so I feel as if I am doing enough training,but I guess that I have some fundamental flaws that need to be ironed out.I breathe bilaterally as I feel that it balances my stroke.Do the rest of you 1500m swimmers breathe that way or every two strokes??I wish that I lived nearer Gareth Eckley from Wales who posts on here.He has given me a lot of good advice but I guess that I really need a "coach" that can actually see where my fault are when I am swimming.I did join a Masters club in England during the summer but there was only one coach and 40 swimmers.He was just concerned with the "elite" swimmers,so I left as I could do just as well on my own.I have always fancied going to a swim clinic in the USA in the summer.Do people feel that they can learn a lot in a week to be able to change their swimming style permanently?? Mark Varney

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 06:21:38 GMT

if i can get under 25 mins by this time next year i'll be one happy swimmer..tried again this morning about 30-31 mins i think appx.i do find myself pacing myself a bit too slow at the start ..maybe thats where i could improve,by the last 250 metres im as fast if not faster than the start...hmmmm.....:confused:

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 06:00:08 GMT

I went a 20:22 in LCM a few years ago....my coach had me swimming all summer long and it was nothing under 800 yards at a time, then you have sets that get way up there in yardage. It was real boring, but I would so do it again in a heartbeat. It was well worth winning state. It payed off big time. Good Luck. Kel, come to think of it, it was more than a few years ago ;)

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 10:08:00 GMT

I played around with the conversion and it looks like around 27 minutes long course 1500 would go with 26;30 short course yards 1650. That would probably be more correct.

RE: best 1500m free times

Former Member — Tue, 30 Dec 2003 10:05:21 GMT

That can't be right. I was figuring my 1500 time would be around 30 minutes because of no walls to push off of and get a big boost. I started to swim 1500 last summer, but between the swim lessons, the two armed backstrokers and everything else I gave up. It was too tedious.