I didn't swim for a week. They say that it takes you the same time to get back to the water and get use to it as the time you were out of the water. So, today, after a very gentle workout yesterday, I had another great workout. After it, however, I decided to time my 25m breaststroke sprint from pushoff. I got 20s. Again. I've been getting this time for a few months now. It's never higher or lower (okay, maybe a few hundreths of a second under, but my pool only has a pace clock with only the second hand). I'm not improving at all!!! I've been doing 4x50 backwards eggbeater kicks all out on every length, and people said it would help. Well, it didn't yet. Maybe I'm being too impatient:D. The thing is, I have one year, exactly one year, until next year's provincial meet, and I want to get my pathetic 41s 50m *** down to about 35s or under (no one said it would be easy :(). Anyways, at this pace this seems unrealistic.
Something else weird happened. I was swimming the 25m all out with high turnover rate concentrating on finishing each stroke, got 20s. Then I swam the thing with gliding, had 2 less strokes for the 25m (8 strokes), and got the exact same time! 20s!!! Maybe I was worn out, no muscle glycogen left, but the same time no matter the turnover rate! I wasn't even sprinting the second time! What is happening?
So please respond. I want to know how I can get faster, well, faster, and what are some reasons for my gliding breaststroke to be as fast as my sprint.
One more thing. During a 25m sprint, which one is the most influential factor: technique, strength, or conditioning? Is endurance out of the question?
Thanks a lot!
Former Member
Maybe you're just not a sprinter. I for one have been at the same time for my 50yard frees for 16 years. I've been doing :26.5-:27 for years. Never changing. Even when I came back five years ago after 10 years off I was doing 28s and 29s. I can not get them to go down and I've stoped worring about it. My 100s, 200s plus have all come down, some a lot.
I would say that at that distance, you're relying on your strength.
The best thing you can do is work on your technique and conditioning (but don't neglect the strength training). You want to be able to swim fast for more than a 25.
Something else weird happened. I was swimming the 25m all out with high turnover rate concentrating on finishing each stroke, got 20s. Then I swam the thing with gliding, had 2 less strokes for the 25m (8 strokes), and got the exact same time! 20s!!!
My guess is when you are "gliding" you are in proper form to create less drag and when you concentrate on a "high turnover" your form gets out of whack.
Try and think of your arms as pulling you forward after you glide, like climbing a rope/ladder and not just as a method to breath. Watch that you are not simply bobbing in the water w/ some forward movement as you breath.
Make sure you are keeping your head in position (looking down).
If you practice the basics, the speed and endurance should follow.
Sprinting breaststroke'I find it is very easy to chop my stroke,especially the pull. Count your strokes every length. Do some workouts where you build into sprints.Swim a couple of 25s concentrating only on having the most perfect stroke you can,then swim a couple of 25s at 80% keeping the same stroke count as before. Then a couple at 90% keeping the same stroke count. Then 100% effort but don't increase the stroke count(yes you'll glide alot,but Kitajima glides alot. Also in 2004 when Leisel Jones was setting World records in prelims and getting beat in the finals she was gliding in prelims and not in finals.) Then swim regular sprints. What was your time and what was your stroke count? How much did the stroke count go up when sprinting? Can you go that fast with fewer strokes? If you can use your time as a tool you can take it often. Also because of the fact that if you are training hard,you'll be a little worn down and your sprinting may get slower until you have a meet you taper for. Having not seen you swim I can't be sure, but from reading your posts I think your goal of a 6 sec. drop is possible!
Thanks everyone.
F'uenco: the thing is, I can't even go fast for a 25, let alone a 50! Thanks, I will work on strength. Any dryland exercises suggested? Or is it just the usual squatting and pushups?
Ed the Head, well, that time is okay! It's a "swimmer" time. My time is flat out embarrassing for a so-called "breaststroker".
MichiganHusker, thanks for the info. Yeah I figure that I lose a lot of form during the sprint. The thing is, when I'm gliding a lot, I FEEL like I can go much faster and am holding back. But when I ACTUALLY go all out, it is not faster at all!!
Any suggestions and tips for faster sprint breaststroke?
On a different note, how long should I train before I time myself again? I don't think that my time will change by 5 seconds tomorrow, and the pace clock, well, it's inaccurate if you want to know the exact time. So, should I time myself every month? Every two months? It's just when I see a 20 on that pace clock, I immediately get depressed for the whole swim time. :(
