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!
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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. :(
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. :(
