Not that math was ever my subject, lol!
Anyway, here's something odd I'm noticing: during the masters' workouts and on my own, I notice that when I put out max effort, the times aren't too different (sometimes even slower) than when I'm putting out only a moderately hard effort. For instance, one of the elements in today's workout involved swimming a hundred easy, then two hard 50s. In the first of the 50s, I picked up a bit but was conserving energy for the next one. In the next one, I was--I THOUGHT--picking up the effort to the max. BUT... the second fifty was a second or two slower than the first. HELLO?
The coach told me later that he noticed that my stroke got more choppy, that it didn't have the reach that it had when I was swimming easy or even medium hard. When I went all out, my form suffered. I gather that's fairly common. I could in fact feel a difference in myself: I was more tense, I think. Yet I want to improve my speed. The coach said that as I got stronger, I'd find it easier to hold technique while swimming hard, and that sounds reasonable too.
If you've run into this, what were/are your strategies to deal with it? Obviously it takes some practice, and that's something I'm working on. But any/all tips appreciated.
Here's what's curious too: when I run, the opposite happens. If I'm running easy, my form is so-so, improving when I push myself (although even there, it can deteriorate if I'm running a longer race).
Here is another idea. On the hard 50's don't start hard but instead start at about 80% and then increase the pace with each stroke. Does that help your form? Then try a 50 starting at 80% but then increase your effort with each stroke without increasing your pace. Play with it.
Here is another idea. On the hard 50's don't start hard but instead start at about 80% and then increase the pace with each stroke. Does that help your form? Then try a 50 starting at 80% but then increase your effort with each stroke without increasing your pace. Play with it.
