I am slow, and when I mean slow, I mean slow. I can do a 26 sec 50 with fins, but without I come in just under 1:20! I think a big part of it is just taking the fins off and doing a lot of kick sets to learn to feel the water better with my feet. I have a good breaststroke kick so I don't think my problem is an overly weak pair of legs, although they could be in better shape. Also, myankles are fairly flexible as I can point my toes and make my feet bend backwards past an even position with my shins. However, I do think that I need to loosen up my ankles when I kick. I feel like I get more out of my kick for those brief moments when I allow my ankles to snap back and forth with my kick. I think I actually need to relax more to kick faster as weird as that sounds.
I suppose the answer to my question is that I simply need to take of the fins and do kick set after kick set until I learn to feel the water better with my feet and become more efficient.
update
I haven't done the kick test set for a while
(best times were achieved ~3 months ago, 200@3:02, 100 @ 1:21.5, 50 @ 35)
I haven't had as much work to do lately so I've been training harder, doing things like 1650 kick for time, as I feel my main weakness is transitioning to any distances above 100 yards. I had 05k yards in this week already prior to today, so I figured I would do the set just to mix things up but my legs would be too tired to get any best times in.
just a recap, I kick with a board, all open turns
4x200 kick descend
rest
1x200 for time
rest
4x100 descend
rest
100 for time
rest
4x50 kick descend
rest
50 kick for time.
200: went 2:57 (1:22/1:35)
100: went 1:18 (36/42)
50: went 33.7 (got the lifeguard to time me)
i really worked it hard, almost lost my lunch in the gutter when it was over.
comments? I guess my 100 is a little slow, probably should be more in the 1:15 region. I really need to work up my endurance on the back 100 of my 200 as well.
update
I haven't done the kick test set for a while
(best times were achieved ~3 months ago, 200@3:02, 100 @ 1:21.5, 50 @ 35)
I haven't had as much work to do lately so I've been training harder, doing things like 1650 kick for time, as I feel my main weakness is transitioning to any distances above 100 yards. I had 05k yards in this week already prior to today, so I figured I would do the set just to mix things up but my legs would be too tired to get any best times in.
just a recap, I kick with a board, all open turns
4x200 kick descend
rest
1x200 for time
rest
4x100 descend
rest
100 for time
rest
4x50 kick descend
rest
50 kick for time.
200: went 2:57 (1:22/1:35)
100: went 1:18 (36/42)
50: went 33.7 (got the lifeguard to time me)
i really worked it hard, almost lost my lunch in the gutter when it was over.
comments? I guess my 100 is a little slow, probably should be more in the 1:15 region. I really need to work up my endurance on the back 100 of my 200 as well.
