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.
Former Member
Originally Posted by qbrain www.usms.org/.../viewpost.gif
Set: 8x : 25k sprint, 50 ez
Goal: 8x 25 sprint k under 20, 50ez between each
12/8/08: 20 (1st) to 25 (last)
12/10/08: 20,21,21,24,21,21,22,23
12/12/08: 19,20,20,21,21,23,22,21
12/15/08: 18,21,19,22,21,21,22,23
12/17/08: 19,21,19,21,20,21,22,22
-- Started using the same clock for timing instead of 2 clocks
12/19/08: 21,21,21,20,21,21,21,21
12/22/08: 21,21,21,21,20,21,21,21
12/24/08: 19,19,19,20,21,21,21,21
That is a thing of beauty. I made the first 19, and said to myself, lets see how many 19s I can make. After the 20, I thought I was going to die, and my goal became to just live through the back half of the set.
Also, I noticed how much the 2 clocks were out of sync. I looked up and the far clock that I don't use said 18, but really I had gone 21. So some of my previous fast times are likely to be 2 seconds slower.
here's some nice phelps footage
free and SDK
www.youtube.com/watch That footage is from an NHK (like the BBC of Japan) series on Phelps and other top athletes and it has tons of footage all in HD. Last I checked, there was not a US distributor for the series, but there is tons of great high quality footage of Phelps doing his magic from many angles for all strokes. The series title in English is Miracle Body, and Michael Phelps segment is "The World's Strongest Swimmer." Is this available in the US now? Com'on Discovery channel.
I have been slacking.
I started two more test sets, and they started out with 21s. After 4 25s on 21, I called the set a failure and moved on to doing 50s on a minute, which I made.
The 8x75, 25 sprint k, 50 ez seems to be too mentally tough for my weak mind that early in the morning to do every practice. So I give up.
I only have coached workouts 3 times a week for a little over an hour, so instead of dedicating ~15 minutes to do this kick set each workout, I am going to try something new, that will disrupt practice much less.
This actually might have been what Ande was suggesting a couple posts ago, and I misunderstood. Ande said to incorporate my new kick into my stroke, and I have no problem sprinting with a strong six beat kick, when I am all out sprinting. The problem is, when I swim moderate, but arms are moderate, and my kick is easy 2 beat.
So, starting with this morning's practice, I started six beat kicking everything, and matching it to the set. EZ sets are six beat ez, not 2 beat, and on up the food chain. This will probably help my kick endurance more than any kick sets I could have done, because now I am treating kick like 50% of my stroke, instead of the red headed step child standing in the corner getting no attention.
I feel like I am a total cop out, changing my plan before achiving my goal. The goal still stands, I really want to achive it and be a good kicker overall. I am definitely already a much better kicker than I was six weeks ago.
Did tests and then 3 x 100K (75 EZ/25 AFAP)
25 Y Results 9/21
Dive from side--No board flutter :26
Push--w/Board fluter :24
Dive from side--SDK :24
Dive from side--Swim :15
I retested today...in case anyone missed my blog!
25 Y Results 1/04
Dive from side--No board flutter :20.32
Push--w/Board flutter :20.1
Dive from side--SDK
Great progress - congratulations!
I am curious though that diving without a board is about the same as pushing off with a board. The board slows me down a lot, and I would think a pushoff would be slower start than a dive. Any thoughts?
Thanks Ande.
Notsofast: Could be I wasn't loosened up enough for the first one.. or possibly I get a bit more buoyancy with the board. My Side dive may not have been the best b/c I had to start my watch too...anyhow I'm more worried about the comparison over time than between the different dives. :D
excellent improvements
way to go
keep up your training
ande
LINKS to Speed Training Programs:
Try them out, report your results.
Help My flutter Kick is Horrible
www.usms.org/.../showpost.php
Help my SDK is Horrible
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
Help my Speed is Horrible
www.usms.org/.../showthread.php
a few excellent videos
Armoury kicked in his 44.94 100 fr
www.youtube.com/watch
men's 4x100 freestyle relay - Beijing - UNDERWATER VIEW
www.youtube.com/watch
phelps freestyle
www.youtube.com/watch
I retested today...in case anyone missed my blog!
25 Y Results 1/04 / 9/21
Dive from side--No board flutter :20.32 / :26
Push--w/Board flutter :20.1 / :24
Dive from side--SDK
I retested today...in case anyone missed my blog!
25 Y Results 1/04
Dive from side--No board flutter :20.32
Push--w/Board flutter :20.1
Dive from side--SDK
ill now:
3/1: 30.2
3/8: 28.0
3/15: 27.12
3/22: 27.62
3/29: 26.27
4/4: 27.18
5/10: 25.55
7/2: 25.45
7/6: 24.94
7/26: 25.92
8/10: 23.48
8/12: 25.24
9/6: 23.08
9/20: 24.05
9/27: 23.21
10/4: 24.37
10/11: 24.49
10/25: 23.70
11/1: 24.89
11/8: 23.63
11/29: 23.66
12/6: 24.00
12/14: 24.30
This time: 1/10: 25.98
Haven't been at the pool much the past month. First, work ramped up. Then I had a mole removed from my back - seven stitches, no swimming for two weeks. Then my wife had a one-week business trip, so I had to watch the kids. Even so, that's a big step in the wrong direction.
