I've been reading a great book about swim training. It devotes a chapter to each of the four strokes and one to IM. It was suggesting that IM should be tought of as an entirely different event. That IM swimmers shouldn't train actual IMs until 5 weeks before their meet. The should train the strokes, swimming 800-1000 meters/yards EVERY practice (either swim, drill, kick, pull, ect).
It has an entire plan laid out for what the focus of every practice is. Basically, that each practice should be devoted to a different stroke.
I've always assumed that IMmers should swim IM all the time.
THOUGHTS?
Heather:
That makes a little more sense and I have heard of swimmers doing what you are saying. In fact Gary Hall used to work out this way when he was training for the IM and this is documented in the book the "Competitive Swimming Manual for Coaches and Swimmers" by James E. Doc Counsiliman back in 1977. I have the book "Championship Swim Training" by Bill Sweetenham that came out in 2003 and I know Chapter 8 is about the IM. Is that where you are referencing this? He also devotes chapter to all of the individual strokes, so does he make a reference there?
I be intested to hear what he has to say about training IM and training separate strokes and what % he recommends you do for both. Plus how much Free sets are incorporated in the IM training and how much of a distance program do the IM swimmers go thru. When you find the reference could you let us know? You and Kirk Nelson make some valid points about training the weak strokes all by themselves but I got to wonder what % that is.
I have to agree with what Pablo Smith says about the advice of training the IM by Attila Czene. Conditioning, turns, transition changes of strokes, and race strategy for each length are important regardless of the IM distance swam and you only get that by doing lots of hard intense IM sets.
Heather:
That makes a little more sense and I have heard of swimmers doing what you are saying. In fact Gary Hall used to work out this way when he was training for the IM and this is documented in the book the "Competitive Swimming Manual for Coaches and Swimmers" by James E. Doc Counsiliman back in 1977. I have the book "Championship Swim Training" by Bill Sweetenham that came out in 2003 and I know Chapter 8 is about the IM. Is that where you are referencing this? He also devotes chapter to all of the individual strokes, so does he make a reference there?
I be intested to hear what he has to say about training IM and training separate strokes and what % he recommends you do for both. Plus how much Free sets are incorporated in the IM training and how much of a distance program do the IM swimmers go thru. When you find the reference could you let us know? You and Kirk Nelson make some valid points about training the weak strokes all by themselves but I got to wonder what % that is.
I have to agree with what Pablo Smith says about the advice of training the IM by Attila Czene. Conditioning, turns, transition changes of strokes, and race strategy for each length are important regardless of the IM distance swam and you only get that by doing lots of hard intense IM sets.
