strategic advice for the 1000

Thanks for the set, which looks great. I would have to change the intervals a bit...maybe 1:25's for 100 yards. I only have 3 weeks before the meet, so odds are it's a bit too late to expect miracles in the development of my endurance by then. I guess what I am looking for is more a race stategy per se, i.e., how slow to take it out without leaving too much behind. I don't want to completely loaf, but I definitely don't want to get so tight by the 500 that finishing becomes problematic! Again, any race strategy advice for a distance event when the swimmer is in less than optimal distance swimming shape?

Hi Jim, Here is just one of many over distance training sets from the great book called Championship Swim Training by Bill Sweetenham and John Atkinson. Workouts and Programs from the world's #1 Coach. Pull 1 x 600m FS - negative split Swim 6 x 100m FS on 1:20 Swim 1 x 400m FS - negative split Swim 4 x 100m FS on 1:20 Swim 1 x 200m FS - negative split Swim 2 x 100m FS on 1:20 Total 2400m Happy Laps :)

Jim- I have done this a couple of times, entering distance with less than the background training that I wanted & you're right, nothing you do now conditioning-wise could change your physical situation; however, confidence-wise, accomplishing good things on some tougher sets could really help you in keeping to your pacing plan for the race. Let's face it, the mid-race lingering doubts can really sabotage you (I know!) and cause you to back off when perhaps with a little more confidence you could hold your pace even though it hurts more than when you had 30% more work under your belt.

Three weeks to go and I totaly agree with Peter. Build your confidence. Do you train monitoring your heart rate? If not, give it a go the very next time you are in the pool. Do you know what CS (critical speed) training is all about? It is heart-rate training. The heart rate should be 20 to 10 beats below your maximum HR and the duration of the set should be 30 minutes of swimming effort. Work out what your HR should be, then give this set a go. Good luck. Listen to your body. If it's too much STOP! Rest and feel confident that you are going to do well. Try this set Warm up 1 x 600m FS as 50 pull - 50 kick - 50 swim (x 4) Main set 10 x 150m FS on 2:30 (or 3:00) at CS (check your HR) Warm down 1 x 300m Your choice swum EZ to low HR Total 2400m Check this fabulous site out: Mind Training for Swimmers http://www.swimpsychology.com/ Also for future training: swimmingworkouts.blogspot.com/ www.mvm.org/workouts-about.php Happy Laps:)

Swim it as 4 x 250's. First one is long and comfortable. Pick up number 2, build number 3 and hold on for the last one. Should get you there intact and respectful. Jim

Jim, I would suggest to you that you already know about what a 1000 should "feel" like. The difference between this season and when you are fully prepared is that you will be a few seconds slower to reach the same "feel." I had a coach in college whose gave the same advice for every freestyle event from the 200 (which was right at the edge for me of a long sprint versus a short distance event) to the 1650: 1st quarter: take it out feeling strong, but not in any pain; just swim for fun, 2nd quarter: focus on your arm stroke, nice and long. Try to extend your stroke length, 3rd quarter: get your kick going, 4th quarter: build some more and use whatever you have left. Same advice for any race that is too long to be a sprint. Therefore, my conclusion is that the feel is exactly the same, and that I should use the four focal points above to measure where I'm at. I don't think there is anything magical to focusing on my arms the 2nd quarter, and my legs the 3rd. I believe it is simply a tool to help me focus on something other than the general nature and quality of the PAIN I am experiencing at any point in the race. Note: the jaw-dropping breakthrough swims, so fast I must have been unconscious, all felt the same to me. The first half of the race felt like I was hardly working (even though my out was blazingly fast for me), and the second half felt like I settled down and went to work. Hope that helps, Matt

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Thanks for the advice, especially Jim and Matt. The notion of diividing the thing into quadrants and upping the effort, on each successive one, by focusing on something specific is a good way to focus the mind. One question: I have heard some suggest going out a bit fast at the very start, for maybe 100 yards or son, then settling back into the strategy you suggest. Then again, another friend said that your adrenailine is so high you'll go out faster than you think you're going even if you concentrate on staying smooth. I think I will use the above, and report back after the meet. Thanks again.

Hi Kevin, I am very impressed with your advice on pacing sets. So, if you were swimming 100's on 1:30 trying to maintain a 1:05 for each 100. That to me, would mean you were having between 25 to :30 sec's rest inbetween, is that correct? I'm not a freestyler, however my slow 100's would be 1:45 + :30 sec's RI. I swim a 1:32 in a race. Is this because I don't practice training faster? I'm a bit scared to push myself. I'm an older masters swimmer. My best long course 50m freestyle is :43 sec's, I would LOVE to break the :40 sec's. Any suggestions on how to approach my personal training. I also train alone.:mad:

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