What do YOU need to do to have a major swimming breakthrough?"
I started this thread over in the work outs section which I think doesn't get as much traffic as the general discussion board
so here's the link
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
but my point is,
No matter what, the time between right now and your focus meet is going to pass, and the things you do to prepare for your meet is of the UTMOST importance.
the choices you make
the chances you take
swim hard in practice
rehearse racing
I want to read your story about your breakthrough.
Decide it starts today
that this season will be your best season EVER
What do you need to do to make this true?
Ande
Is it the 84 degree water temperature that makes it so difficult to keep my heart rate down in the 16-20 beats (per 10 seconds) range I am supposed to stay in for my endurance and recovery swim days? Sometimes, I feel like if I swim any slower I am going to sink! But, keeping my heart rate down is difficult.
I don't think it's the water, I think it's the fact that 16-20 beats per second (i.e., 96-120) is probably too low for you. I think as long as you're under 25 you are probably staying in the aerobic zone where you want to be for your endurance and recovery swims. I know your max heart rate is supposed to decrease with age, but if you're like me you're not seeing this decrease. I can still get mine up to 200 easily.
Maybe a better measure of whether you are swimming aerobically is whether you can maintain this pace indefinitely. Try doing a long swim of a set time, like a T20 (a 20 minute swim for distance). Let's say you swim 1500 yards in 20 minutes. That gives you a pace of 1:20 per 100 yards and you can use this as your fastest pace for aerobic swims.
Is it the 84 degree water temperature that makes it so difficult to keep my heart rate down in the 16-20 beats (per 10 seconds) range I am supposed to stay in for my endurance and recovery swim days? Sometimes, I feel like if I swim any slower I am going to sink! But, keeping my heart rate down is difficult.
I don't think it's the water, I think it's the fact that 16-20 beats per second (i.e., 96-120) is probably too low for you. I think as long as you're under 25 you are probably staying in the aerobic zone where you want to be for your endurance and recovery swims. I know your max heart rate is supposed to decrease with age, but if you're like me you're not seeing this decrease. I can still get mine up to 200 easily.
Maybe a better measure of whether you are swimming aerobically is whether you can maintain this pace indefinitely. Try doing a long swim of a set time, like a T20 (a 20 minute swim for distance). Let's say you swim 1500 yards in 20 minutes. That gives you a pace of 1:20 per 100 yards and you can use this as your fastest pace for aerobic swims.
