"What do YOU need to do to have a major swimming breakthrough?"

anyone working on breaking through?

anyone working on breaking through? This is the list of improvements I'm working on now: Fly: More undulation, bigger kick, arms enter shoulder width apart, breathe every stroke (basically a whole new stroke... my first competition with this stroke last month was encouraging but not a breakthrough by any means) Back: 11 SDK's off every wall in practice. Dolphin kick with both sides of the feet for maximum damage to my enemies. ***: still trying to have a golden moment where I might finally understand the propulsion in this stroke. Allen Stark's tips are very helpful but I still haven't figured anything out. Seriously, after all these years I still don't know what I'm doing. Free: 6-beat kick (as a lifetime 2-beat kicker, let me just say WOW this is difficult! But it's also faaaaaasssst) IM: working as many back-to-*** flip turns into practice as I can. Every warmdown turn is back-to-***. I've done over 1000 of these flip turns in practice and, uh, 2 in competition.

Earlier this year I spent $40 on a SportCount Chrono 100, a little stopwatch you wear on your index finger like a ring. It's great for timing sprints and interval sets. It records times to 1/100th, and remembers up to 100 intervals. I use it for one purpose or another almost every day. I'm just checking back in to say that I got one of these things two weeks ago and I love it. I'm timing more things, more precisely, and adding more intensity to my swims just because it's fun. Thanks, Swimosaur!

Anyone have a breakthrough last year? Anyone working on a BREAKTHROUGH this year? What are your goals? What are your plans? Tell us about it

Anyone have a breakthrough last year? Although everyone else here will roll their eyes ( :) ), I did 100 yds in under 2:00. That was one of my goals for the year. I can't say it's a breakthrough because I don't know how repeatable it is. But it gave me some hope.

Although everyone else here will roll their eyes ( :) ), I did 100 yds in under 2:00. That was one of my goals for the year. I can't say it's a breakthrough because I don't know how repeatable it is. But it gave me some hope. Way to Go, ViveBene! :applaud: That's awesome. Not everyone was fast from birth. I just started swimming last year and was thrilled the first practice I did actually as written on the intervals the coaches wanted. Enjoy each success along the way! My goal for this year's SCY season is to earn NQT's (my first ever) in 50 Free and 50 Fly (I'm about 2 sec away in each) - and the 100 Free would be awesome too (but not nearly as close as the 50 Free and Fly). My plan is to focus on my breathing patterns, as I've realized that I'm faster when I don't breathe with every stroke. However, I tend to like oxygen, so remembering to NOT breathe has been a challenge. Still, I'm working on it - and relaxing when I swim - and hopefully, the results will come through. My first meet is on January 30 (Ball State). Wish me luck!

Anyone have a breakthrough last year? Anyone working on a BREAKTHROUGH this year? What are your goals? What are your plans? Tell us about it Since you asked... I actually accomplished three big workout goals last year all in the last 5 weeks of the year. 1) I completed a 25 SDK. 2) I completed 500 yds of backstroke kick in less than 10:00. 3) I did 6x2:30 planks in one dryland session. I know these aren't much for many of the forumites, but I was very happy and am delighted to have the opportunity to brag about t. #2 was probably the hardest - at least I have been working on it the longest. I have been able to do 10x(50 free kick with board/2:00), i.e. 500 yds in less than 10:00, for more than a year now, but backstroke kick with no board proved to be a much greater challenge. #3 is positively the most painful. My immediate plan is to see if all of this effort has translated into faster meet times. I've been down with a cold for about a week, but I am really eager to get to a meet as soon as I can do it without making myself ill again. It should be fun!

Anyone have a breakthrough last year? Anyone working on a BREAKTHROUGH this year? What are your goals? What are your plans? Tell us about it 2010 was my first year in USMS (and first year back in competition, in 30 years). Not knowing if I could even swim again after major shoulder surgery, my breakthrough was just getting being able to swim decent workouts and get back into competition form. But, beyond that my breakthroughs were: 1. Achieving my GTD of 420,000 yds / 238 miles - and surpassing it for a total of 263 miles; a 25 mile bonus. :) 2. Making 2011 SCY NQT's in 50 breaststroke while competing at Rob Copeland's Peachtree City Pentathlon- exactly (38.90). :bliss: Goals for 2011: 1. GTD 275 miles- and doing it with my shoulders (and everything else) staying healthy! 2. NQT's in 100 and 200 breaststroke. Making it in SCY will be difficult (especially the 200), but I really hope to do it in LCM where the times are more realistic for me to achieve. Plans for 2011: Swim at SCY and LCM Nationals! :cheerleader:

I worked on doing more lactic acid tolerance sets for SCM and it paid off with a 50 BR faster than my tech suit times.

Anyone have a breakthrough last year? NO Anyone working on a BREAKTHROUGH this year? Sort of kind of, but not really ... mainly :chillpill:ing while near the top of my age group (damn those 40 year old youngins!) What are your goals? Don't race over a 100 at Nationals ... whereas previously I've never raced under a 200! What are your plans? Dependent upon my ever-changing mood ... the vicissitudes of my training plans are here forums.usms.org/blog.php