To quote Gull: What is the right mix of technique and endurance for a Masters athlete (who wants to be competitive, say, at Nationals) with a finite amount of time to train?
As you know I do relatively low yardage(200-2400) supplimented with weights and bike and stability ball exercises.15 wk before a taper meet I increase intensity until my main sets are all race pace. Then I taper for the meet for 3 wk. I generally have 3 taper meets per yr.(SCY,SCM,and LCM.) thats about 45 wk. in a year,maybe a little more if I try to taper for 2 SCM meets or maybe a little less if there isn't 15 wk between LCM Nationals and my SCM meet. That leaves about 7 wk. per year when I focus on endurance and rehabing my shoulders and knees. This is that time of year and now I am doing long slow swims with fins working on streamlining and on not straining my shoulders. I also do no breaststroke kick for at least a month to rest my knees.
First I think it depends on what your training for? 50/100? 1000/1650/400Im? Very differant programs.
I also think its a VERY individual thing...both mentally and physically. My training is almost exactly the same as what Alan describes (Alan.....have you been "scouting" me?! :) )......I try and use my time in the pool with an emphasis on quality and rely on a spin bike for my "yardage" if you will....
Either way I encourage people to step out of their comfort zones and try something differant from time to time.....Fortress, maybe you want to join John, myself and Rich Saeger for one of the next nationals when we'll all become breaststrokers?! Hey....at the least it would be some good humor and interesting beer bets!!
I think that it depends upon the time of season. Towards the beginning of your training season endurance is of most importance, but as you get closer to race season you will have built up your endurance, so sprinting is more important to racing fast. With a finite amount of training time, you have to make what works best for you. If you only have 30 minutes per day, focus almost all of that to building your endurance to start out... As you get closer to the Nationals, maybe 10 minutes or so should be endurance.
Fortress, maybe you want to join John, myself and Rich Saeger for one of the next nationals when we'll all become breaststrokers?! Hey....at the least it would be some good humor and interesting beer bets!!
Paul:
You spin your extra yardage, and I run it. I guess you, Allen and I are largely in the same sprinter-type speedboat, except when you shift to middle distance events than you have to train more than us.
I guess you didn't read the "Why do masters swimmers hate breaststroke thread." :rofl: I actually signed up for the 50 *** at SCY Nats last May having made cuts. I thought it would be a good warm up, but decided to sleep in instead. My fly/back events were the better for it, I believe. If Allen could teach me breaststroke my 100 IM might be even remotely evenly split .... Evil-GoodSmith must be really bored these days if all he does is freestyle.
Scott:
Welcome to the forum! I've listened to your podcasts. Gull, the originator of the designated topic is a middle distance freestyler. I am a whimpy sprinter focusing on 50s and 100s especially fly/back. I suspect you know about Paul and Allen.
Allen- no way- you should be pounding those knees all year. You should also take up all forms of extreme sports as well...
Ha ha ha:laugh2:
Peter Cruise: He don't say much, but when he does...
I reckon my freestyle is extreme...extremely bad!
I, too, think it may depend on what the swim event will be and how far out the timeframe is for one to train to be competitive at the Nationals. I believe that Nationals usually start in May (?) and run through the summer. I know that many Masters clubs have the season kick-off swims such as the Pacifica Relays in northern California in early February.
I think that in those early months in the winter, a swimmer (especially if they have been out of the water for a bit), would do well with 75% long swims working on turns and technique but still on the clock. This will build a good baseline aerobic base. But as the swim event gets closer, say March 1 at latest, they absolutely have to turn their attention to faster swims and shorter distances to train both their anaerobic base and the slightly higher stroke turnover to coincide with the aerobic base (minimum of 50/50). A swimmer needs both both energy systems finely tuned. Like George said; to swim fast you have to train fast. Race-pace training is a wonderful tool. It is certainly better to emulate fast swimming in training so there are no physical surprises during a swim event. This gives a swimmer an opportunity to get used to it all and either how good or bad it may feel on race day. But "power swims" always use a swimmer up 100%, but within a few minutes, Voila, they are recovered and elated.
In my past, I would swim 1000 yds, 500's, 400's to build aerobic/endurance. I would then start swimming pyramids, descending sets, race-pace work (4 or 6 50's; 4 or 6 100's, etc., etc.) and sprint sets.
And a swimmer can maintain good technique even in those shorter, more-fast sets; things might have to tighten up a bit, but it is doable and better to do it in practice, than on the day of the event. And if none of the above works, start mix and matching all kinds of sets; there will be great benefit from them regardless of the order.
Now I will have to take my own advice here as I start seriously training within the next couple of weeks. I hope I am not waaaa'ing to yall too much in the next couple of months!!!:p I'll try not to!!!
Donna
Poolrat......we need some more details:
- what events? current best times for them?
- racing how many events over how many days?
- your age?
- base intervals & times able to hold for a set of "10 pace" 50's and "10 pace 100's"
Poolrat......we need some more details:
- what events? current best times for them?
- racing how many events over how many days?
- your age?
- base intervals & times able to hold for a set of "10 pace" 50's and "10 pace 100's"
Paul,
I'll be 55 next month.
50's & 100's in free, back & fly. Looking at the schedule it's 2 events /day over 3 days. I'll pm my times. As far as base intervals, I'm a bit out of shape now b/c my pool has been closed since the 1st week of Dec and won't reopen until next Monday.
The last "test set" I did was 20 x 75...53-54 on 2:00 (In mid Nov).
When I'm in good shape I'll hold 100's at 1:15 on 1:45, 50's at 35 on 55. (free, other strokes slower w/ more rest)
Since I workout alone, I'm sure I don't swim nearly as fast as I would with a group but the nearest master's group is ove 200 miles from me and the local age group team swims while I'm at work.
