How much endurance training?

Oh my, our power goes out here for half a day, and this thread turns another corner--into deeper water.:eek: Terry, I know the definition of rationalize, I did not understand your usage of it as it pertained to swimming. Quibble, that's not what I was doing, but any time I question any thing you write, and I do do that a lot because both of my having been swimming for over 50 years and having been through the best of the best coaching, much of what you write seems 1) either not new to swimming and you write as if it is something brand new you yourself invented or studied through reports, or 2) I think your advice--SOMETIMES--is not sound. And I'd better clarify that last statement: it is I and only I that think that, and I have a right to believe what I choose, just like you. I ask questions after you write something because you have confused me or not better explained your words. Thus, my question about rationalizing, so instead of explaining in 20 words or less, you copy the spelling and definition and post it, I guess to teach me or embarrass me, but it does neither. I will really go out on a limb here and say that I have found my perfect freestyle stroke---for me at this age----it is as perfect as it will get; it will get no better. This is not bragging, this is telling people that I have reached the peak of my own mountain technique wise. I know my limits. Endurance? That has more long-range possibilities with mega-yardage which some don't believe in doing, but with my "perfect stroke", I should have little downtime. And I will very much need endurance, big time, since I will be swimming over an 18 mile swim. Endurance has to be first and foremost for something of this magnitude. And now comes the big question (oh, dear, should I?).....how much mega-yardage and at what intensity? This takes the "endurance" part of this thread to another level, but I know I will not be doing recovery 500s to obtain endurance; that to me will only give me a very small amount of overall general conditioning, and general conditioning will not be enough for the kind of swim I have planned. And, I do believe I have contributed some things to this forum with sound examples based on swimmers' performances years ago and within the last 10 years, and the difference between you and I is I do it as general information to be shared with my peers and they are my peers. I want to also give people some things to think about, but to me it is only a sharing of information; I am not trying to teach them. I think that there are many swimmers who do not have to think about their stroke and technique all of the time. No one really knows when this happens automatically, but granted, it happens with more pool time. I think a swimmer should be more focused on pace than thinking about technqiue once it starts to become a natural component. And it does happen. I hope you find your best technical stroke, too. It will come. But I don't want to go through my 60s, 70s, 80s, still trying to find it. I have decided I now have it and will swim with it the rest of my life. And the reason I know I have it is this: I swim relatively quickly, I swim with a very low stroke rate, and I use very little energy. Donna

Oh my, our power goes out here for half a day, and this thread turns another corner--into deeper water.:eek: Terry, I know the definition of rationalize, I did not understand your usage of it as it pertained to swimming. Quibble, that's not what I was doing, but any time I question any thing you write, and I do do that a lot because both of my having been swimming for over 50 years and having been through the best of the best coaching, much of what you write seems 1) either not new to swimming and you write as if it is something brand new you yourself invented or studied through reports, or 2) I think your advice--SOMETIMES--is not sound. And I'd better clarify that last statement: it is I and only I that think that, and I have a right to believe what I choose, just like you. I ask questions after you write something because you have confused me or not better explained your words. Thus, my question about rationalizing, so instead of explaining in 20 words or less, you copy the spelling and definition and post it, I guess to teach me or embarrass me, but it does neither. I will really go out on a limb here and say that I have found my perfect freestyle stroke---for me at this age----it is as perfect as it will get; it will get no better. This is not bragging, this is telling people that I have reached the peak of my own mountain technique wise. I know my limits. Endurance? That has more long-range possibilities with mega-yardage which some don't believe in doing, but with my "perfect stroke", I should have little downtime. And I will very much need endurance, big time, since I will be swimming over an 18 mile swim. Endurance has to be first and foremost for something of this magnitude. And now comes the big question (oh, dear, should I?).....how much mega-yardage and at what intensity? This takes the "endurance" part of this thread to another level, but I know I will not be doing recovery 500s to obtain endurance; that to me will only give me a very small amount of overall general conditioning, and general conditioning will not be enough for the kind of swim I have planned. And, I do believe I have contributed some things to this forum with sound examples based on swimmers' performances years ago and within the last 10 years, and the difference between you and I is I do it as general information to be shared with my peers and they are my peers. I want to also give people some things to think about, but to me it is only a sharing of information; I am not trying to teach them. I think that there are many swimmers who do not have to think about their stroke and technique all of the time. No one really knows when this happens automatically, but granted, it happens with more pool time. I think a swimmer should be more focused on pace than thinking about technqiue once it starts to become a natural component. And it does happen. I hope you find your best technical stroke, too. It will come. But I don't want to go through my 60s, 70s, 80s, still trying to find it. I have decided I now have it and will swim with it the rest of my life. And the reason I know I have it is this: I swim relatively quickly, I swim with a very low stroke rate, and I use very little energy. Donna