How much endurance training?

Allen.....I figured as much....now that you know the Fortress, John & I are going to become breaststrokers your shaking in your speedo!! :rofl: Poolrat....got your info and sent a reply.....one thing I suggested was to "poach" from Ande's blog....he's training with more of an emphasis on the 50/100 this year.....back to his roots as evil-smith says! Taper longer than 10 days however.....I'm 47 and needed all of the 3 weeks I took going into worlds this year to get back the "snap" and have fresh legs!

Poolrat....got your info and sent a reply.....one thing I suggested was to "poach" from Ande's blog....he's training with more of an emphasis on the 50/100 this year.....back to his roots as evil-smith says! Taper longer than 10 days however.....I'm 47 and needed all of the 3 weeks I took going into worlds this year to get back the "snap" and have fresh legs! Got your message. Thanks Paul.

From a 2005 issue of Splash magazine regarding Eric Vendt. Training for Endurance: When training for the mile, endurance is key. Vendt uses endurance as his building blocks and also focuses on stroke work to help his 400 IM, the event in which he has won two Olympic silver medals. These days, he trains 50 percent endurance and 50 percent stroke work. He doesn’t want to give up too much distance training because that’s where he gets his strength for the back end of the IM. Vendt says that in switching strokes in the IM, you need to have easy speed, great endurance and good racing sense. He likes to make his move towards the end of the race and prides himself on having the fastest last 200 in the world. “I've always believed that if I was even with someone with a 100 to go, I would win,” Vendt says. “That sense of confidence comes from years of training endurance.” Vendt’s favorite sets: 1.) 500 free @ 5:00 and 400 IM @ 5:00. Repeat the set five times, make the free interval, descend the IMs (Vendt went a 3:44 on the last 400 IM). 2.) 30 x 1000's @ 10:30 (Yes, you read that right). For the first 16 repeats, Vendt held his time under 10 minutes, but then fell apart physically and mentally. He found his way back, and on the last one, he went a 9:58.

I have 18 weeks (+ taper) to prepare for nationals. Any suggestions on how much endurance/speed work I should do? How much time should I spend on stroke work? I borrow the workouts from the workout site and modify them to fit my needs.

Now I will try to respond in a friendly, non-confrontational, kinder/gentler 2007 way. If someone has achieved total satisfaction with their technique, and believes that thinking about it all the time is unpleasant; I would say that person is truly blessed. I on the other hand, if I am fortunate to live to 100, would be happy to consider myself a student of human aquatic propulsion to my last day. Others talk about a song they need to think about while engaged in a long swim to help pass the time. When I am swimming, its what I want to be doing, so thinking about is not a drag. Thats not to say that I don't notice the non-stroke related details: sunrise, sunset, sea-life, etc. I guess we all need to find the joy of it in our own way. Dave: 2007. Yes, what happened to the champagne? I think Donna was responding to a comment from Terry, not you. I'm just going to comment on your comment. Who wants to think about something 24/7? You need a change of topic occasionally. Or a mental break. Or perhaps "pleasure." After all, as Paul points out, we are just masters swimmers and need to have a life. Maybe Donna was just objecting to the word "mindful," which we have heard a lot lately. There are other equally apt synonyms that might break up the linguistic monotony. I myself enjoy Peter's purple prose. I also think, after intensive drilling, something can become "natural." Don't you, honestly? Isn't that the point of doing the drills, to instill muscle memory? While you're looking at the sunset and not necessarily being "mindful," I bet your stroke is lovely. I think your "intense focus" on swimming will ensure that. Plus, you don't want to be focusing on stroke technique during a race. It should be second nature by then. I personally use my ipod whenever I run. I don't need a break from "pain," which is a word you TI guys vociferously object to. (So you shouldn't mind a return comment on "mindful.") My ipod songs just give me a nice rhythm and I get in a groove. (I think there's a recent study actually on the fact that songs can increase/enhance the quality and intensity of exercise.) And it puts a smile on my face as I'm enjoying the day (or the sun, rain, cold, frost) on my run. I can't use an MP3 in the water. I already have wandering mind problems and have trouble keeping track of lengths over 200 or so ... I try to be "mindful," and I do a lot of drills, but I too prefer a different word than "mindful," which has become a tad over familiar and cliche. Do you have a new word?

That gets it about right. Physiologists say that, for a trained athlete (not a formerly sedentary one), it takes about eight weeks of training to build aerobic conditioning sufficient to support the more performance-related training that will follow it. After that you can't move the needle on aerobic fitness very much. So the question becomes, what is the role of aerobic training after that point. This suggests that one should be mindful of doing those sets in such a way that they do promote recovery and don't compromise your readiness to do the more race-specific training properly. 7 weeks might be right for Allen; he's a sprinter. But what about distance swimmers like yourself and others (like me). Paul says we need a very different program.

I'm sorry, I don't understand why a swimmer has to constantly be mindful. Doesn't it ever become natural? Natural is so much better. And I know this may take more time for some, but come'on, let the mind go and let the body take over. The swimming experience might actually become a pleasant sensation if it is not so over-analyzed if the swimmer has been working on stroke mechanics. It can't be very pleasant if a swimmer is constantly "mindful", nor very natural at all. If a swimmer has learned the stroke mechanics needed to help them, and have drilled themselves to oblivion, let it go and give it a try without thinking about it. Pleasurable swimming with drills that have been engrained, well, let your body do what has been taught; don't think about it so much. Good grief. Donna

I'm sorry, I don't understand why a swimmer has to constantly be mindful. Doesn't it ever become natural? Natural is so much better. And I know this may take more time for some, but come'on, let the mind go and let the body take over. The swimming experience might actually become a pleasant sensation if it is not so over-analyzed if the swimmer has been working on stroke mechanics. It can't be very pleasant if a swimmer is constantly "mindful", nor very natural at all. If a swimmer has learned the stroke mechanics needed to help them, and have drilled themselves to oblivion, let it go and give it a try without thinking about it. Pleasurable swimming with drills that have been engrained, well, let your body do what has been taught; don't think about it so much. Good grief. Donna Now I will try to respond in a friendly, non-confrontational, kinder/gentler 2007 way. If someone has achieved total satisfaction with their technique, and believes that thinking about it all the time is unpleasant; I would say that person is truly blessed. I on the other hand, if I am fortunate to live to 100, would be happy to consider myself a student of human aquatic propulsion to my last day. Others talk about a song they need to think about while engaged in a long swim to help pass the time. When I am swimming, its what I want to be doing, so thinking about is not a drag. Thats not to say that I don't notice the non-stroke related details: sunrise, sunset, sea-life, etc. I guess we all need to find the joy of it in our own way.

I'm a triathlete and my technique has much to be desired (see my other question on videos of real swimmers). Given that my stroke is more correct when i swim sprints, would it make sense for me to spend my off season working on short fast stuff in the hopes that i could clean up my technique? Starting spring or summer, endurance is going to be more important for me since the swim's in the tris i'll be doing range from 800-1500 meters. I'm just not sure if doing alot of endurance stuff is making me a stronger swimmer or just making me a really good bad swimmer. thanks a bunch slowfishie

Slowfiish,since you aren't training to sprint I wouldn't recommend you sprint,but I would recommened you shorten your distance in your intervals.I'd say start with 50s at your "swim pretty" speed(the speed at which your stroke looks the best.) Make the interval some thing comfortable at first(on the min. on the 1:30 what ever works for you). Depending on your conditioning now do 1 0r 2 sets of 5-10. As that gets easier shorten the interval. When you can "swim pretty for a 100 start adding 100 sets. Then go to 200 sets. When you are doing 200s start trying to "swim pretty" faster. I think it is important to go a speed and distance so that you can keep good technique,but the more you practice the longer you can do that.