Gull mentioned the one hour postal swim in the Elite vs. Fitness thread and rather than go further off topic over there I decided to create a new thread.
So one thing I've been wondering about is what is the best way to swim it? The obvious strategy is to just start out with a pace you think you can hold for an hour and go for it. Past experience has told me this isn't always easy, though! Has anyone tried it using repeats? For example, to swim 5,000 yards you need to hold a 1:12 pace per 100. What if instead of trying to swim straight you did 100s on the 1:12? Maybe I'm crazy, but I feel like maybe I could hold 100s on the 1:12, going probably 1:07-1:08 the entire time easier than I could swim for an hour straight at a 1:12 pace.
Another strategy might be to have a goal pace in mind and keep swimming until you fall off the pace, then rest some amount of time and continue. The question is whether this approach would actually allow you to swim farther over the course of an hour. It seems a little counterintuitive, but maybe it would work.
How much rest were you getting on the 500s? I'm not convinced that you can hold a faster pace swimming it unbroken, and I don't think it's just psychological.
My recollection is that I was holding between 5:40 and 5:50 per 500, so getting 10-20 seconds rest. More towards 5:40 at the beginning, more towards 5:50 (perhaps one at 5:53 or 5:54 towards the end). For me, at that time, on that day, that was a good aerobic pace to hold that was challenging, but comfortable.
Whether you are faster broken or unbroken will depend on the person. If you're a sprinter and only swim 50's, you may need to swim them broken by 200's or 250's or something for a comfort level. If you're an open water marathon swimmer, you'll swim continuously, because stopping will only mess up your rhythm.
It all depends on how your energy systems work, and what costs more energy for you.
Take as an example doing 5000 yards in the hour, or 1:12 per 100 pace. There are lots of ways to do this:
* 1 x 5000 @ 60:00, holding 1:12 pace
* 5 x 1000 @ 12:00, holding various paces for various rest
* 10 x 500 @ 6:00, holding 1:11.5 pace (5:57.5 per 500), and getting a couple seconds for an open turn between 500's.
* 10 x 500 @ 6:00, holding 1:10 pace (5:50 per 500) and getting 10 seconds rest each 500.
* 10 x 500 @ 6:00, holding 1:05 pace (5:25 per 500) and getting 35 seconds rest each 500.
* 50 x 100 @ 1:12, holding 1:11 pace, and basically doing open turns each 100.
* 50 x 100 @ 1:12, holding 1:10 pace, and doing open turns with two breaths after each 100.
* 50 x 100 @ 1:12, holding 1:05 pace, and getting 7 seconds rest each 100.
* 100 x 50 @ :36
* 200 x 25 @ :18, which will end up being just endless open turns
Now if you ask me, I'd _much_ rather do 10 x 500 @ 6:00 than do 200 x 25 @ :18. You waste so much energy on endless open turns.
All this is to say, there are lots of ways to skin a cat.
For variety, you could mix it up:
2 x 1000 @ 12:00
4 x 500 @ 6:00
4 x 250 @ 3:00
-Rick
How much rest were you getting on the 500s? I'm not convinced that you can hold a faster pace swimming it unbroken, and I don't think it's just psychological.
My recollection is that I was holding between 5:40 and 5:50 per 500, so getting 10-20 seconds rest. More towards 5:40 at the beginning, more towards 5:50 (perhaps one at 5:53 or 5:54 towards the end). For me, at that time, on that day, that was a good aerobic pace to hold that was challenging, but comfortable.
Whether you are faster broken or unbroken will depend on the person. If you're a sprinter and only swim 50's, you may need to swim them broken by 200's or 250's or something for a comfort level. If you're an open water marathon swimmer, you'll swim continuously, because stopping will only mess up your rhythm.
It all depends on how your energy systems work, and what costs more energy for you.
Take as an example doing 5000 yards in the hour, or 1:12 per 100 pace. There are lots of ways to do this:
* 1 x 5000 @ 60:00, holding 1:12 pace
* 5 x 1000 @ 12:00, holding various paces for various rest
* 10 x 500 @ 6:00, holding 1:11.5 pace (5:57.5 per 500), and getting a couple seconds for an open turn between 500's.
* 10 x 500 @ 6:00, holding 1:10 pace (5:50 per 500) and getting 10 seconds rest each 500.
* 10 x 500 @ 6:00, holding 1:05 pace (5:25 per 500) and getting 35 seconds rest each 500.
* 50 x 100 @ 1:12, holding 1:11 pace, and basically doing open turns each 100.
* 50 x 100 @ 1:12, holding 1:10 pace, and doing open turns with two breaths after each 100.
* 50 x 100 @ 1:12, holding 1:05 pace, and getting 7 seconds rest each 100.
* 100 x 50 @ :36
* 200 x 25 @ :18, which will end up being just endless open turns
Now if you ask me, I'd _much_ rather do 10 x 500 @ 6:00 than do 200 x 25 @ :18. You waste so much energy on endless open turns.
All this is to say, there are lots of ways to skin a cat.
For variety, you could mix it up:
2 x 1000 @ 12:00
4 x 500 @ 6:00
4 x 250 @ 3:00
-Rick
