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.
And for me personally, I have no desire to find out ... :wiggle:
Personally, I think this event reflects the swimming community's obsession with distance freestyle and engine building.
Can't we have an hour swim all fly, back or ***? I'd rather do one of those, after anesthesia of course.
Bill and Terry, thanks for the link and the encouragement. I will give it a shot if I can get my land lubber husband to count and time for me. I also think that for me the no rest, option will work best. :groovy:
no way
I think I could hold between 1:06 - 1:10 per 100
but I don't train for it and don't ever want to
distance is detrimental to sprinting
ande
Curious to see how Ande is going to attack the 1 hour swim. One hour holding 1:00 per 100?!
One year I just did 10 x 500 on 6:00, to hit 5000 safely. For me, that was a good repeat distance.
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.
Well I am not in ya'lls league but... Last year I entered and did 50 and 100 repeats for the entire hour alternating between each. All 50's were on the minute and the 100's were on two minutes. This approach had several benefits for me. My counter (my sweet wife) had a preset interval for each distance and I got plenty of rest. All she had to do was to keep me honest and count off each set as I went.
This year I have been experimenting and probably will try doing 500's by doing 100 free alternating with 50 back and split the odd 50. At the end of the 500 I will kick 50 back and repeat until 60 minutes has passed. From my practice in the pool this gains 2:30 on every 500 or another 100 yards or so based on last years repeats. The active rest does make a difference.
Paul
I am not in ya'lls league but... I am still going to try and catch Andy and will accept anything above last place as a good finish.
Last year I swam 50's alternating with 100 yard repeats on 1 amd 2 minute repeats. This was a two fold stradegy. I got plenty of rest and my sweet wife who was my offical timer had an easy time recording everything. All she had to do was keep me honest.
This year after tinkering at the pool the last two weeks I have decided to swim 500's. I am going to swim 100 free then 50 back and split the odd 50. I will then kick 50 back and repeat until an hour is up. This gains about 2:30 in a hunderd or about a 100 yards at last years pace. breathing is bilateral every other stroke.
Have a great day
Paul
You'd need an engine to swim an hour fly, wouldn't you?
Nah, unless you're that stud muffin Dave Barra, you'd just need fins and be willing to dolphin dive a bit. :rofl:
Not sure it's advisable for the shoulder of course, so I'd be doing backstroke, reluctantly. If forced. If paid.
Personally, I think this event reflects the swimming community's obsession with distance freestyle and engine building.
Can't we have an hour swim all fly, back or ***? I'd rather do one of those, after anesthesia of course.
GASP!!! Engine Building? You'd need an engine to swim an hour fly, wouldn't you?
Seriously, I don't really care how far I swim in an hour, at least not today, but I will in about a year and a half!
Donna
