One of the nice parts about swimming is that there is always something new to work on, some little thing that can be improved. Some of us, especially those of us new(ish) to competitive swimming have TONS we can work on. How do you decide what you will focus on each length, each stroke, each practice?
Do you go by category: I need to work on my walls, so no matter the set, I will focus on my walls. Do you have a few choice parts for each stroke, selecting as appropriate? Are you utterly single-minded, till you get one thing right (or right enough)? Do you pick a metic that can include any number of solutions and changes (stroke length, say) and focus on that? Do you have a symphony of overlapping bits, backsliding, starting up, in a wonderful cacophony?
Hello! If I am swimming on my own, which is guaranteed twice a week I try to compliment what we did as a team that week. Meaning, if we did a lot stroke I do more free and some stroke drills. If we did a lot of aerobic work, I do more sprints. I definitely work my turns during all my sprints.
I also try and work on my weaker strokes. For example, I do some basic endurance backstroke (frequently with paddles) since we don't do much of that during the week. I also gage how I'm feeling. Sometimes I feel great and end up doing more yardage, but if I am really sore and get into the rhythm I'll specifically work turns.
Is that what you are looking for. I was debating whether or not to share information with you ... :thhbbb: ;)
Walls are always good...before I hit main sets I do a few walls only.
I pick one thing and try to nail it...if that works I try to either speed it up or add in something else.
On my 0-1650 in 6 weeks freestyl program I'm doing I try to get my bilateral breathing going...it's amazing how much that has improved.
I'll do a dive start race once or twice a week, depending on noodlers and aquapedestrians. The best was the guy hopping under the lanes to exit as I was going on a BR 50 sprint... um I wasn't going to slow down for him...luckily he got out of the way fast.
1 day a week I work on something like Fly and IM, 1 day *** Drills, 1 day *** events. For now I'm (attempting) doing IM and Fly to have more than one thing to do at 2 or 3 day weekend meets, and to provide others with visual amusement :)
I try and focus mainly on technique and swimming as smoothly as I can. I also try to make sure I get an even mix of aerobic and anerobic (or lactate type sets) in. I do believe in what Terry said before about trying to feel as effortless as possible while swimming....only I mainly think about feeling effortless on the aerobic swimming and drills part....obviously the anerobic stuff (and anerobic threshhold stuff) will NOT feel effortless. I believe in energy efficiency and that is probably the number one thing I think about....but that is a little vague because it encompasses a lot of other subcategories which includes streamlining off of the walls enough (including underwater SDK's), ...SPL and DPS and such. Pretty vague I know....but thats my best description I suppose.
Newmastersswimmer
