I'm new and have been catching up on reading. I don't have a lot of swimming experience and am swimming masters and not in college. But there are a couple things I just don't get.
1. Many posters seem very concerned about technique, but are still really focused on what is referred to as "engine buiding" and on power lifting and things that might not help their swimming as much. What is the lure of engine building exactly besides the endorphins? I guess you need it for certain events? I'm not saying this very well, but it seems like some people are working out harder than they should be? Why?
2. I read one of Ande's latest tips about sprinters on masters teams that ususlly focus on mid to long distance. Does this mean that sprinters should work out alone? I haven't really decided what I am yet, but my team does seem to focus more on distance stuff and long hard sets. Do any masters teams have sprint lanes or just lanes with different intervals?
Thanks. :)
Parents
Former Member
No it's not!!! Blech. I think the 400 IM is the "Holy Grail" of swimming. I don't have the endurance or engine at the moment for either your Holy Grail or mine, so I'm sticking with the sprints. You and FlyQueen can have that 200 free all to yourselves. I hate that event. :thhbbb: :thhbbb: :thhbbb: If you gotta do a 200, it might as well be IM or fly. Freestyle is such a dull stroke.
I love the 200 free! (even though I pretty much suck at it though...LOL!) I find the 100 free to be much more exhausting for some reason....I feel I have to practically sprint the entire 100 all out from the beggining to the end whereas I can stretch the first 100 of a 200 out a bit and conserve a little energy for the 2nd 100 (although you still have to go out fairly fast on the first 100.....its a controlled sprint....so you can be both smooth and fairly relaxed on the first 100 but still fairly fast as well)....the second 100 won't be too bad if you have a sufficient engine (which of course depends on your training) and you have saved enough on the first 100....When I swim a 200 in an optimal fashion, I feel smooth and relatively relaxed throughout the entire 200....it actually feels pretty good....whereas I always feel exhausted and out of gas at the end of an all out 100. I guess its all a matter of perspective?
Newmastersswimmer
No it's not!!! Blech. I think the 400 IM is the "Holy Grail" of swimming. I don't have the endurance or engine at the moment for either your Holy Grail or mine, so I'm sticking with the sprints. You and FlyQueen can have that 200 free all to yourselves. I hate that event. :thhbbb: :thhbbb: :thhbbb: If you gotta do a 200, it might as well be IM or fly. Freestyle is such a dull stroke.
I love the 200 free! (even though I pretty much suck at it though...LOL!) I find the 100 free to be much more exhausting for some reason....I feel I have to practically sprint the entire 100 all out from the beggining to the end whereas I can stretch the first 100 of a 200 out a bit and conserve a little energy for the 2nd 100 (although you still have to go out fairly fast on the first 100.....its a controlled sprint....so you can be both smooth and fairly relaxed on the first 100 but still fairly fast as well)....the second 100 won't be too bad if you have a sufficient engine (which of course depends on your training) and you have saved enough on the first 100....When I swim a 200 in an optimal fashion, I feel smooth and relatively relaxed throughout the entire 200....it actually feels pretty good....whereas I always feel exhausted and out of gas at the end of an all out 100. I guess its all a matter of perspective?
Newmastersswimmer
