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. :)
I am actually going to agree with THE Fortress here. I believe that the 400IM is the holy grail of swimming. It is not for the weak. It is not my favorite event as I prefer breaststroke and the 200 IM but I enjoy swimming the 400IM from time to time as well. I find it is a good test of my endurance and fitness level.
Swimming History lesson #23: The 400IM, also known as "the 5th Stroke" was created by breastrokers who felt left out at swim meets because there was not a diving event" :groovy:
though there is a wise way to swim a 200 free and a wicked way to swim it
the wise way is:
breathing bunches, saving your legs for the 2nd 100, keeping things in control
your 100 splits should be very close to each other, like with in 2 sec or less
the wicked way:
going for it, bat out of hell, turbo legs, take it out hard and hope you can get home
Men 45-49 200 Yard Freestyle
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NATL: N 1:45.96 4/21/2002 JACK GROSELLE
Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
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1 Paul Smith 46 CMS 1:44.39N 11
25.33 52.26 1:18.70 1:44.39
looks to me like you chose wisely last year
ande
It seems that people often look at engine building and technique as an either/or situation......as I've said here often it doesn't matter what your specialty is you need to have a base and should pay attention to technique 100% of the time.....
Fort....the 200 free is the "Holy Grail" of swimming....speed, power, endurance and tons of lactic all rolled into one!
Ande....thats also known as "Sammy save up" swimming!
Unlike Jackrabbit Smith a few years ago:
Men 40-44 200 Yard Freestyle
===============================================================================
40-44 NATL: * 1:43.05 5/17/2002 PAUL SMITH
Name Age Team Finals
===============================================================================
1 Smith, John C 42 RMM 1:44.44
23.90 49.98 1:17.12 1:44.44
That last 25 was tough to watch! :help:
Ribbit, Ribbit!!!!!!
Semper Frog? LOLOL
"ooh raaaaaaaaaaark!"
;)
I also enjoy watching ones that have a little endurance and mental tenacity thrown in there with speed and power.
Yes, 100 ***...finally you agree! :D
though there is a wise way to swim a 200 free and a wicked way to swim it
the wise way is:
breathing bunches, saving your legs for the 2nd 100, keeping things in control
your 100 splits should be very close to each other, like with in 2 sec or less
the wicked way:
going for it, bat out of hell, turbo legs, take it out hard and hope you can get home
I think if you really want to swim it fast you need to go for the wicked way. Like Simon Burnett's 1:31.20 last year at NCAAs. He was out at 21.28 at the 50 and 44.44 at the 100. That means his second 100 was a 46.76, so he split it well.
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
Allen Stark;83146
Here we go again,everyone knows that their favorite event is the best event.
I guess we all have two different kinds of favorite events.
a) our best and
b) the one(s) we prefer to watch (Thank whatever Gods may be, for the invention of Video and DVD) performed by the best there is:
200m Fr Ian Thorpe
400m Fr Ian Thorpe
1500m Fr Grant Hackett
Flys and IMs Michael Phelps
etc..........Cheers
