preparing to compete post heart attack--mini-taper advice?
Former Member
I have taken the plunge. Approximately 20 months following a heart attack (four stents) at the bizarrely young age of 44, I have gotten my masters card and am preparing to swim in my first meet in 28 years. I had to negotiate with my cardiologist to do it, but I'm clear and set to go. I had been working out at about 10 to 12k a week with intermittent breaks for the last year or so, then shifted to going 5x a week for a total of 15k, and for the last month I'm up to close to 20k a week.
Here's my question. I am going to swim at a local meet in about 10 days (Ozark championships in St. Louis) then also (I hope) at the Breadbasket Zones in Iowa a month later. I am focusing on 50 free, 100 free, 100 IM, and 50 fly. I may swim 200 free and 200 IM at Zones--we'll see. Starting modest. I would like to be a little rested for the local meet in 10 days, but would like to "taper"--at my yardage level not sure the term has much meaning--for the Zone meet 5 weeks from now. Any advice, general or specific, on how to plan my workout schedule for this next stretch?
Many thanks in advance for the input.
Gull, if you are out there, I want to thank you for encouraging me to keep going late last year--it really helped.
Best
Red
Parents
Former Member
Follow up: would you reduce distance by much to accompany increased speed and (presumably) more rest?
Thanks
Yes. But instead of doing your regular practices with more rest every day...this formula works very well for meet preparation.
Try doing a warm-up to the point where you feel pretty good. If you feel ready...do a time trial...or a near maximal effort swim from the wall. Then swim down...and do an abbreviated workout.
Maybe only do this several times in the week before the meet. Your body will learn and remember to feel what's it's like to race. Time trial swims have a tune-up effect and you should see great results from doing them.
The three or four days before the meet...maybe do your typical warm-up and keep the swims easy... (nothing too stressful) except for a couple of one lap sprints. Half the usual yardage. Ten days to taper is perfect.
Follow up: would you reduce distance by much to accompany increased speed and (presumably) more rest?
Thanks
Yes. But instead of doing your regular practices with more rest every day...this formula works very well for meet preparation.
Try doing a warm-up to the point where you feel pretty good. If you feel ready...do a time trial...or a near maximal effort swim from the wall. Then swim down...and do an abbreviated workout.
Maybe only do this several times in the week before the meet. Your body will learn and remember to feel what's it's like to race. Time trial swims have a tune-up effect and you should see great results from doing them.
The three or four days before the meet...maybe do your typical warm-up and keep the swims easy... (nothing too stressful) except for a couple of one lap sprints. Half the usual yardage. Ten days to taper is perfect.
