technique over power in distance events?

I'll try it next week. I will go on 1:50 and try to come in at 1:35 and see how it goes. I think you can do it. It will be a good bit harder and you'll probably feel it around the 4th or 5th one. Make up your mind a head of time that you will not give up. You can make 10 of them. Be sure not to blow it on the first two or three.

I wish I read your post before my workout. It would have motivated me to finish. Trying to go on 1:50, the first was a 1:30, the second 1:35, then I settled in at 1:40 for the next four. I had to take two minutes recovery, then I did the last four at 1:40. I couldn't go 10 in a row but I think I can do it if I keep trying. I can already tell that these workouts force me to really work on technique. I am finding that when I swim this tired, I am forced to pay attention to technique out of desperation and survival to make the interval. I just wasn't getting that with the longer rest. Thanks for the workout advice. I will be swimming the 50,100,200 and 500 in two weeks. Will post the times, good or bad. Hey rtodd - good job. I figured it would hurt. The pacing is very important on these sets so your stroke doesn't break down. You did go too fast on the first two and cooked yourself a bit. Next time start at 1:40 and focus on pace and completing the set without your stroke going to pieces. You'll be tired but satisfied you made it.

I would highly recommend the 10x100 on 2:00 trying to hold your pace. I am a distance swimmer and I use this set when I am training for the 1000 or the 1650. I have no motivation to do it by myself. I can usually convince my brother or my mom to sit at the end of the lane and time and record my splits. I start about two months from my scheduled race and do this set once a week. I have a record of my times and can see improvment and such. Find someone to take 45 min. and time you and then tell you the time after every 100. Great set and it is really important to know what your pace feels like

I'd like to hear from the experts too on this. I'm guessing that they will say try the 1:45. Then once you can do that, go to 1:40....etc. It does not paint a pretty picture. This is tough stuff.

I am in similar shoes though I don't consider myself a sprinter nowadays. I did a trial time for 500 a couple of months ago and my time was 8:02. I like IM's and freestyle is actually my weak stroke. I'd like to improve my freestyle so some day I can compete 500 or 1650. Today I was trying these 10x100 repeats as suggested with 1:50 intervals. I started the first one 1:33 and dropped to 1:35 by the second, then holding 1:37-1:38 for the next eight (though I had to change from flip turn to open turn starting the 7th). My question is where should I go here? I'd love to drop my interval to 1:45 or 1:40 but I don't think I can swim that fast to hold the 100's time. How do I improve my 100 and 200 time? BTW, is there a correlation between the fastest 100 time and the 10x100 repeat interval time?

I just want to say at first that I am not an expert. What I know was learned from my own training, the scientific approach of my coach, and what I read in Maglischo's book. For Mausy - the reason rtodd is swimming on 1:50 instead of 2:00 is that his aerobic threshold test (his 1000 swim) predicts that a 1:49 is the correct interval to use if he wants to improve his aerobic fitness. rtodd can already do 10x100 on 2:00 and he can do these with over 25 seconds rest. That is too much rest for an aerobic threshold set. For asgard - I suggest you not change your interval time until you can do the entire set with flip turns. Changing to open turns is not exactly cheating but they require much less energy than flip turns. So you haven't really done that set yet. :( I don't know about a known correlation between a 100 race time and repeats on 10 x 100. I think we expect that a person who swims a fast 100 will repeat them in practice fast too - but a "pure" sprinter might struggle with a longer aerobic threshold set vs. someone who is a 500 swimmer. Aerobic threshold sets are only one portion of a training program. You should also do lactic threshold sets, VO2max sets, and lactic production (sprints) to have a complete training program. Lactic threshold sets are similar to an aerobic threshold set in repeat distance - but you will swim faster. A lactic threshold set of 100s might be 5 x 100 on 1:45. You might do that twice with a recovery set between. Instead of swimming 1:35s on these sets you'd swim 1:30 or 1:25. Your muscles will ache and you will feel lactic build up. You are trying to train your body to push the threshold higher before lactic buildup occurs. A VO2max set is very hard but short. 3 x 100 on 1:40 or even 1:35 repeated with an easy recovery 200 between. VO2max will trash your cardiovascular capability. When you are ready to shorten the interval - you might go 8 x 100 instead of 10 x 100 at first to ease the transition to the shorter interval. Work back up to 10 x 100 over two or three weeks.