In swimming, how is it that one can excel in both sprints and long distance? Is it because the distance games in swimming are only "relatively" distance games but are not really distance games from a physiologic perspective?
In the world of tracks, for example, an athlete cannot excel at both sprints and distance. Even the athletes from the two areas look different - much leaner for the distance runners and muscular for the sprinters.
I am wondering about this because whether I should focus on either the sprint or the distance as I plan to participate in the masters meet, or whether I don't have to sacrifice one for the other.
I am pretty skeptical of the even/negative splitting thing. I have mediocre, but solid races when I even split a 200+. The only way for me to go faster is to go harder on the first 100 - if I start any slower, the rest of the race will be slow as well.
See worlds results:
50 free: 27.56
100 free: 28.93 1:00.04 (31.11)
200 free: 29.69 1:03.11 (33.42) 1:37.49 (34.38) 2:12.12 (34.63) - back half 1:09.01
400 free:
30.54 (30.54) 1:04.73 (34.19)
1:39.39 (34.66) 2:15.01 (35.62) -- 1:10.27
2:50.71 (35.70) 3:26.93 (36.22) -- 1:11.92
4:03.18 (36.25) 4:38.75 (35.57) -- 1:11.82
I am all about the "go out fast and see what happens" mentality (even for a 800/1000 or 1500/1650). There was no visible piano, and I certainly didn't feel like one came. Judging by the splits of the 200 and 400, you'd say I am a sprinter. Then you look at the 50 time :D
I am pretty skeptical of the even/negative splitting thing. I have mediocre, but solid races when I even split a 200+. The only way for me to go faster is to go harder on the first 100 - if I start any slower, the rest of the race will be slow as well.
See worlds results:
50 free: 27.56
100 free: 28.93 1:00.04 (31.11)
200 free: 29.69 1:03.11 (33.42) 1:37.49 (34.38) 2:12.12 (34.63) - back half 1:09.01
400 free:
30.54 (30.54) 1:04.73 (34.19)
1:39.39 (34.66) 2:15.01 (35.62) -- 1:10.27
2:50.71 (35.70) 3:26.93 (36.22) -- 1:11.92
4:03.18 (36.25) 4:38.75 (35.57) -- 1:11.82
I am all about the "go out fast and see what happens" mentality (even for a 800/1000 or 1500/1650). There was no visible piano, and I certainly didn't feel like one came. Judging by the splits of the 200 and 400, you'd say I am a sprinter. Then you look at the 50 time :D
