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.
Not to say this is THE factor, but how you split a race is also a clue. Sprinters typically take out their races faster, and comparatively "die" on the back half. Distance swimmers tend to even or negative split. The 200 might be the perfect race to test this. I'd say if your second 100 is more than three seconds slower than your first, you might be a sprinter. If your second 100 is 2-3 slower than your first, you're a middle distance swimmer. Less than two seconds difference, you're a distance swimmer. So now you know :)
Knelson you are very wise! That's the best explanation I've ever heard! Soo true!
my 100s are usually 2-2.5 seconds apart.
See, you're really a middle distance swimmer and you're just deluding yourself into thinking you're actually a sprinter!
Same with Paul Smith. His even or negative split 200s show he's really a D man who's just too darn lazy to actually swim any distance events!! :thhbbb:
Former Member
Can you please help me with an even more basic question.
What if I am not good enough to be a sprinter nor a distance swimmer. And as it is less tiring to do short distance, I could be attempted to mistakenly think that I am more of a sprinter?
I am 44, swimming 4 styles but mostly Free, Back, decent fly and rarely ***. On short distance (25 - 50m), my time is comparable, sometimes better, than that of a "model" swimmer (in my modest scale, this model swimmer does 1'15 to 1'20'' for 100m free). When the distance increases, my times become worst. On kick sets longer than 100m, my times are really bad.
Ultimately, I prefer swimming distance and conclude that I must improve my endurance. But how can one tell if he/she is truely a sprinter?
Sorry for hijacking the original intent of this post. Thanks in advance for any help.
Former Member
Please tell me what is a distance swimmer or a sprint swimmer?
I think you can be whatever you want. First we need technique, can we learn this technique on our own. Yes we can, be a copy cat watch some videos learn to reach then get to the catch then to the finish. Hey you can even do drills which I try not to do anymore. Once you have technique it is a matter of workouts to best fit your style and preferrence.
I'm with The Fortress. My 100s are close together (and I have been known to put in final 50s that are faster than my first), but that is because I am a wuss, not because I am a secret distance swimmer: my times drop off a lot from short to long and in practice the real distance swimmers take me out. In my mind further evidence includes the fact that my race and practice times are super far apart, likewise rested and unrested.
Former Member
We used say sprinter = 50, 100 or 200, middle distance = 200, 400 or 800, distance = 800, 1500 or more. Marathons 10mi or more.
I found very little difference just in the training and conditioning.
Fly Queen,Quit picking on your fellow short axis brothers and sisters.
Fellow? They are the part of the family we don't talk about. Didn't evolve. The baboons of the swimming world, if you will.
These two paragraphs seem contradictory, Mr. Smith. :thhbbb: You have the ideal build of a drop dead sprinter -- you're really, really tall.
Fort, fort, fort.....don't buy into stereotypes! I may be tall....but I've got the engine of a middle-distance freestyler (and the slow twitch reaction times to boot)!
By the way George.....nice call out on the "don't get your hair wet" breastroke technique......rumor has it that's how Mr. Commings actually picked that 'event"!
Zones or the CT Champs one?
Whichever one you were bragging to Ande about. I think you've got me beat.
Oh, and to address the question, I keep telling my coaches I am a spinter and they keep saying I swim short races, but that is not the same thing. Lol.
