I'm interested to know what kind of workouts people are doing who are preparing for 200 back, long or short course. I'm interested primarily because I'm pretty much incapable of approaching the distances and volume that Ande has been doing recently.
What are the rest of you doing? Are you gunning for a top 10 time, a National Qualifying Time, a PB, or are you just trying to stave off a precipitous decline in speed? What is the longest interval you'll do with any frequency? Do you ever get up to the 800's that Ande is posting?
Muppet: 1:53 ....200 back. Very impressive.
Quick - I should have mentioned (and will go edit that now) that I was doing everything freestyle, but thanks!!!:cheerleader: That is certainly a great 2back time, eh? Maybe I'll be doing that after I move to Texas and start training with Ande and Tyler.
To answer your question...the interval on Muppet's set is great for end of the year tapering.
As the rest increases ...the effort level should be near maximal. It's basically a formula to improve speed...aka an intensity set.
The opposite of this would be a set where the rest is reduced. That kind of overloading is a density set. Usually done in the earlier part of a season.
...Sam you must be a super fast backstroker. I tried that set today and wound up doing a 300 straight at the end.
(My 200 time at the moment is 2:05...where it used to be in the 1:55 range 20 years ago.) Hoping to get close to there again in the next few seasons...
Muppet: 1:53 ....200 back. Very impressive.
And Congrats Mollie on a great swim. It's a nice feeling to be as fast as your former self.
...Sam you must be a super fast backstroker. I tried that set today and wound up doing a 300 straight at the end.
(My 200 time at the moment is 2:05...where it used to be in the 1:55 range 20 years ago.) Hoping to get close to there again in the next few seasons...
"Super fast" is relative. The last meet I swam in, which was in 2003, I went a 1:57 for my 200 and :55 for my 100. I can go about 2:05 in practice now. I am not doing Ande's times, but I am also not training as regularly as he does. (I also don't SDK because I suck at it) I am a much better long course swimmer because it is more swimming and less turns.
Did a 400 Back for time yesterday and went 5:01 LCM. Was pretty happy with that considering it was a set of 5 X 400 on 6:00 desc 1-5.
I guess I can hold my own, but I don't know how I rank anymore.
(I also don't SDK because I suck at it) I am a much better long course swimmer because it is more swimming and less turns.
Personally I am banking on this (SDK's) to unlock the potential for faster swimming.
I get a bit winded...but my feeling is that the body can adapt to a certain work condition...the more it gets used to doing something.
The kids I've seen and coached at USA swim meets are literally kicking half of the pool... and coming in on some ridiculously fast times.
Monkey see...monkey do.
By the way...that is some seriously fast swimming...especially for a guy with three kids in tow.
Finding time to train ...let alone attend meets can be really tough in my opinion.
Quick - I should have mentioned (and will go edit that now) that I was doing everything freestyle, but thanks!!!:cheerleader: That is certainly a great 2back time, eh? Maybe I'll be doing that after I move to Texas and start training with Ande and Tyler.
It's easy...just roll over. The ceiling at our pool is much more interesting than the bottom of the pool...with all those hair tumble weeds.
And you can breathe all you like when backstroking!
Sam: What's the conventional wisdom- does doing long yardage (eg greater than 300) backstroke actually help your strength/endurance, or is this just another way of mixing it up and keeping things interesting? I'm assuming that over the long distance you can keep your technique solid.
Anyone else have an opinion?
I swam a 200y back for time as part of practice tonight. 2:24. I have no idea how to swim that thing. From my glance at the clock before my turn, I suspect I was out in ~1:10-11ish. The blue muppet destroyed me.:agree:
Its not getting me down, though, cause I feel like I can learn how to swim it properly. Its a very far-fetched challenge.
Sam: What's the conventional wisdom- does doing long yardage (eg greater than 300) backstroke actually help your strength/endurance, or is this just another way of mixing it up and keeping things interesting? I'm assuming that over the long distance you can keep your technique solid.
Anyone else have an opinion?
A little of both. I just get way bored doing frestyle. I find trying to keep up with my lanemates on my back is more fun. I do try and hold stroke as best I can. Swam a 200 LCM for time last week trying to negative split. Didn't quite do it, was out in 1:14 back in 1:14 so I was pretty happy about that. Would love to be in the low 2:20 range at the end of practice for a "normal" 200 Back.
For some goofy reason, I find my stroke gets stronger the longer I go.
