Hello all,
I'm new here and I have a question that I hope maybe someone could help me with. I've been finding it difficult to improve my swim splits over the longer distances. I've been trying for about 3 years now with minimal improvement. I can swim a sub 30 sec.-50 yards and a sub 1 minute in a 100 yards but cannot hold a fast pace over the longer distances. My best distance splits are:
500yds. = 6:18 (=1:15.7 per 100 yds.) - (pool swim)
1.5K = 22:10 (=1:21 per 100 yds.) - (open water w/wetsuit)
2.4 mile = 1:03:50 (=1:30 per 100 yds.) - (open water w/wetsuit)
I've been swimming 3-4x per week about 3,000-4,000 yards per day. Mostly sets like 20x100's w/10-15 sec rest and 10x200's w/20 sec rest and 5x400's w/30 sec rest. My 20x100's are average about 1:17-1:18 per 100 yards, and that's the fastest I can go and still do 20 of them.
I swim alone at the pool mostly and I don't lift weights much. I have good form in water and a 2 beat kick. Could it be a strength issue? I use paddles and the pull bouy occasionally. My main goal is to go sub 20 in 1.5K swim in open water, with a wetsuit. What workouts or things should I be doing to do this?
Thanks much for your feedback,
Terry
I am sort of the reverse of you: I have never gone under 1:00 in the 100 free in my entire life, but I can go under 6:00 easily in the 500 and under 20:00 on a decent day in the 1650. Some of that difference is surely just how our bodies are made, but here are a few differences I see between your training and mine.
1. You swim a little less than I do, but not much. But I also do other workouts. When I was in my best adult distance swimming shape I ran 3-4x/week (15-18 miles total) in addition to swimming 3-4x/week (12k-16k total) and I lifted twice a week or so too. (I was in professional school then so I had a lot of discretionary time.) Now I can't run but I go to an hour-long spin class 2x/week. If my skin and shoulders could handle doing all that cardio in the pool I might swim more instead, but they can't so I cross-train my heart.
2. I swim with a team and I always have. Coaching and workout partners help me get the most out of every visit to the pool.
3. I use shorter rest than you do for short-rest interval sets (and longer rest for sets aimed at improving power and turnover). If I were doing 20x100 I would do them on 1:15 or 1:20 and I would get 3-8s rest. If you can bring them in on 1:17 with a 1:30 sendoff then it's time to switch to a 1:25 sendoff.
I am sort of the reverse of you: I have never gone under 1:00 in the 100 free in my entire life, but I can go under 6:00 easily in the 500 and under 20:00 on a decent day in the 1650. Some of that difference is surely just how our bodies are made, but here are a few differences I see between your training and mine.
1. You swim a little less than I do, but not much. But I also do other workouts. When I was in my best adult distance swimming shape I ran 3-4x/week (15-18 miles total) in addition to swimming 3-4x/week (12k-16k total) and I lifted twice a week or so too. (I was in professional school then so I had a lot of discretionary time.) Now I can't run but I go to an hour-long spin class 2x/week. If my skin and shoulders could handle doing all that cardio in the pool I might swim more instead, but they can't so I cross-train my heart.
2. I swim with a team and I always have. Coaching and workout partners help me get the most out of every visit to the pool.
3. I use shorter rest than you do for short-rest interval sets (and longer rest for sets aimed at improving power and turnover). If I were doing 20x100 I would do them on 1:15 or 1:20 and I would get 3-8s rest. If you can bring them in on 1:17 with a 1:30 sendoff then it's time to switch to a 1:25 sendoff.
