How do these swimmers swim so fast?

Here is a thought I think applies to most masters swimmers (Jim McConica and Dennis Baker excluded). When masters swim slow, they swim too fast. When they swim fast, they swim too slow. Here is a set I like that helps to overcome this tendency. All efforts on 3:00 (adjust based on your own speed/ability) 3 X 150 (first two very easy, #3 very hard) 3 X 125 (same protocol) 3 X 100 (same protocol) 3 X 75 (same protocol) 3 X 50 (same protocol) As the rest increases and the distance decreases do not be tempted to speed up the slow ones. Instead, pysch yourself up for the fast ones. See how close you can come to pr's on the fast ones. I agree with Rich on this part of TRAINING (learning to swim fast and learning to recover). When I coach I tell swimmers that the slows should be about pool current speed. Most won't do it because 'they aren't getting the training they need...' Right now, in preparation for Nationals, I'm doing pretty much what Rich outlined above. My speed workouts are producing really good results at the moment. Apart from this issue I think most masters swimmers simply don't know how to swim. Even if you were a Div I swimmer and All American, you probably have significant stroke flaws. One of the most illuminating experiences I've had as a masters swimmer was rooming with an Olympic gold medalist from 1960 at the LC Nats in 1999. His comment to me was 'you would be surprised to know how many of us have gotten stroke coaches.' It completely changed my outlook on things and I followed his advice. After almost a decade I have learned to swim (mostly) in two strokes and know the problems in the others. I went from a mediocre swimmer to much higher up in the food chain by simply changing my technique. Now, when I swim in the 'off' season, I spend 75% of my time thinking about my technique. Just a couple of months ago I got together again with a stroke coach to get underwater video and talk about what changes ought to be made. However, this is a REAL problem for most swimmers. Once you have focussed in on some stroke development you MUST swim by yourself! If you swim in a group, you will get caught up in the social aspect of the swim workout and lose your focus on your technique. If you must, swim with a group some but on your own mostly. Or, at least, swim with a group of like minded other swimmers not beholden to a coach. I know that's what Rich Abrahams does because I've joined his small groups before. This is not meant to belittle the value of coached workouts. I'm a coach and run practices myself. I preach my philosophy to my swimmers and NOT ONE of them takes me up on the advice. So, my view is that these are mostly fitness swimmers in spite of what they may say to me. They want instant results (the tip that will make them move up in the standings tomorrow) and to feel wiped out at the end of practice. That's fine, but it won't generally lead to great improvements. You also must be willing to take a very BIG hit in swim times because you have to retrain the system to cope with the changes. As Terry Laughlin has emphasized on other threads, this can mean years of dealing with the physical learning curve. You simply have to have faith that the changes are for the better. That is, it's an investment in the future. I swim now much faster in all strokes than when I competed in college (Division III) as a walk on fifty years ago. I believe that I will swim faster when I turn 70 than I do now. It is not all due to the newer suits, in spite of what you might have gleaned from other threads. I'm willing to make the investment because it's what is important to me.

Here is a thought I think applies to most masters swimmers (Jim McConica and Dennis Baker excluded). When masters swim slow, they swim too fast. When they swim fast, they swim too slow. Here is a set I like that helps to overcome this tendency. All efforts on 3:00 (adjust based on your own speed/ability) 3 X 150 (first two very easy, #3 very hard) 3 X 125 (same protocol) 3 X 100 (same protocol) 3 X 75 (same protocol) 3 X 50 (same protocol) As the rest increases and the distance decreases do not be tempted to speed up the slow ones. Instead, pysch yourself up for the fast ones. See how close you can come to pr's on the fast ones. I agree with Rich on this part of TRAINING (learning to swim fast and learning to recover). When I coach I tell swimmers that the slows should be about pool current speed. Most won't do it because 'they aren't getting the training they need...' Right now, in preparation for Nationals, I'm doing pretty much what Rich outlined above. My speed workouts are producing really good results at the moment. Apart from this issue I think most masters swimmers simply don't know how to swim. Even if you were a Div I swimmer and All American, you probably have significant stroke flaws. One of the most illuminating experiences I've had as a masters swimmer was rooming with an Olympic gold medalist from 1960 at the LC Nats in 1999. His comment to me was 'you would be surprised to know how many of us have gotten stroke coaches.' It completely changed my outlook on things and I followed his advice. After almost a decade I have learned to swim (mostly) in two strokes and know the problems in the others. I went from a mediocre swimmer to much higher up in the food chain by simply changing my technique. Now, when I swim in the 'off' season, I spend 75% of my time thinking about my technique. Just a couple of months ago I got together again with a stroke coach to get underwater video and talk about what changes ought to be made. However, this is a REAL problem for most swimmers. Once you have focussed in on some stroke development you MUST swim by yourself! If you swim in a group, you will get caught up in the social aspect of the swim workout and lose your focus on your technique. If you must, swim with a group some but on your own mostly. Or, at least, swim with a group of like minded other swimmers not beholden to a coach. I know that's what Rich Abrahams does because I've joined his small groups before. This is not meant to belittle the value of coached workouts. I'm a coach and run practices myself. I preach my philosophy to my swimmers and NOT ONE of them takes me up on the advice. So, my view is that these are mostly fitness swimmers in spite of what they may say to me. They want instant results (the tip that will make them move up in the standings tomorrow) and to feel wiped out at the end of practice. That's fine, but it won't generally lead to great improvements. You also must be willing to take a very BIG hit in swim times because you have to retrain the system to cope with the changes. As Terry Laughlin has emphasized on other threads, this can mean years of dealing with the physical learning curve. You simply have to have faith that the changes are for the better. That is, it's an investment in the future. I swim now much faster in all strokes than when I competed in college (Division III) as a walk on fifty years ago. I believe that I will swim faster when I turn 70 than I do now. It is not all due to the newer suits, in spite of what you might have gleaned from other threads. I'm willing to make the investment because it's what is important to me.