Looking at one-hour results, and just finishing New England Masters SCY Championships at Harvard, how is it that older swimmers are getting faster and faster, and pretty much everyone is getting faster and faster compared to a few years ago when there seemed to be more mortal swimmers?
What are older (45+ women; at this point 65+ men) swimmers doing that keeps them at such elite levels? Weights? Extensive training? How much of both? How do they have jobs and families and train? The field of fast swimmers is getting deeper and deeper. Anyone have idea as to why?
I want to know the secrets. Are the people who race now self-selecting more and more as elite swimmers? Has everyone swum all their lives? I know to swim hard you have to train hard, but I am baffled by sudden increase in amazing fast times and so many records getting broken.
Kristina,
Depends what you mean by "doubles." Regular doubles are certainly the norm for young/elite swimmers; I think the attendence minimum requirement for the fastest swim group at NOVA is 8 swim practices and 1 dryland workout a week (including weekends); most do more. There is no question in my mind that doubles helped my performance when I was a teen and in college. (There was a brief time one summer when I swam triples. Not really a fun time.)
One difference from running: swimming just isn't as hard on your body so you can spend more time training (for better or worse).
As an old guy, I would not regularly do double swim practices unless I could afford to take a recovery nap during the day. I just can't recover like I used to. And, even though my shoulders have been problem-free up until now (knock on wood), I would worry about them. Burnout would be an issue too.
Now, if "doubles" includes cross-training, then if you have the time and motivation, go for it. I regularly swim and lift on the same day (swim in the morning, lift at night after the little one goes to bed). Other second workout options for me at home include Pilates and cycling on rollers or a trainer (I don't run). During the summer I'll go for morning or lunch bike rides on some days, if I can spare the time from work. I don't do those things during taper, though.
Leslie: I hear you about the taper b*tchies. I can tell that I am rested now because I feel fat and completely out of shape. BUT...the advantage of not going to SCY Nats is that I can ramp things up next week! Think I'll celebrate with a 2-hour morning ride on Monday...
Kristina,
Depends what you mean by "doubles." Regular doubles are certainly the norm for young/elite swimmers; I think the attendence minimum requirement for the fastest swim group at NOVA is 8 swim practices and 1 dryland workout a week (including weekends); most do more. There is no question in my mind that doubles helped my performance when I was a teen and in college. (There was a brief time one summer when I swam triples. Not really a fun time.)
One difference from running: swimming just isn't as hard on your body so you can spend more time training (for better or worse).
As an old guy, I would not regularly do double swim practices unless I could afford to take a recovery nap during the day. I just can't recover like I used to. And, even though my shoulders have been problem-free up until now (knock on wood), I would worry about them. Burnout would be an issue too.
Now, if "doubles" includes cross-training, then if you have the time and motivation, go for it. I regularly swim and lift on the same day (swim in the morning, lift at night after the little one goes to bed). Other second workout options for me at home include Pilates and cycling on rollers or a trainer (I don't run). During the summer I'll go for morning or lunch bike rides on some days, if I can spare the time from work. I don't do those things during taper, though.
Leslie: I hear you about the taper b*tchies. I can tell that I am rested now because I feel fat and completely out of shape. BUT...the advantage of not going to SCY Nats is that I can ramp things up next week! Think I'll celebrate with a 2-hour morning ride on Monday...
