How do these swimmers swim so fast?

If you want to do a 25k, that's a crazy long event, and it's going to require crazy long workouts to match. How can you be prepared to swim for several hours in one stretch in a race if you never do it in practice? Yes, you need to focus on long swimming, but not that long. Most people training for marathons, for example, never run 26 miles continuously in their training.

I wasn't joking when I said that you're training for the Tour de France. Maybe I'm wrong, but 1:09 for nearly an hour sounds like a wall-touch set to me, which is to say that it's pretty much a continuous swim. Very similar to what professional road cyclists do, if I'm not mistaken. They have to be on the road for several hours at a moderate pace in a race, so they train accordingly. No way; wherever did you get this idea? TdF and pro cyclists train MUCH MUCH longer than 1 hour a day and they do NOT limit their work to moderate pace. Their races aren't like that either, lots of changes in pace and they need to be able to respond accordingly. So they mix in pacing at different levels too, all the way from sprinting, hill repeats, tempo workouts, time trialing, etc. Look, everyone: I understand and agree with the value of race-pace work. I really do, and I do it myself. But you need to acknowledge that aerobic training has value too. That kind of training has produced some very very fast swimmers over the decades. I think both types of training is valuable to most swimmers unless you really want to specialize in 50s only (or 25k races only). (S)he: you are having success across the board and presumably enjoying yourself. I only somewhat buy Paul's comment about the value of specialization; then again, I try to do too many events too and for the same reason: I don't want to be bored. But regardless, this is masters. As long as you keep yourself injury-free, train how you like. If you want to specialize later, go for it...even if you go back over to the dark side (ie, sprinting)! Remember: you should have a "long haul" mentality. Hopefully you will be swimming for a long time. Variety is the spice of life. If you want to specialize at some point, maybe you can try one event or stroke for awhile, then switch to another. Good luck!

I'll add one more thing. If you want to dominate the rankings, I think you should stick to distance free. The times you are posting now are without question among the best for women in masters. Let's face it, not as many people swim the distance events. Your times in the 50 and 100 free are very good, but there are lots of people who can swim 50s and 100s fast. Do you know how many women went faster than your PB of 5:12 in the 500 free at last years Nationals? Exactly one (5:10 by Courtney Mills, 28).

Makes sense. Would training for the flys (with an emphasis on the 100 and 200) and distance frees be focused enough for the long course season? I enjoy practicing these things AND I think I can place best in these areas too. Or would you drill down and specialize even further? Now I'm guessing that I shouldn't even think about asking to throw in the IMs too, right? So what are you willing to sacrafice on that spread of events? if yout want a solid 800/1500 (keep doing the workouts you posted) you won't have top in speed for the 100's and vice a versa? Listen....the way you train there is no doubt you will have very decent times thru the entire spectrum; 50-1500. However if you want to really see what your capable of you have to train focused more on where the events "break" so to speak: 50/100 50/100/200 100/200/500 500/1000/1650/400IM Being that this is masters, unless you are training almost entirely on your own its doubtfull you'll get the intense focus to specialize in the 50/100...Rich Abrahams is one of the few i know who do this exceptionally well. Chris...I never said that aerobic base training isn't needed....but the workout she posted would be something I would only do a couple of times in the first month of a 6 month training cycle. Granted I keep my aerobic base more from cross training via spinning/cycling...but with an emphasis for me on the 100/200 that can of training doens't work for me.

So what are you willing to sacrafice on that spread of events? if yout want a solid 800/1500 (keep doing the workouts you posted) you won't have top in speed for the 100's and vice a versa? Listen....the way you train there is no doubt you will have very decent times thru the entire spectrum; 50-1500. However if you want to really see what your capable of you have to train focused more on where the events "break" so to speak: 50/100 50/100/200 100/200/500 500/1000/1650/400IM Being that this is masters, unless you are training almost entirely on your own its doubtfull you'll get the intense focus to specialize in the 50/100...Rich Abrahams is one of the few i know who do this exceptionally well. Chris...I never said that aerobic base training isn't needed....but the workout she posted would be something I would only do a couple of times in the first month of a 6 month training cycle. Granted I keep my aerobic base more from cross training via spinning/cycling...but with an emphasis for me on the 100/200 that can of training doens't work for me. This makes good sense to me. It's hard to train simultaneously for a super fast 100 fly and a super fast mile. You could be going faster in one of them if you picked. But, maybe you're happier just the way you are doing everything and training a lot. As you know, I'm a workout junkie myself, and I hate cutting back at taper time or eliminating aerobic sets/running. But it makes me a better sprinter. That's why (besides family issues) I sometimes take a few months off from meets, so I can just train and not worry. Fortunately, my shoulder completely precludes any tendency to do 6000+ pool workouts. I agree with Chris that you need a decent aerobic base for events over 100. (Personally, I think I could use more base for even the 100 fly.) In fact, "less is more" sounds really good, and swimming "smart" is undoubtedly wise, but I still believe most elite swimmers train a lot in aggregate, whether it's swimming, cross training, weights etc. To say otherwise is a bit like claiming you didn't study for the test you just got an A+ on.

4 weeks from nationals..... 3,000 a day for 5 days this week. Easy yardage with 4 x 25's all out at the end of workout.... on 3:00 Maintenance weights only 2 times this week. Shock cordz and sit ups every day 3 weeks from nationals...... 2,500 a day for 5 days this week. Easy yardage with 25s and 50s no breathers and 6 x 25s all out at the end of workout on 3:00 Maintenance weights only 1 time this week. Shock cordz every day and sit ups every day 2 weeks from nationals 2,000 a day for 5 days this week. Easy yardage with no breathers and 6 x 25s all out. No weights anymore. Situps every day. No more shock cordz this week. 2 massages this week. Nap heavily on the weekend. Lock door and keep kids quiet. Last week before nationals. 1,500 easy (500,400,300,200,100) 4 x 25s blast from a dive. If I feel good I get out early. If I feel bad, I get out early. massage 2 days out Goal..... 21 low 50 free, A 46 at age 46 in the 100. Drink "ritas" and eat great Tex Mex in Austin ! John Smith

Knelson Holy crap ! What events are you swimming? John Smith

4300 yards today with 6 X 300 (one at 90% race pace, one at pool current pace repeated three times) 3000 tomorrow with fast 25s and 50s and LOTS of rest. I like John Smith's work to rest ratio. Thursday and Friday train with Rich Abrahams plus some technical work to make sure strokes are in the groove - probably 2 2-hour sessions. Maybe first dive practice this year (not possible where we normally train). Following week 3 hard days with Rich and begin taper on Thursday April 17. Will do some walking and rowing on the Concept 2 as well. No more weight work or stretch cordz. Irregular taper time in the pool since our local training facility is closed. Probably will get in 4 days the week following start of taper and 3 the week of the meet. Our times are smoking fast at this point in training. Grace has blown away all her high-altitude practice times so far this year Hope we aren't peaking too soon.

That's not only a week's worth of yardage but unless you are a kid or a miler/open water devotee the kind of workout that moves me to another lane to workout on my own...(S)he...thought you were a sprinter? Nah. I agree. I am concerned about overdoing it although I will say that I felt better and better as the workout went on. Not doing nationals. :( Am gearing up for a solid long course season. I truly don't know what I am - sprinter or distance. What do you guys think? I like to swim all distances b/c it keeps things fun and interesting. 50 fr - 24.88 50 fly 26.46 100 fr - 54.5 200 fr - 1:59 500 fr - 5:12 1650 fr - 17:57 - 1st time swimming it ever in Feb non-tapered - did break the GA record by almost 1 minute Am planning on doing everything from the 50s to the 1500m long course. I think I can place top 3 in my age group in the Fina world rankings in the 1500 based on my 1650 time. . . I was also planning on swimming the 25K open water swim but that's a "maybe" depending on how my mind and body feel training with the kids. Seriously though - I take it from the comments posted (by you uber fast people) that doubles would be a mistake. Would the 2 hours a day be too much? Seems reasonable for the 800/ 1500 and open water - but like I said, I don't want to overdo it!! I really do value your opinions. I think I need a practice w/ George. 1x50 and 2x margaritas! Best of luck to all you guys and gals at nationals. Looks like it's going to be a super fast meet!!

It is a challenging masters workout -- but fairly routine (light even) for the kids around here. You are right. The original workout totaled 9000 yards. I let the coach know that I would not be doing that much. See, I have learned something from you guys. I felt I could not go from 5,000 to 6,000 yard practices to 9,000 in one day. Overload.