Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

rtodd — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:10:06 GMT

Yea, It's tough going it alone. I swim very unstructured with some guys who really push (when they are there) which really helps.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

rtodd — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:06:31 GMT

Here are some splits I wish I got my latest. 29.69, 34.31 (1:04.00) 30.26, 33.72 (1:03.98) 29.68, 33.54 (1:03.22) 29.04, 32.71 (1:01.75)

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

poolraat — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:01:40 GMT

Poolrat, do you remember what your training was like in 2005. You really shattered it compared to 2004. Rob, I had a coach then and even though I still have some of the workouts she gave me I don't have a complete record of what I did. There was also an elevation drop of almost 5000 feet from where I live to where I swam the time. Even though I have been recycling the workouts and taper, it's not the same when you're going it on your own without team or coach.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

rtodd — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:51:15 GMT

Sorry, SCY. It's isn't easy. I started swimming as a 48 year old in 2000, and had no prior competitive swimming experience. It took 6 years but I did it once. Getting there again has been my struggle. I've been so close but seems like I blow a turn or don't go out fast enough. Here's a summary of my best 50 and 100 times for each year since my first swim meet in December 2001. --------50y--100y 2001 - :30.35 1:11.01 2002 - :28.29 1:06.80 2003 - :27.93 1:02.58 2004 - :28.56 1:02.40 2005 - :26.81 :59.23 2006 - :27.08 1:00.93 2007 - :26.60 1:00.40 Poolrat, do you remember what your training was like in 2005. You really shattered it compared to 2004.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

poolraat — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:19:00 GMT

I'm curious, what is the time difference between a fast workout time (off the block even) and a meet time? And for your meets, were you tapered/shaved, did you wear any special/fancy suit? I'm trying to assess if/when I'll be ready to do a meet again. I've added the taper/suit comments. The first four years I neither tapered nor shaved and just wore whatever suit I was wearing for workouts at the time. --------50y--100y 2001 - :30.35 1:11.01 2002 - :28.29 1:06.80 2003 - :27.93 1:02.58 2004 - :28.56 1:02.40 2005 - :26.81 :59.23 Taper (1st time ever) and FS1 kneeskin 2006 - :27.08 1:00.93 Taper & shave, FS1 sleeveless full leg 2007 - :26.60 1:00.40 Taper (no shave) FS2 Jammer on 50, FS1 sleeveless full leg for 100

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:41:18 GMT

OK, Here is my swimming career in a nutshell. I have started to level off, so I think getting under a minute is going to be hard. date 50 free 100 free 200 free 500 free Is that LCM, SCM or SCY?

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:08:01 GMT

I agree with one thing Ande said - give up the 500 for a while. The training you do for that isn't helping you much for the 100. Shorten your sets and/or shorten the repeats (100s and 200s more than 400s or longer). I agree also with the suggestions for splits around 27/31. A 4 second gap is perhaps even slightly high. Some suggest the 1st 50 of a 100 should be about 1 sec above the best 50. I think that's about right. So you should get to a low 26 50 for a ~ 27 sec 1st 50.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:58:52 GMT

It would be interesting to know your breathing pattern in the 50 and what time you can do for a 50 breathing every stroke as you do in the 100.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:47:56 GMT

I'm hoping to bust a 59 again in Austin. If I do, it will be :bouncing::banana::groovy: and of course lots of :drink:. Based on the avatar, you evidently have a weight problem, and maybe even a tendency to slack off. I suggest you shave down and lay off the beer for a few weeks. The tail's probably gotta go too. Please let us know how it goes. You're right there!

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

knelson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:55:56 GMT

turns are usually good in practice but choke alot at meets It's possible you haven't been doing enough turns at race speed during practice. This really affects the timing of the turn. A good way to practice this is to do a running start from the side of the pool, dive in around the flags, then do a turn. I think Paul Smith mentioned this drill in another thread.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

aztimm — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:10:56 GMT

I Here's a summary of my best 50 and 100 times for each year since my first swim meet in December 2001. Well I hate to take over rtodd's thread, but since I have the same issue, I hope I'm not hurting the cause. Thanks for posting those times, that is extremely helpful information. For some reason I took you for one of those super-fast people who've been swimming their whole lives. It is easier to identify with someone else who started late, although you have a much faster starting times than I did. I'm curious, what is the time difference between a fast workout time (off the block even) and a meet time? And for your meets, were you tapered/shaved, did you wear any special/fancy suit? I'm trying to assess if/when I'll be ready to do a meet again.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

poolraat — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:54:36 GMT

It's isn't easy. I started swimming as a 48 year old in 2000, and had no prior competitive swimming experience. It took 6 years but I did it once. Getting there again has been my struggle. I've been so close but seems like I blow a turn or don't go out fast enough. Here's a summary of my best 50 and 100 times for each year since my first swim meet in December 2001. --------50y--100y 2001 - :30.35 1:11.01 2002 - :28.29 1:06.80 2003 - :27.93 1:02.58 2004 - :28.56 1:02.40 2005 - :26.81 :59.23 2006 - :27.08 1:00.93 2007 - :26.60 1:00.40 I'm hoping to bust a 59 again in Austin. If I do, it will be :bouncing::banana::groovy: and of course lots of :drink:.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

aquaFeisty — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:44:10 GMT

without seeing your splits, we can't tell if you're a take it out and die person or a take it out too cautiously person. I'd say, pick an in-season meet, swim both the 50 and 100 and take the 100 out like you're swimming a 50 (but breathe more!!!) and then see what happens. tell yourself that your goal is to get within 1.0 sec of your 50 time for your split and that it doesn't matter what happens to your overall time. odds are, you will die impressively, but you'll have a decent time and you'll then know what that kind of 100 death-pain feels like. work on your at-speed turns in practice too. if you're missing the pad, sounds like something is going on with your turn that is costing you time. you have plenty of speed to break that barrier!

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

aztimm — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:39:58 GMT

Going under a minute for a 100 SCY free has eluded me for over 10 years of masters swimming. After several years of little to no progress, I put doing meets on hold, and focused on other aspects, such as losing weight/body fat, building up my core, and building up my overall fitness endurance. Now that I've accomplished most of that, I have begun to once again tackle the sub-minute 100 SCY free. I'm testing my workout pace about every 2 weeks, going out of my way to ask my coaches for feedback, and plan to enter a SCY meet next year. Unfortunately, here in AZ our SCY season is over for the year. I may do a LCM meet this year just for kicks, if it doesn't disrupt my schedule too much.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:26:31 GMT

You've got the speed to do it Absolutely. I once coached a high school team that had had one male swimmer break a minute in the previous 8+ years. Yet, on the first day of workout, after a light warm-up, I had the boys do a 25 sprint off the wall. 7 kids broke :15. I told them that after one season there's absolutely no excuse for not breaking a minute. We worked on pacing 25s and 50s a LOT. At the end of the season, the fastest kid -- a freshman -- went a :51, another went :52 (and would've broken :50 if he hadn't gone surfing {at least it was an 8 foot swell}), 2 more went 53 and a fourth went 54. The "slowest" kid went 1:56 in the 200. Anywho... Focus on streamlining. Practice starts. Stroke drills, and lots of them. And plenty of rest throughout a stroke drill set.. Skulling. Kicking w/ proper technique. You've got the speed, so it's going to come down to streamlining and splits. I'd say go out in a 28.5 (in other words, restrain yourself the first 50), and then bring it home like nobody's business.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:59:38 GMT

.48 time drop on your last 100, that's huge for a 100! worry less, swim more.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:06:54 GMT

As soon as our kids get into the 26 range, they usually crack the minute mark. 26.5 x 2 = 53 (plus 4 to 5 seconds) = 58 plus best 50 ........................................100 time Like ande said...(go out in a 27plus and come back in a 31.) Even if you wearing the piano after the third turn. No guts, no glory!

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Former Member — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:22:23 GMT

As Ande says you have to train fast to swim fast.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

rtodd — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:37:37 GMT

Any chance to get your splits? I see that your 50 was .02 slower but your 100 was 1.5 seconds faster. So what was your training like in this period of time? With a 1.5 second drop in 6 weeks you must have had a breakthru of some sort. What were you doing then. If you know, then I would do more of that. How much speed work do you do? Fast 25s and 50s? I mean flat out, nothing left behind work? How about starts and turns? A good start can easily drop .5sec and nailing all three turns can shave another sec at least. How much SDK work do you do? I dropped 2 seconds in 100m free while sick just by hammering out 2 strong SDKs at the start and off each turn. What is your breathing pattern? How about your kick? Do you build to a strong kick on the last length? Are you hitting a tight streamline off every turn? Sprints in SCY are all about starts and turns because you don't spend much time in the middle of the pool. No split this last race....I always go under the touch pad (not sure why yet). Training has been mostly distance, so I think it helped my 500 most. Did some speed the week leading up to the last meet. My starts are usually good, turns are usually good in practice but choke alot at meets (especially this last one). Streamline well out to the flags, but no SDK's (sorry Ande). Breathe every stroke in the 100. Been working on the kick and I think that was resposible for some of the time drop. One more meet this year in May. It is SCM and I am focusing on the 200IM, then I will work hard toward next year. I just thought I would be below 1 min after three plus years of hard training. I will not give up.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

funkyfish — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:16:22 GMT

Like football, if it were easy - girls would play Unfortunately (for me and my fragile male ego), I know of plenty of girls who are faster than me. I agree with the statements made above, your track record is showing improvement from season to season. Continue to build on this. I can't speak for everyone, but my improvements have come when I least expect it. I'll have discouraging practices and then have some breakthroughs. It just seems to come when I don't expect it. Think Kaizen! :bouncing:

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

ande — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:38:25 GMT

You've got the speed to do it Drop the 200 & 500 Focus on the 50 & 100 How did you split your 100 on your best swim? why not add more speed work on improving your 50 you've been 26.8 get down to 26.3 in your 50 and you should be there then you can take out your 100 in 27.5 and you should be able to come home fast enough to get under ande OK, Here is my swimming career in a nutshell. I have started to level off, so I think getting under a minute is going to be hard. date 50 free 100 free 200 free 500 free 4/2/2006 30.28 1:10.24 4/30/2006 28.70 1:08.76 2:56.98 1/21/2007 26.86 1:04.00 2:31.39 3/11/2007 26.83 1:03.22 2:33.18 4/28/2007 26.85 1:01.75 7:40.29 11/4/2007 27.16 1:03.98 2:35.99 2/9/2008 1:02.52 2:29.15 7:09.21 4/5/2008 26.60 1:01.04 6:49.16

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

ourswimmer — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:18:48 GMT

Of course it's going to be hard. But what I see here is that you have been racing for three seasons. At first, you probably had a lot to learn about swimming and each new technique you mastered yielded a big reduction in time. Now the technical skills that you need to improve are subtle, and the time gains are also subtle. But the combination of improving swim fitness and improving technique can still get you faster and faster. Each season you have gotten faster from the first meet to the last, and each season has started off equal to or faster than the last one started off (although not faster than the last one finished). I don't see any data here that would lead me to conclude you can't do it. You are in striking range. When's your next meet, and what's your strategy between now and then?

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

pwolf66 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:08:29 GMT

OK, 3/11/2007 26.83 1:03.22 2:33.18 4/28/2007 26.85 1:01.75 7:40.29 Any chance to get your splits? I see that your 50 was .02 slower but your 100 was 1.5 seconds faster. So what was your training like in this period of time? With a 1.5 second drop in 6 weeks you must have had a breakthru of some sort. What were you doing then. If you know, then I would do more of that. How much speed work do you do? Fast 25s and 50s? I mean flat out, nothing left behind work? How about starts and turns? A good start can easily drop .5sec and nailing all three turns can shave another sec at least. How much SDK work do you do? I dropped 2 seconds in 100m free while sick just by hammering out 2 strong SDKs at the start and off each turn. What is your breathing pattern? How about your kick? Do you build to a strong kick on the last length? Are you hitting a tight streamline off every turn? Sprints in SCY are all about starts and turns because you don't spend much time in the middle of the pool. Paul

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Jim Clemmons — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:56:59 GMT

I have started to level off, so I think getting under a minute is going to be hard. :notworking: And it will be if you continue to "think and speak" statements like that. Speak what you want, not what you have. You'll get there because "it's getting easier all the time". "You're getting faster with every workout". Seriously. You hear about the 90% mental aspect? A big part of that is your "self talk". What's going on between your big ears. Well, maybe yours aren't so big.

RE: Wow getting under 1min is going to be harder than I thought!

Big AL — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:38:42 GMT

You're going to need to consult with the oracle of knowledge... the Smith twins.