Much has been discussed on this topic but i wanted to revisit it after watching the track & field championships and remembering debates about how much pool training time swimmers put in relative to a runner competing in the equivalent event (a 400m runner to 100m swimmer).
What got my attention on this again was a recent article in Men's Fitness about Jeremy Wariner, specifically his training week during mid-season:
M= 200's: 8 x 200's two minutes followed by 40 yd sprints w/20 seconds rest
T= 350m: 2 x 350's followed by 1 x 300, one minute rest then a 100m to simulate the end of the race
W= 450m: 2 x 450's each under 1:00 with 9 minutes rest between each
Th= 90m: Recovery day each run in an "X" pattern
F= 100m: last run of the week is multiple 100m sprints
That's an insanely lower amount of training time than even i put in....Ande & Jazz come to mind.
More of this in an excellent article:
"Elite coaching special - Clyde Hart coach to Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner"
Here's are a couple of excerpt:
Clyde believes the principles of training are the same for many events: "I trained Michael Johnson like I trained a four minute miler. A four minute miler was doing a lot of the same things Michael Johnson was - a lot of the same things in training but more of them.
"The longest workout we have ever done - not counting warm up and warm down - would be under 20min, I think we have never worked more than 20min. That's not counting the Fall phase.”
So here's my challenge...I'm going to pick one of the next seasons (either SCM this fall or SCY in the spring) and try and adapt to this regime...anyone else game?
14k meters in ONE DAY????? Yikes, that would kill me. I don't think that I did more than 7-8k in any one day back in the day of doing doubles.
Paul
I've never done 14k meters in a week, let alone a day! I did go on a 3 1/2 hour mountain bike ride last weekend with two guys who are significantly faster than I am. Details - 26 miles, 5000 feet of climbing, two PB&J sandwiches, a black bear and much pain! But it was an enjoyable pain!
Was he unique or did we take a wrong path in the seventies? When did the mega-yardage trend come into play?
What makes you think it was the wrong path? Times probably dropped more in the early '70s than any other time in the history of the sport.
What makes you think it was the wrong path? Times probably dropped more in the early '70s than any other time in the history of the sport.
Weight-lifting was added in there somehwere so that might have accounted for drops in times rather than mega-yardadge. Had we kept doing what we were doing in the 1950s, added the weights, made the technique changes we have in the last 10-15 years, and had the suits we do now, I imagine we would have seen times drop even more in the early '70s.
My take is the mega-yardage trend of the '70s was a mistake because it was applied with such a broad brush. It paid huge dividends in distance events, but probably inhibited sprinting somewhat. For example, John Kinsella was the first man under 16 minutes in the 1500 with a 15:57 in 1970. A mere six years later Brian Goodell darn near broke 15 minutes with his 15:02 at the Montreal Olympics. There's no reason people swimming a 50 should train like those swimming a 1500.
When and where did we start going wrong in swimming?
Must have been Doc Counsilman and his wacky interval training (not to mention his high-tech anti-wave lane lines). Curse you, Doc, for ruining my sport!
Just read an article in Mens Journal (it had a cover of Phelps and Lochte on the front). In the health & fitness section was an article entitled "Cardio is Bunk." Essentially, from what I recall, it was suggesting that aerobic work doesn't make you terribly fit unless your main goal is to fight fat or be able to go skiing for a day. It discussed the "Reyes" workout which advocates high intensity training such as sprints, circuit training, explosive weights, martial arts, etc. in lieu of aerobic work, which is described as an inefficient waste of time. There seemed to be a caveat for training for a long road race or triathlon, but, even there, it said you could train for those with anaerobic work. But, bottom line, it suggested that all out efforts were the way to become and stay most fit. And that muscle is additionally more important for longevity.
However, assuming this is true, why is Smith giving up weights during the middle cycle and substituting yoga? Is it really impossible to do quality work and weights simultaneously?
As a victim of the mega-yardage trend in the 70s, I have no doubt that it wrecked/suppressed some of my potential as a swimmer when young. In the summer, I recall doing doubles at two different pools with weights and drylands inbetween from 7:00 am-12:30 pm and then biking 4 miles home to sleep all afternoon. Blech.
Must have been Doc Counsilman and his wacky interval training (not to mention his high-tech anti-wave lane lines). Curse you, Doc, for ruining my sport!
Counsilman had swimming on the right track. Who got us off? Where did the idea to put in mega-yardage come from?
I could not handle much high intensity swimming. I watched some of the floswimming videos...those swimmers move like fish in the water.
I've got to really work on my flexibility and streamline. When I try to sprint I can't handle much.
...up hilll...in the snow... :D
I said it was summer, Captain. Keep it up, and you'll be hobbling along the beltway to swim that 200 BR at zones. :cane:
