How can one truly know what swimming distances one is best suited for? Can it be possible that somebody is better suited for distance but it is not showing due to low yardage in training? Are there some quick ways to figure this out?
How can one truly know what swimming distances one is best suited for?
Can it be possible that somebody is better suited for distance but it is not showing due to low yardage in training?
Are there some quick ways to figure this out?
Train for a few months then enter a meet, swim the
50 fr
100 fr
200 fr
500 fr
1000 fr
1650 fr
post your times and splits,
we'll tell you what we think you are
actually just enter the 50 100 200 & 500
a lot of what you are depends on the training you do
I've seen several former sprinters convert themselves into distance swimmers
how awful is that?
pity what a shame?
which events do you enjoy?
what type of training do you enjoy?
we become what we do
but we are what we are
I did a lot of middle distance training my last 3 years in high school then focused on sprints in college
Actually you could just test by swimming a
25,
50,
100, &
200
Distance: not much speed but can keep going
Middle Distance: mix speed and endurance
Sprinter: pure speed not much else
Sprinters: tend to be good jumpers, post fast times on sprints then fall off badly in longer races, no sense of realistic pace, fly and die kinda guys (and girls)
ie look at Rich Abrahams LCM times from 2006
2006 Long Course Meters Place Event Name Age Club LMSC Time
1 M60-64 50 Free Richard Abrahams 61 CMS Colorado 25.23
1 M60-64 100 Free Richard Abrahams 61 CMS Colorado 59.50
2 M60-64 200 Free Richard Abrahams 61 CMS Colorado 2:18.52
he is a SPRINTER
most swimmers with 25.2 50 speed
could go 54 mid 55 low in the 100
his 100 time falls off sharply from his 50
we compare 50's to 100's and 100's to 200's
look at your 100 to 200 ratios
one good rule of thumb is to compare a swimmers
100 and 200 times
if you double their 100 time
how many seconds do you need to add to arrive at their 200 time
double rich's 100 and add about 20 seconds, to arrive at his 200
this makes him a sprinter,
sprinters tend to be 12 or more
middle distance falls 7 - 11
distance swimmers are 4 - 6
you can also compare how swimmers split their races
sprinters often poorly split 200's (i didn't feel like I was trying)
middle distance swimmers have more pace sense
distance swimmers just go as hard as they can but really can't get going because they don't have much speed but they can keep going
a friend of mine told me about a 14 year old boy in California
who's 100 LCM free time was :56 and his 200 LCM free time was 1:56
he is a distance swimmer
in high school I swam with a swimmer who's
100 fr was :58 and his 200 fr was 2:00
he's was a distance swimmer
he was a sick guy who liked 2,000s, 3,000s, 4,000s, 5,000's & 10,000's for time
his brother wound up being a 10k & 25k distance champion
When I compare my 100 to 200 times
I tend to be around 10 seconds
so I'm a middle distance guy who wants to be a sprinter
This also varies from long course to short course.
and by the recent training a swimmer does
It doesn't sound like you've been training much
put in 2 or 3 months of good training then test yourself
swim a hard 100 & 200
throw in a 50 and 400 or 500 for grins
post your times and splits
sprinters tend to have fast turns and push offs
good luck
hope this helps
Ande
How can one truly know what swimming distances one is best suited for?
Can it be possible that somebody is better suited for distance but it is not showing due to low yardage in training?
Are there some quick ways to figure this out?
Train for a few months then enter a meet, swim the
50 fr
100 fr
200 fr
500 fr
1000 fr
1650 fr
post your times and splits,
we'll tell you what we think you are
actually just enter the 50 100 200 & 500
a lot of what you are depends on the training you do
I've seen several former sprinters convert themselves into distance swimmers
how awful is that?
pity what a shame?
which events do you enjoy?
what type of training do you enjoy?
we become what we do
but we are what we are
I did a lot of middle distance training my last 3 years in high school then focused on sprints in college
Actually you could just test by swimming a
25,
50,
100, &
200
Distance: not much speed but can keep going
Middle Distance: mix speed and endurance
Sprinter: pure speed not much else
Sprinters: tend to be good jumpers, post fast times on sprints then fall off badly in longer races, no sense of realistic pace, fly and die kinda guys (and girls)
ie look at Rich Abrahams LCM times from 2006
2006 Long Course Meters Place Event Name Age Club LMSC Time
1 M60-64 50 Free Richard Abrahams 61 CMS Colorado 25.23
1 M60-64 100 Free Richard Abrahams 61 CMS Colorado 59.50
2 M60-64 200 Free Richard Abrahams 61 CMS Colorado 2:18.52
he is a SPRINTER
most swimmers with 25.2 50 speed
could go 54 mid 55 low in the 100
his 100 time falls off sharply from his 50
we compare 50's to 100's and 100's to 200's
look at your 100 to 200 ratios
one good rule of thumb is to compare a swimmers
100 and 200 times
if you double their 100 time
how many seconds do you need to add to arrive at their 200 time
double rich's 100 and add about 20 seconds, to arrive at his 200
this makes him a sprinter,
sprinters tend to be 12 or more
middle distance falls 7 - 11
distance swimmers are 4 - 6
you can also compare how swimmers split their races
sprinters often poorly split 200's (i didn't feel like I was trying)
middle distance swimmers have more pace sense
distance swimmers just go as hard as they can but really can't get going because they don't have much speed but they can keep going
a friend of mine told me about a 14 year old boy in California
who's 100 LCM free time was :56 and his 200 LCM free time was 1:56
he is a distance swimmer
in high school I swam with a swimmer who's
100 fr was :58 and his 200 fr was 2:00
he's was a distance swimmer
he was a sick guy who liked 2,000s, 3,000s, 4,000s, 5,000's & 10,000's for time
his brother wound up being a 10k & 25k distance champion
When I compare my 100 to 200 times
I tend to be around 10 seconds
so I'm a middle distance guy who wants to be a sprinter
This also varies from long course to short course.
and by the recent training a swimmer does
It doesn't sound like you've been training much
put in 2 or 3 months of good training then test yourself
swim a hard 100 & 200
throw in a 50 and 400 or 500 for grins
post your times and splits
sprinters tend to have fast turns and push offs
good luck
hope this helps
Ande
