Help My Speed is Horrible!

Do you have a tech suit? Do you have a stop watch? Ask someone to time you When you sprint for time do the following: 1) Take in the biggest breath of air and hold hit 2) push off the wall as hard as you can 3) streamline as skinny ask you can 4) SDK (take 3 or 4 small fast kicks) 5) transition to flutter kick & break out 6) move your arms as fast as you can through a full stroke 7) kick your legs hard and fast the whole way splashing as much as you can 8) perfect touch Hi Ande, No I don't have a tech suit. When I feel I deserve that extra edge as a result of sticking to this and seeing I can get faster then I will be checking them out. I have decided to buy a stop watch tomorrow. Have to find out where to get a swimmer's stopwatch. Then it should be easier to pull someone aside to time me. I am sticking to my goals of swimming four times a week, 3000 yards and the "speed" drill. I must go to a family gathering in Boston fri, sat and sun so I plan on doing my test on Thursday this week. Thank you for those extra tips!

Do you have a tech suit? Do you have a stop watch? Ask someone to time you When you sprint for time do the following: 1) Take in the biggest breath of air and hold hit 2) push off the wall as hard as you can 3) streamline as skinny ask you can 4) SDK (take 3 or 4 small fast kicks) 5) transition to flutter kick & break out 6) move your arms as fast as you can through a full stroke 7) kick your legs hard and fast the whole way splashing as much as you can 8) perfect touch Last friday I had to use the clock because I couldn't find someone to time me. I wore a speedo tank with a pushoff start.

congrats you're improving, keep training to get faster Times for 50 & 25 yd sprints 07/10 35.38 16.08 06/19 36.50 16.50 06/05 36.32 15.83 06/01 36.00 18.00

Still tryin to keep track of my times: and doing the 50 and 25 drills. 7/10 50yds 25yds 35.38 16.08 (Grabbed a guy with a stopwatch. His name just happened to be Ande!) :) Way to go on breaking 36 in your 50!

Ande, I have a question--just because I am not sure how I do this correctly. My coach explained it to me but I need more explanation. I can "usually" go about a 14.0 for a 25 sprint (SCY). However, during a recent sprint set, my times kept on getting slower (to at one point a 15.9). I know that some of it is due to fatigue and lack of conditioning, but my coach told me that I was overswimming. So how do I find the fine line between cranking my arms and kicking as hard as I can to be efficient with each stroke, as well as go as fast as I can? Thanks!

flippergirl, keep training and testing how are you timing these sprints? What sort of start are you doing? What suit did you wear? 50 yds - 25yds 6/19 36.50 6/19 16.50 6/5 36.32 6/5 15.83 6/1 36.00 6/1 18.00 Still tryin to keep track of my times: and doing the 50 and 25 drills. 7/10 50yds 25yds 35.38 16.08 (Grabbed a guy with a stopwatch. His name just happened to be Ande!) :)

Way to go on breaking 36 in your 50! Thanks!:bliss:

it just takes practice, do + slow swimming concentrating on perfect technique with long smooth strokes + build swims + sprints Ande, how do I find the fine line between cranking my arms and kicking as hard as I can to be efficient with each stroke, as well as go as fast as I can? Thanks!

Hi, I hope there is still interest in this thread! First off, a little about me, I'm 32 year old guy, 6'2", swam competitively till I was 14 when I stopped for other sports. I've been pretty inactive for the last 6 years or so, and I started swimming again 5 weeks ago as part of a weight loss drive, because an old knee problem was flaring up from too much running. I've still about 10lbs to lose, which will have me at about 205lbs and 11/12% bodyfat, so i realise a little more weight loss should have a positive effect on my times. I'm now hooked on swimming again, and am really trying to drop my times, which to be honest, are disappointingly bad. My best 25m time is a little slower than it was when I was 14.... So, here are my times at the moment (all SCM from a push start, just a normal speedo jammer, i don't expect to race, so can't justify the cost of high tech togs): 400 - 7:01 200 - 3:28 100 - 1:39.8 50 - 37.4s 25 - 16s I'm swimming 5/6 times a week, roughly 90 minute sessions, along with 3-4 weights and rowing sessions per week. My weekly swim sessions currently are: 1. Endurance - 800m warmup, 2x1500m, 200 cooldown 4,000m total.(planning on building this to 4500m total) 2. Freestyle workout taken from this thread: U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Intermediate Swimming Workouts - By Andy (I can't hold those times, eg I do 100m in 1:41 or so and take 30s rest. My total time for everything but the 50's is longer than the time given here. 3,750m total. 3. 800 warmup, 8x125 kick (with fins), 10x50 sprint (about 44s average), 6x100 pull(with buoy and paddles) 200 cooldown. 3100m total. 4. 800 warmup, 2x50, 2x100, 2x200, 1x400, 2x200, 2x100, 2x50, 800 cooldown. 3,400m total. 5. 800 warmup, Ande's 12x25 from this thread (really struggled to do the last 25 without a breath), 20x25 on 1 min( took 2-3 breaths on each one, 18.5s average, then whatever is left of the minute rest) 8x100 easy, focus on long, smooth stroke and my turns, 200 cooldown. 2,600m total. 6. Same as 1. I need to work on my turns, which are slow and leave me gasping for breath. Right now they are not much faster than my touch turns, and I feel cause me to swim slower due to oxygen deficit. I've found plenty of resources for perfecting turn technique, but what I can't find much on is how to deal with not breathing coming in, and not breathing for the stroke or two out, without drowning! I seem to take around 18 strokes from a push start for 25m, sometimes 17, sometimes 19. This doesn't appear to change much even at different paces. Any and all advice is appreciated, particularly with a view to tweaking my workouts for better effect (i put it together myself, so it probably isn't very good! I'm entirely open to changing it completely). My goals: (Feel free to say if they are unrealistic!) I'd like to get my 100 to somewhere around 1:15, lower if possible, my 400 to 6 mins or less, and my 50 close to 30s, or lower if possible. I don't really have access to any coaching or a masters group, so I'll have to go it alone for the most part. Apologies for the length of the post, but I wanted to be as thorough as I could, so thanks if you've made it this far, and many thanks for any responses!

I hope there is still interest in this thread! there is you're 32, male, swam competitively till 14 inactive for the last 6 years or so started swimming again 5 weeks ago as part of a weight loss drive, knee problems got 10lbs to lose & you'll weigh 205lbs more weight loss should have a positive effect on my times. current SCM from a push start times 400 - 7:01 200 - 3:28 100 - 1:39.8 50 - 37.4s 25 - 16s you're swimming 5/6 times a week your goals: 100 1:15 OR BETTER 400 6 mins or less 50 30 OR BETTER Any and all advice is appreciated, particularly with a view to tweaking my workouts for better effect (i put it together myself, so it probably isn't very good! I'm entirely open to changing it completely). THE MAIN THING IS KEEP SHOWING UP, KEEP TRAINING KEEP LOSING WEIGHT WORK ON IMPROVING YOUR SPEED AND GETTING IN BETTER SHAPE FOR LONGER SWIMS YOU HAVE A SERIOUS DROP OFF BETWEEN YOUR 50 & 100 PACE 37.4 50 TIME 49.9 50 PACE FOR YOUR 100, (1:39.8) WORK ON GETTING YOUR 100 FASTER SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN BRING IT DOWN OVER THE NEXT MONTH READ SWIM FASTER FASTER ANDE