I always thought it would be cool to be able to break 5:00 in the 500. While it would be a bit of a stretch I feel like it's potentially within reach and given enough of the right kind of training I could do it. That said I also feel like every second between me and the 5 minute mark is going to get harder and harder to knock off.
I've always been, and continue to be, more of a breaststroker than a freestyler. I have no ankle flexibility so I pretty much always need to deal with dragging two brakes through the water. I've never really trained seriously for free events even though I do try hard and consider the longer frees to be my secondary events.
To give you an idea I swim about 3000-4000 a day, probably realistically average 4-5 times a week. I can and will increase that over the winter as we head into the meets starting in January. Intervals average in the 1:15-1:20 range, sometimes dipping to 1:10. I can pretty comfortably hold 1:10-1:15 pace depending on the set. Doing a 1:00 100 from a push is hard but not impossible.
So far my fastest masters times in the 200 are 1:55 and the 500 a 5:18. I know I can go much faster in both, in that 200 I took water instead of air on the turn at the 100 and was choking and coughing for the last 100 and still somehow managed a best time. The 500 was the last event of a long weekend of swimming and I was exhausted. I bet I could have done a 1:53 and a 5:14 given better circumstances.
Anyway, any training tips or things to work on? Ideal way to split it? Is the 5:00 500 going to be ridiculously difficult or given enough training reachable?
Thanks guys. That and the :50 100 (I'll save that one for later) are two swimming marks I always wanted to check off my list.
I'm guessing that I probably don't need to get down to 1:46 but I should be down to 1:50 if I want to obtain 4:59.
For comparison I consider myself a distance swimmer and my best masters times are 1:50 low in the 200 and 5:00 in the 500. Yes, I'm still trying to break 5:00. also. I should have last year, but didn't quite make it. I've now got so many swims within a couple seconds of 5:00 it's ridiculous!
Anyway, I think it is key to be able to take the race out in at least 1:56 unless you are a real negative split type swimmer. It is very difficult to keep those 50 splits under :30 in the middle part of the race (for me, anyway), so you need to build a little cushion in the front half of the race. Obviously that 1:55 or 1:56 at the 200 has to be pretty comfortable or you'll die in the back half. The 5x100 on the 1:05 is a good goal. I really do think it's key to know you can swim consistent 100s right around 1:00.
As someone else said, don't forget about the technique work. Things like turns are critical. With 19 turns if you can just cut a couple tenths off each turn it could make the difference between getting under 5:00 and swimming a 5:01. I should know! :)
I'm guessing that I probably don't need to get down to 1:46 but I should be down to 1:50 if I want to obtain 4:59.
For comparison I consider myself a distance swimmer and my best masters times are 1:50 low in the 200 and 5:00 in the 500. Yes, I'm still trying to break 5:00. also. I should have last year, but didn't quite make it. I've now got so many swims within a couple seconds of 5:00 it's ridiculous!
Anyway, I think it is key to be able to take the race out in at least 1:56 unless you are a real negative split type swimmer. It is very difficult to keep those 50 splits under :30 in the middle part of the race (for me, anyway), so you need to build a little cushion in the front half of the race. Obviously that 1:55 or 1:56 at the 200 has to be pretty comfortable or you'll die in the back half. The 5x100 on the 1:05 is a good goal. I really do think it's key to know you can swim consistent 100s right around 1:00.
As someone else said, don't forget about the technique work. Things like turns are critical. With 19 turns if you can just cut a couple tenths off each turn it could make the difference between getting under 5:00 and swimming a 5:01. I should know! :)
