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.
Add me to the crew wanting to go under 5:00.
I'm a firm believer in taking a race out hard, setting the pace right from the get-go, and is something I use in most races I swim. That doesn't always mean sprint the first 50 of your distance event (i did that at my very first USS meet ever last summer). But for a 500, if I hold back too much in the first 50/100, the rest of it ain't happening.
Dying isn't ever comfortable, but sets like that 5x100 on 1:05 will help. Think of sets like that as learning how to swim through the pain. Focus on trying to hold it together despite your fatigue. When you get to the race and the piano starts falling, it is not a surprise, and you'll be better equipped physically and mentally to haul it along for the ride.
One piece of advice - vary your training! Building your engine and endurance have its place, but I find it boring and counterproductive to concentrate solely on distance free during your workouts. Working on sprints now and again help you get yourself used to the speed and build what little fast-twitch muscle we distance guys have. IMs give your shoulders a rest and give the rest of your body a better workout with less yardage.
I swam next to Kirk in Austin, and I think both of us were hoping I would have put up more of a fight and having a war on the last 50 would have probably put both of us under.
Add me to the crew wanting to go under 5:00.
I'm a firm believer in taking a race out hard, setting the pace right from the get-go, and is something I use in most races I swim. That doesn't always mean sprint the first 50 of your distance event (i did that at my very first USS meet ever last summer). But for a 500, if I hold back too much in the first 50/100, the rest of it ain't happening.
Dying isn't ever comfortable, but sets like that 5x100 on 1:05 will help. Think of sets like that as learning how to swim through the pain. Focus on trying to hold it together despite your fatigue. When you get to the race and the piano starts falling, it is not a surprise, and you'll be better equipped physically and mentally to haul it along for the ride.
One piece of advice - vary your training! Building your engine and endurance have its place, but I find it boring and counterproductive to concentrate solely on distance free during your workouts. Working on sprints now and again help you get yourself used to the speed and build what little fast-twitch muscle we distance guys have. IMs give your shoulders a rest and give the rest of your body a better workout with less yardage.
I swam next to Kirk in Austin, and I think both of us were hoping I would have put up more of a fight and having a war on the last 50 would have probably put both of us under.
