My hardest workout last week was 1900 yards - but 800 was at race pace:
800 warm-up
4 build 25s sprint
4 fast 25s
100 easy
12x50 every 90s sec at 100 race pace
200 warm down
I had time for another 2500 of kicking / swimming / pulling, but I was so tired, there is no point, except "counting yards"...
Parents
Former Member
There is many different variation for race pace - but for me, it's closer related to your turnover than the actual time. I do think of it as the second 50 split in a 100 race, but I also want to take into account taper and those suits. I have seen some research done on this - that the turnover for swimmers changes very little between in-season and the taper, but people are just able to put more force into the same number of strokes (when rested). I am trying to get my muscles / nervous system and technique used to swimming at a certain speed. So my race pace targets (for a 100) are based on a good 100 race in season - out in 25 mid - back in 27 low.
So in my 12x50, I was looking for 27 lows - but I am hoping to be about 1 sec faster than that when rested.
I think it is almost impossible to do more than 4-6 times your race distance at race pace in a workout. Thinking of it in those terms will put the "tough distance swimmer vs. lazy sprinters" claim into perspective. If I do my 10-12x50 and need to see 5x500 broken before we can talk. :duel:
There is many different variation for race pace - but for me, it's closer related to your turnover than the actual time. I do think of it as the second 50 split in a 100 race, but I also want to take into account taper and those suits. I have seen some research done on this - that the turnover for swimmers changes very little between in-season and the taper, but people are just able to put more force into the same number of strokes (when rested). I am trying to get my muscles / nervous system and technique used to swimming at a certain speed. So my race pace targets (for a 100) are based on a good 100 race in season - out in 25 mid - back in 27 low.
So in my 12x50, I was looking for 27 lows - but I am hoping to be about 1 sec faster than that when rested.
I think it is almost impossible to do more than 4-6 times your race distance at race pace in a workout. Thinking of it in those terms will put the "tough distance swimmer vs. lazy sprinters" claim into perspective. If I do my 10-12x50 and need to see 5x500 broken before we can talk. :duel:
