One Hour Postal

How do you train for the one hour postal? Like anything else, there's more than one right answer. The team I'm currently training with does a series of swims (at different workouts throughout the month) starting in October as follows: Oct: 15 minute swim, count yardage fro average 100 pace. Sets of 100's using your average 100 pace +5, until the interval is missed. Nov: 30 minute swim, count yardage for average 100 pace. Same 100 sets as above, using the new 100 pace +5-10 sec (hopefully, the same or faster as previous month). Dec: 45 minute swim, same as above. 100s same as above. Jan: 1-hour postal swim. To make it fun, there's a contest for people who make it to practice for all four of the long swims. The swimmer who is closest to their average yardage gets a prize (i.e. swimmer does 4000 yds for the 1-hour swim. If averaged 1000 yds per 15 minutes in the other three practice swims, you are right on target and get a prize).

I like the above answer--going more yardage gradually. I'm doing my first 1 hour Postal in January as well so I was anxious to see any advice. I have done 2 30-minute swims, two weeks apart. The second one was today and I added on another 125 compared to the first so I was happy. I guess next up is a 45 minute swim.

Our team is doing it. We did T30 in Nov and T45 in Dec in prep for the grand finale. I also did the 3K USMS in Nov. The physical part is bad enough but the mental aspect is what gets me. For me the key is starting out slower than you can possibly imagine.

I think all masters swimmers should do it at least once during their lifetime, even pure sprinters (like myself). Before doing the hour swim in 2002, I could count on two hands the number of times IN MY LIFE that I had done a swim race over 200 yards in the pool. I had never done a 1,000 or 1,650 race in a pool, ever. Somehow I escaped the requisite 1,000 yard swim for all freshman swimmers during college. In any case, I prepared for it by doing sets of 500s, 600s, and 800s. During the actual one hour swim, I stopped at each 1,000 yards for 15 to 30 seconds to take a drink of gatorade as I dehydrate really easily. The rest I did take was included on the one hour swim, so I knew I was losing yardage by taking breaks, but I didn't want any leg cramps. I ended up doing 4,650 yards which is not a big deal but I thought it was o.k. given that I am a pure sprinter. Good luck! It is a great feeling when you finish it!

What kind of suit are you wearing? Now that is a good question. I would like some input on this. I bought a FS Pro Legskin, which I planned to wear in a meet at the end of Jan. However, I am tempted to wear it for the one hour. Is that a good idea? Can I damage the thing (beyond normal wear and tear) by wearing for the one hour? What say you, o' wise tech suit veterans? I've trained both ways for these types of swims (long sets versus just flat boring long swims). Long set repeats are good but you have to have at least a few long boring swims to get your head around it, my opinion only. (S)he-Puff's experience vastly trumps mine on this.

I think all masters swimmers should do it at least once during their lifetime, even pure sprinters (like myself). In any case, I prepared for it by doing sets of 500s, 600s, and 800s. Ack, why? What is the benefit? And if I had to start swimming 500s, 600s, and 800s in practice , my shoulder would fall off. :afraid: And the training would be positively detrimental to my sprinting. No thanks. My team does the Postal, though, so I will watch and applaud from another lane. As for suits, I don't think I'd wear a brand new Pro in an hour postal. Too much chlorine time and flipping for the delicate fabric. I'm not sure I'd wear an "old" FS II either. My experience with the FS IIs is that, when they wear out and lose their water repellancy, they absorb water rapidly and become a heavy dead weight. So, if the suit is really worn out, it could be counter-productive. A new FS II or an old Pro or old B70 seems better, though I can certainly see how the B70 might be uncomfortable to swim in for an entire hour unless it had really stretched out.

Anyone swim this event at a quick pace. . . say 1:10 per 100 or faster - AND you felt fine afterward? Not yet, but maybe this year! :) Last year I actually felt pretty good, but the pool was set up long course I swam it in. I think that made it slightly less fatiguing overall, but obviously didn't help the yardage total. All those turns take it out of you! I'd like to do it this year, but don't really have any definite plans yet.

Whatever you wear, don't wear something too constricting. I had to stop my attempt at the 2003 hour swim because I was wearing a really tight suit and could not breathe well. Of course it didn't help that I was swimming in a hot pool either. Puff - Thanks for the compliment. I'll be routing for you to set a record on this one! Maybe in 2010, I can work up to doing it again. Fort - It's no worse than running 10 miles non-stop which I'm sure you've done. You could break it up into challenging smaller sets with little rest just to see how much yardage you could squeeze out in an hour.

I am debating if I should give it a go this year and would truly appreciate some feedback... I do not swim freestyle-am I crazy for attempting to swim this all *** stroke? I usually swim 250- 1000y sets of BR and on average 3000y per workout, so I'm thinking that with 2-4 brief gatorade stops I can make it through 1 hour. Speed would obviously not be my goal, just making it to the end without giving up would be fine by me..... Go for it! I have timed several swimmers that have done some of it breaststroke. If you are doing the kind of sets you mention above and do the gatorade stops, you should do well. You might want to consider alternating 1000 yards of *** with 1000 yards of free or alternating 500 *** with 500 free. Swimming it all breaststroke might be a little hard on the knees.

The one hour postal is the most painful (physical/mental) thing I do. I have done it that last several years. It probably would not be so painful in my youth, but when you only do about 20-40 minutes of swimming/day, it kinda leaves a mark. Pace is key as it is hard to ramp up after you get settled in a pace. On the other hand, go out too hard, and you will cry for your mommy the last 4000 yds. I always wear a fastskin legskin--it is a national championship with usually about 2,000 per year doing it. Strangely my legs are the first to go (even though I am dragging the things) so I am under the (false) assumption the legskin will delay the inevitable cramps. Make sure you have a rabid counter because if someone interrupts a postal swim at say, the 50 minute mark, it is grounds to...go postal. No cap, no break, and a lot of ice afterward.:bed: