Speed and endurance-question about practice pattens
Former Member
I have a question about practicing for speed and endurance. Consider two practice patterns:
a. You focus on improving speed in 25m swims; i.e. you don't swim consecutive laps, but pause for seconds/minutes after each length. After some months you will have increased your speed for very short distance (25m), but you don't know your speed for longer distance.
b. You focus on endurance by swimming non-stop for as long as you can, without regard to speed. So after some months, you will be able to swim some 1000s, in moderate or low speed.
What I am interested to know is, which practice pattern will likely help achieve the other practice goal more? In other words, will (a) help improve endurance more, or will (b) help improve speed more?
Maybe the fact that I think I would drown trying to complete a 1000 pushes me towards the 25s. :drown:
I remember reading an interesting comment in a cycling magazine. Someone observed that we always seem to spend the most time on things we are very good at (in the context of cycling, for example, it might be climbing or time-trialing) and not very much time on things that actually need improvement.
In reality -- according to the author -- it should be the other way around: spend enough time on our strengths to maintain them, and spend more time improving on our weaknesses.
I know I am guilty of that. Like Geek, I find 25s (even UW ones) quite boring, and I don't work on my raw speed enough even though I know I would benefit.
Of course, that isn't to say I will ever work much on breaststroke. A man has to have standards.
The real question is if you are on a deserted island who is with you ... that will influence whether I want to swim away or stay ... See, if Aaron Peirsol is on my island I have no need for endurance training ... if I'm stuck with the chick who cut me off twice then slammed on her brakes and flicked me off then I'm hoping the sprinter ability goes away and I can swim away ...
Well, I personally often find Chris quite rude ... :lmao:
:smooch:
Only when he beats me in the pool, which so far is on EVERYTHING except breaststroke :eeew:
:mooning:
See, if Aaron Peirsol is on my island I have no need for endurance training
A lot of good possible replies to this, alas I'm not sure any suitable for the forum.:bolt:
I'll take the minority view here and state that I find workouts with a lot of 25s to be particularly boring and not in the least helpful, unless you are 8/under. The only exception is 25 uw's, which are fun, until you pass out.
Of course, that isn't to say I will ever work much on breaststroke. A man has to have standards.
Funny, I was just thinking this while swimming this morning. I have a Check Off Challenge T-shirt and the only blanks left are the 200 breaststroke and 200 back. Since I don't compete in meets I time myself at practice and then come home and see how I stack up to the times in the USMS database.
This morning I went for the 200 breaststroke. Still haven't recovered. Won't ever do it again. But I get to check the dang box off.
Oh, and to stay on the subject, I'd take 4 x 1,000 over 20 x 25 anyday.
None of really like Chris or Geek so no worries...
I hate questions like this as well because I can't see any possible scenario where you would ever have to choose.
Regarding speed...if you want to swim a fast 10k (or mile, or 200) it all starts with a fast 25. No water the distance if you don't do speed work you simply won't see the same improvments.
The worlds elite milers (sub 15:00) pretty much can all swim the 100 in under :50...the key is not blowing up when you shift gears and that comes with doing a lot of faster interval training over all distances.
I'll take the minority view here and state that I find workouts with a lot of 25s to be particularly boring and not in the least helpful, unless you are 8/under. The only exception is 25 uw's, which are fun, until you pass out.
I find in my advanced old age that I enjoy training as an 8 & U.
That was the wimpiest personal attack I have ever seen ... Step it up, Chris!
Man, I really need to learn how to communicate on these boards, because I'm beginning to realize I am terrible at it. I was being sarcastic with the "attack" comment.
No harm. Sarcasm doesn't transmit well electronically.
Mostly I was responding to the comment that training 25s could accomplish both objectives. But I could argue both sides easily enough:
-- doing lots of 25s with low rest will help you develop endurance; doing few of them with lots of rest can develop speed
-- doing 1000s at moderate pace develops endurance; varying speed during the 1000s (fartlek training) can develop both speed and endurance.
Of course, if I'm on a desert island, maybe I'd rather have the ability to swim LONG distances instead... :)
