Better endurance in two weeks?

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Former Member — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:35:43 GMT

No need to spend every waking minute in the pool! I did not do that AT ALL - and that was for a 15.5 mile swim! LOL I did 2 hours a day and that was it. Nothing else. I didn't even do the lake practice swims due to the extreme temperature outside. I felt it would be best to conserve energy and this was 4 weeks out! Once I made the decision to "stay the course" in my training for my race, I believed in that decision 100%. I'm so thankful I went into the competition feeling rested and upbeat instead of worn down - physically and mentally. As for 100 flys. . . I personally did not start swimming 100 fly repeats in practice until very recently. And frankly, 100 fly repeats have seemed to help my 200 fly more than my 100 fly. If you are doing the 100 fly, I would do 25s and 50s at high quality. If you want to do 1 quality 100 fly at the end of practice, that should be fine. But I would not do more than that so close to your meet. As my coach says, "You can't get in better shape 2 weeks before a competition." So I would go with the flow. :afraid: I can only do fly for short distances like the 200, 100 and 50. So only free on the 25K! That was hard enough! I like your advice, in that I was getting anxious about skipping work for the next 8 days, and not going to my Spanish class tonight, and not doing my Spanish homework which is due tonight and which I haven't started, since I was going to spend every waking minute in the pool . . . I will keep the James Taylor song "The Secret of Life Is Enjoying the Passing of Time" in my head while I swim (the next line is "anyone can do it, there ain't nothing to it"); if I could get my teammates to blast it somehow so everyone could hear it then (a) they would hear a really nice song, and (b) they would have entertainment while they waited for me to finish. I will, however, go to the pool and do extra drills, and try and figure out a pace of 100 fly that I can keep at this point, and make sure I do a few 100 flys at every practice (ok, maybe one 100 fly at every practice) for next 8 days. Based on the quote with your picture, did you do the 25K all fly?

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Former Member — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:07:38 GMT

Isobel, Good luck at your meet! When I read your post, I remembered when I decided to swim the 25K open water swim just 6 weeks before the race. My first question was what can I do in that time to improve my endurance? My mind started to race and I was thinking that I should start doing doubles and add in weights. I spoke with my coach who reviewed the situation. As I had only a few weeks to improve endurance, he felt that I should not add in anything different (I was currently swimming 2 hours a day, 6 days a week). This meant, no doubles and no weights or added dryland. At first, I felt nervous about his decision but I realized that he had coached Olympic Trials swimmers so he must know what he was doing!? I kept my entire schedule the same (single, two hour practices.) I can say that I really worked the practices and then I rested a bit before the race. Coach said I would only break down if I started doing more 4 weeks prior, and then I would feel tired before the race. I thought that made sense and I went into the race feeling strong, rested, and confident. We felt that there was simply no way to change endurance a few weeks prior. BTW, my longest swim to date was a 10K. Just my story. Obviously, you are not doing a 25K. However, I would not change anything 2 weeks prior to a meet.

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Muppet — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:34:48 GMT

Which hand did you put on top for entry, the good or the newly healed? no, THAT is a good question! I think the right hand ends up on the bottom most dives... Since I had both wrists broken, then good hand would probably have been in both positions. Honestly, I didn't (and still don't) think one can break anything, but from a comfort level, I was certainly nervous about it.

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

isobel — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:16:17 GMT

However, I would not change anything 2 weeks prior to a meet. I like your advice, in that I was getting anxious about skipping work for the next 8 days, and not going to my Spanish class tonight, and not doing my Spanish homework which is due tonight and which I haven't started, since I was going to spend every waking minute in the pool . . . I will keep the James Taylor song "The Secret of Life Is Enjoying the Passing of Time" in my head while I swim (the next line is "anyone can do it, there ain't nothing to it"); if I could get my teammates to blast it somehow so everyone could hear it then (a) they would hear a really nice song, and (b) they would have entertainment while they waited for me to finish. I will, however, go to the pool and do extra drills, and try and figure out a pace of 100 fly that I can keep at this point, and make sure I do a few 100 flys at every practice (ok, maybe one 100 fly at every practice) for next 8 days. Based on the quote with your picture, did you do the 25K all fly?

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

isobel — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:19:51 GMT

By the way, Isobel, have you had a chance to actually DIVE in to the water since your cast came off? That was a huge step for me both times I had broken wrists. Good question. No. I have decided to wait until the meet. C-R-A-C-K. My doctor, I believe, was getting frustrated with my questions, so when I called to ask if I would be able to dive off blocks about 3 feet above the water in two weeks, his secretary conveyed his message back to me: Tell her she can do whatever she wants. People have told me to take this in a nonsarcastic tone, a very positive statement, that I am amazing! I can do whatever I want! I think he was just tired of me and my desire to swim swim swim. Perhaps next week at practice I will attempt one dive, just to see what happens, in case there is drama. Which hand did you put on top for entry, the good or the newly healed?

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Muppet — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:09:12 GMT

As for 100 flys. . . I personally did not start swimming 100 fly repeats in practice until very recently. And frankly, 100 fly repeats have seemed to help my 200 fly more than my 100 fly. If you are doing the 100 fly, I would do 25s and 50s at high quality. If you want to do 1 quality 100 fly at the end of practice, that should be fine. But I would not do more than that so close to your meet. CP I'm right there with you on the minimal amounts of fly. If that is your focus event, CP has the right idea with 25s and 50s. Fly exhausts so much energy so quickly that I have found it better in small doses, so I can try to maintain as proper as able technique. Then, swimming a 100 is just putting several of those together. Imagine swimming a set of 5x 75/50/25s, increasing speed as the length gets shorter. You're going to be exhausted on the 5th 25, but you'll have had a chance to rest going in, and can probably swim it quite well. THAT is how you want your last 25 of your 100 to be. Learn to swim properly when broken down. By the way, Isobel, have you had a chance to actually DIVE in to the water since your cast came off? That was a huge step for me both times I had broken wrists.

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Former Member — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:56:23 GMT

Isobel, as always, I wish you the best in this race! Some training tips, if you aren't at the point to truly taper your workout: Speed up your drill intervals but maintain efficiency and accuracy. Swim odd yardage with building sets, aerobic, and lactic sets, and swim twice per day. Do a very very quick version of a taper mid-week next week, and hope for the best! The above is what I use for my age groupers, and most likely doesn't work for everyone...so just as a suggestion.

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Former Member — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:02:21 GMT

I've never tried it but, take the blood of a young chicken, a toads head, and an eye of a ginrich. Wrap tightly in some cheese cloth and put under your pillow for three months. Meanwhile work out very hard and diligently. You will have increased endurance. Awww, just swim the meet. If you're doing a 400 IM you have pretty good endurance anyway.

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

tjrpatt — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:28:21 GMT

Good luck with your meet. Just swim the best that you can do right now. Just keep on training and your fly will be back to normal in no time.

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

isobel — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:31:13 GMT

I knew there wasn't any magic here, shucks! Maybe I'll make this an "anti-meet," where I swim as slowly and soothingly as I can, since that is how I got back to the pool in the first place a while back. I've always wished there weren't times at meets, so that the focus would be more Zen-like, on the experience, but someone responded that then it wouldn't really be a race. As a vegetarian, I *will* try the mash of lentil, the eye of tofu, the brain of pea . . .

RE: Better endurance in two weeks?

Chris Stevenson — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:52:10 GMT

Our coach is fond of pointing out, "there is no cramming for this test." Your endurance is determined by your training prior to taper. (Particularly in butterfly.) What's done is done. If you attempt to build endurance in the last 2 weeks it is almost guaranteed to backfire.