I have been following a few training logs here and I note a heavy emphasis on "race-pace" training with ample recovery time. I have to assume this works well since the people posting are swimming far faster than I. so here is the question: when performing a high intensity set like that, is the emphasis on maintaining the speed, taking as much recovery time as you need to keep up the speed, or should you maintain the selected turn-over time and struggle to maintain the speed in the face of increasing fatigue? If you are finding a pace too steep to maintain the speed, do you slip to a slower pace, or should you just take a break and restart the set at the same pace after a bit of recovery? I am specifically refering to speed sets done at 90 percent of race-pace or better.
The same question should be applied to stroke technique: as I fatigue my stroke tends to break-up a bit (Ok: a lot). In training should I select paces that allow me to always maintain a "perfect" stroke, or should I push into the "red zone" where I am fatigued enough that my stroke is getting ragged? BTW: my "ragged" stroke is quite a bit faster than my technical stroke, but it really is quite "splashy". My daughter actually calls me "Dr.Splashy" when she teases me.
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My opinion is that you take as much rest as you need for speed work, and swim distances that allow you to maintain your race quality stoke. If you want to do 10 repeats, and on #10 you can only hold it together for 25 yards, then do 10x25, not 10x100. There are several people here who like Xx25 on 2:00, several people did 3x100 on ~6:00 last week and I do a main set that is 1x200 AFAP about once a week.
If your splashy stroke is faster than you perfect stroke, you need to figure that out. When you stroke falls apart, it should be slower, not faster, otherwise you would want to fall apart. But a great problem to have.
Sprint training is a completely different philosophy than "normal" training to me. When I get in the water for a sprint workout, it is much more a meet mentality. Just get ready for the main set, hammer out the main set, everything else is pretty easy recovery/drill type work.
My opinion is that you take as much rest as you need for speed work, and swim distances that allow you to maintain your race quality stoke. If you want to do 10 repeats, and on #10 you can only hold it together for 25 yards, then do 10x25, not 10x100. There are several people here who like Xx25 on 2:00, several people did 3x100 on ~6:00 last week and I do a main set that is 1x200 AFAP about once a week.
If your splashy stroke is faster than you perfect stroke, you need to figure that out. When you stroke falls apart, it should be slower, not faster, otherwise you would want to fall apart. But a great problem to have.
Sprint training is a completely different philosophy than "normal" training to me. When I get in the water for a sprint workout, it is much more a meet mentality. Just get ready for the main set, hammer out the main set, everything else is pretty easy recovery/drill type work.
