So I have decided to focus on the 1500/1650, partly because I seem to have misplaced the three fast twitch fibers I once owned, and partly because guys named Smith are now swimming the 500 and even the 1000. Geek suggested that I build my endurance with dryland work, but unlike him I have a job and limited time to train, and I don't really want to give up pool time. Any suggestions?
My best season for distance swimming was when we did a ton of 500s and 200s in practice. I personally prefer sets of 100s, but if I really want to get into good distance shape, I find the minimum repeat unit needs to be 200s.
Don't get me wrong: 100s are good, too. But 200s are long enough so that you really are simulating distance mentality here. For me, knowing I only have to swim 4 lengths of the pool and get at least a tiny rest (albeit sometimes just a breath on the wall and a break from a flip turn), well, it's just not the same distance mentality somehow.
Our coach, the locally legendary Bill White, was superb at subtly increasing the pressure over the course of the season. I think we started off doing sets of 4 x 200s on 2:45. Then he threw a few in at 2:40 and 2:35. Like Knelson said about his own approach, what would have seemed inconceivable at the beginning of the season slowly became just barely doable several months into it.
The crowning touch was when we swam 10 x 200 on 2:30, rested two minutes, then swam another 10 x 200 on 2:30.
For me, that workout was then, and remains today, the hardest practice of my life. And the best confidence booster ever.
When we went to a meet, I knew I could swim with quite a bit of endurance.
My best season for distance swimming was when we did a ton of 500s and 200s in practice. I personally prefer sets of 100s, but if I really want to get into good distance shape, I find the minimum repeat unit needs to be 200s.
Don't get me wrong: 100s are good, too. But 200s are long enough so that you really are simulating distance mentality here. For me, knowing I only have to swim 4 lengths of the pool and get at least a tiny rest (albeit sometimes just a breath on the wall and a break from a flip turn), well, it's just not the same distance mentality somehow.
Our coach, the locally legendary Bill White, was superb at subtly increasing the pressure over the course of the season. I think we started off doing sets of 4 x 200s on 2:45. Then he threw a few in at 2:40 and 2:35. Like Knelson said about his own approach, what would have seemed inconceivable at the beginning of the season slowly became just barely doable several months into it.
The crowning touch was when we swam 10 x 200 on 2:30, rested two minutes, then swam another 10 x 200 on 2:30.
For me, that workout was then, and remains today, the hardest practice of my life. And the best confidence booster ever.
When we went to a meet, I knew I could swim with quite a bit of endurance.
