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?
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This thread is very technical and intimidating, but to throw in my two cents ...
I do a lot of long sets because I am usually training for distance and open water. These can get pretty boring (and I tend to zone out and slow down), so I pretty regularly do the following (mixed in with some 100's and 50's):
It's a continuous 1500, but I break it down (in my head) into:
1x500, sprint the last 50
1x400, sprint the last 50
1x300, sprint the last 50
1x200, sprint the last 50
1x100, sprint the last 50 (all of this without stopping)
This way you never have to think about the fact that you are swimming a 1500. The beginning of the set is spread out enough that I have to keep my focus and keep my speed up, and the end is compressed enough that I have to really work on my speed and endurance. You can get a lot of distance out of the way quickly, and it gets more fun as the sprints get closer together.
As a side benefit for those interested in open water, this set also gives me a lot of confidence for unpredictable races, because I know that I can sprint through any currents I encounter and then get back into a comfortable distance groove.
Sorry for not using any acronyms in this post :)
This thread is very technical and intimidating, but to throw in my two cents ...
I do a lot of long sets because I am usually training for distance and open water. These can get pretty boring (and I tend to zone out and slow down), so I pretty regularly do the following (mixed in with some 100's and 50's):
It's a continuous 1500, but I break it down (in my head) into:
1x500, sprint the last 50
1x400, sprint the last 50
1x300, sprint the last 50
1x200, sprint the last 50
1x100, sprint the last 50 (all of this without stopping)
This way you never have to think about the fact that you are swimming a 1500. The beginning of the set is spread out enough that I have to keep my focus and keep my speed up, and the end is compressed enough that I have to really work on my speed and endurance. You can get a lot of distance out of the way quickly, and it gets more fun as the sprints get closer together.
As a side benefit for those interested in open water, this set also gives me a lot of confidence for unpredictable races, because I know that I can sprint through any currents I encounter and then get back into a comfortable distance groove.
Sorry for not using any acronyms in this post :)
