I was just wondering, how many of you typically enter the maximum number of events that you can? I always do. One of our new coaches wants us to try and focus more on our "stronger events" and skip the other events. I usually like to see how well I might do in a event I haven't done in awhile.
I also tend to enter the maximum number of events, as it is best to have options at the meet. And I swim events even if I haven't gotten enough rest fairly often, except for the big meets.
I'm surprised that Patrick and Chris have dismissed what I thought was well-known which is that people differ with regards to the proportional amount of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers.
As a general rule, swimmers with a lot of fast-twitch fibers tend to excel in the sprints, while those with a predominance of slow-twitch the distance events. You can train your fast twitch muscles to process lactate better, but they will never perform anywhere close to that of a slow twitch fiber. So similar caliber swimmers with 80% fast twitch fibers will not be able to get rid of lactic acid well enough for a 400/500 to compete well against someone with 80% composition of slow twitch fibers.
After a 400/500 race, that sprinter will have a lot of lactic acid, and it'll take that sprinter longer to recover than the distance swimmer with 80% slow twitch fibers.
I'm not surprised that Patrick can do a 200 fly and then 100 back with 10 min. rest- he's used and developed his slow twitch fibers for years. It's pure physiology, plain and simple. Not . . . "not enough rest whinning" :)
I also tend to enter the maximum number of events, as it is best to have options at the meet. And I swim events even if I haven't gotten enough rest fairly often, except for the big meets.
I'm surprised that Patrick and Chris have dismissed what I thought was well-known which is that people differ with regards to the proportional amount of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers.
As a general rule, swimmers with a lot of fast-twitch fibers tend to excel in the sprints, while those with a predominance of slow-twitch the distance events. You can train your fast twitch muscles to process lactate better, but they will never perform anywhere close to that of a slow twitch fiber. So similar caliber swimmers with 80% fast twitch fibers will not be able to get rid of lactic acid well enough for a 400/500 to compete well against someone with 80% composition of slow twitch fibers.
After a 400/500 race, that sprinter will have a lot of lactic acid, and it'll take that sprinter longer to recover than the distance swimmer with 80% slow twitch fibers.
I'm not surprised that Patrick can do a 200 fly and then 100 back with 10 min. rest- he's used and developed his slow twitch fibers for years. It's pure physiology, plain and simple. Not . . . "not enough rest whinning" :)
