How do you determine whether you would be better off training and racing sprints or distance events?
I'm back into competitive training this winter after ~2 decades since high school. I used to coach age group, and I've been hitting some master's practices, so I'm not without direction for what I should be doing to get back in shape. I am, however, clueless about distance swimming.
I have no exposure to distance racing or training so I am starting to read up on it (Maglischo). In high school, with the longest event being the 500 free, everyone was a "sprinter" whether they were suited to it or not.
Since I'm basically rebuilding myself from the ground up, I am wondering whether I might give distance a try? What sorts of physiology, technique or psychology lend themselves to doing distance as opposed to sprinting? Or does this not really matter for a nearly 40-year-old masters swimmer that's been out of the pool for nearly forever?
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Former Member
It is pretty easy, actually. I've been swimming competitively for almost 40 years and have come up with a pretty foolproof detection system. Forget about fast-twitch, slow-twitch or any of that; it is all about attitude.
Do you preen? When you drop a measly 0.1 sec from a swim, do you carry on like you just won Olympic gold? Do you go easy throughout an entire set only to come roaring back on the last rep, passing (and pissing off) everyone in your lane? Do you use a lot of equipment? Are you high maintenance? Then you're a sprinter.
Are you a plodder? Do you look down your nose at swimmers who spend less than 120 min (and 7K) in the water for one workout? Does your taper last only 3 days? Is your reaction time off the blocks measured in seconds, rather than tenths? Do you have just one speed? Are your legs little toothpicks and your kick nonexistent? Do you have permanent racoon eyes due to your goggles? Then you're a distance swimmer.
Do you have perspective in life? Can you swim any and all events and distances? Can you relate to a sprinter's eccentricities but still hang with distance swimmers occasionally on one of their godawful mega-workouts? Are you a man that other men want to be and that other women want to be with? Are you a swimming god? Then you're a middle-distance swimmer.
Best. Definitions. Ever.
Still laughing over this one! :D
It is pretty easy, actually. I've been swimming competitively for almost 40 years and have come up with a pretty foolproof detection system. Forget about fast-twitch, slow-twitch or any of that; it is all about attitude.
Do you preen? When you drop a measly 0.1 sec from a swim, do you carry on like you just won Olympic gold? Do you go easy throughout an entire set only to come roaring back on the last rep, passing (and pissing off) everyone in your lane? Do you use a lot of equipment? Are you high maintenance? Then you're a sprinter.
Are you a plodder? Do you look down your nose at swimmers who spend less than 120 min (and 7K) in the water for one workout? Does your taper last only 3 days? Is your reaction time off the blocks measured in seconds, rather than tenths? Do you have just one speed? Are your legs little toothpicks and your kick nonexistent? Do you have permanent racoon eyes due to your goggles? Then you're a distance swimmer.
Do you have perspective in life? Can you swim any and all events and distances? Can you relate to a sprinter's eccentricities but still hang with distance swimmers occasionally on one of their godawful mega-workouts? Are you a man that other men want to be and that other women want to be with? Are you a swimming god? Then you're a middle-distance swimmer.
Best. Definitions. Ever.
Still laughing over this one! :D
