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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I would like to be a "distance" swimmer. I would like to be a triathlete (but I don't like running and biking). I do the 3000K, 1 mile, and 1 hour postal, and I do not always dread them. I enjoy how I feel afterwards, when the shakes wear off.
I know I am NOT a distance swimmer, when I drop f-bombs in my head when coach tells us our next set will be something painful (where painful = going moderately fast to fast for 2000+ yards). I also know I am not an IM-er when we have to do IM sets for the same reasons. For some reason though, I keep coming back to swim, 3-5 times a week, hoping for some fun, sprint sets.
I would like to be a "distance" swimmer. I would like to be a triathlete (but I don't like running and biking). I do the 3000K, 1 mile, and 1 hour postal, and I do not always dread them. I enjoy how I feel afterwards, when the shakes wear off.
I know I am NOT a distance swimmer, when I drop f-bombs in my head when coach tells us our next set will be something painful (where painful = going moderately fast to fast for 2000+ yards). I also know I am not an IM-er when we have to do IM sets for the same reasons. For some reason though, I keep coming back to swim, 3-5 times a week, hoping for some fun, sprint sets.
