I'm trying to learn how to accurately keep track of my pace as I'm swimming and learn to be able to set out to do a particular lap time and do that time. For instance doing my 100s on 1:40 or 1:30 or 1:20. Could anyone give me some suggestions on how to keep track of what lap times you're doing as your swimming and learning to keep a certain pace?
David
Repetition, repetition, repetition. We also had pace clocks within view too at either end of the pool so you can see what pace you are going. When I was a distance guy in my earlier swim life I could just tell what pace I was going within a second or two.
Repetition, repetition, repetition...When I was a distance guy in my earlier swim life I could just tell what pace I was going within a second or two.
swim at a certain effort, guess what time you're doing,
then look up at the clock and see what your time is
Our coaches would also have us do sets where they turned the clocks off, but told us to go a certain pace and watch-timed us.
Generally, being aware of your stroke count and stroke rate can be helpful when learning a pace, but it should become ingrained after awhile.
Like Lump, as an age grouper & college swimmer, I was a distance guy and could pretty much hit a target pace or know what pace I was going. My raw knowledge of my actual pace in a meet now is nowhere near as refined, but I still have the ability (generally) to get onto a pace and keep hitting it 100 after 100. Repetition works.
One toy you might also want to check out is the Tempo Trainer by Finis. You can set it to beep at almost any interval you want.
Let's say you wanted to hold a 1:20 pace per 100 over 500 yards. You can set it to beep every 1:20. Or every :40 if you want feedback every 50 yards, or 2:40 per 200 or whatever. Then you'll know during the swim if you are maintaining a steady pace or starting fast and then falling off. You could also alternate 500s with and without the trainer--and try to keep the feel of the pace you get from the trainer during the swims without it.
Ou
Like Lump, as an age grouper & college swimmer, I was a distance guy and could pretty much hit a target pace or know what pace I was going. My raw knowledge of my actual pace in a meet now is nowhere near as refined, but I still have the ability (generally) to get onto a pace and keep hitting it 100 after 100. Repetition works.
I don't even have raw knowledge of my pace nowadays! Probably why I'm not focusing on distance anymore (expect the summer/fall OW season).:D
