Do most of the in-swimming-shape and experienced swimmers among you go all out for a whole 50 yards or is there some pacing? In other words are you going top speed the whole time? The reason I'm asking is that right now I can do 25 yards from a standstill in 13 seconds, but my best 50 yard time from a standstill is 33 seconds. (I'm a horrible diver at this point, but once I get my stroke in order I'll start working on that). Anyhow, is it reasonable for me to shoot for a 26 second 50 by just improving my endurance and flip turns, or is it like comparing 50's and 100's where a 50 time will always be less than half a hundred. Thanks for your thoughts.
I don't do a lot of sprinting, but once in a while give it a few shots just to see where I am. Unfortunately I'm unable to do a master's class because I work in shifts and would miss half of them, so I'm pretty much on my own trying to get better. :badday:
I haven't being keeping up on the latest in training theory WRT this issue, but last I heard there was some thought that lactic acid wasn't an inhibiting factor. What is the latest thinking along these lines? By your response I take it that it's back to lactic acid as inhibitor, but perhaps there are some new wrinkles as well.
Maybe there is something newer out there, but LA is not a direct inhibitor according to this:
www.drmirkin.com/.../lactic_acid.html
My understanding of this is: the old-old thinking was that LA was inherently bad news. The new-old thinking was that LA wasn't bad, but the associated drop in pH was bad, and that "lactate tolerance" was (among other things probably) your body becoming better at buffering the pH drop.
The above link seems to suggest that it is potassium ion accumulation that is the problem.
Anyway, back to the original question...
I certainly sprint a 50 "all-out," or pretty darn close to it. Sometimes it takes a 25 before I feel I get my technique under control and I'm not flailing, but I am not consciously saving up and I don't die at the end. It is a little different in LCM, where the last 5-10m do hurt a little but still there is no conscious pacing involved. Again, maybe the first 1-2 strokes I concentrate a little on getting my technique under control so I'm not just spinning my wheels.
Regardless of whether you think you should hold back a smidge on the first 25 or whatever, I hope everyone can agree on one thing: if you can do a 13 for a 25, then you ought to be able to go faster than 33 for a 50. That's too much of a drop-off. It is hard to tell from the OP whether this disparity is due to poor start/turn technique or lack of sprint/strength training.
I haven't being keeping up on the latest in training theory WRT this issue, but last I heard there was some thought that lactic acid wasn't an inhibiting factor. What is the latest thinking along these lines? By your response I take it that it's back to lactic acid as inhibitor, but perhaps there are some new wrinkles as well.
Maybe there is something newer out there, but LA is not a direct inhibitor according to this:
www.drmirkin.com/.../lactic_acid.html
My understanding of this is: the old-old thinking was that LA was inherently bad news. The new-old thinking was that LA wasn't bad, but the associated drop in pH was bad, and that "lactate tolerance" was (among other things probably) your body becoming better at buffering the pH drop.
The above link seems to suggest that it is potassium ion accumulation that is the problem.
Anyway, back to the original question...
I certainly sprint a 50 "all-out," or pretty darn close to it. Sometimes it takes a 25 before I feel I get my technique under control and I'm not flailing, but I am not consciously saving up and I don't die at the end. It is a little different in LCM, where the last 5-10m do hurt a little but still there is no conscious pacing involved. Again, maybe the first 1-2 strokes I concentrate a little on getting my technique under control so I'm not just spinning my wheels.
Regardless of whether you think you should hold back a smidge on the first 25 or whatever, I hope everyone can agree on one thing: if you can do a 13 for a 25, then you ought to be able to go faster than 33 for a 50. That's too much of a drop-off. It is hard to tell from the OP whether this disparity is due to poor start/turn technique or lack of sprint/strength training.
