The SDK Lane

Over the past few days I have been experimenting with my backstroke SDK. On repeat 100s backstroke I typically do about 3 SDK off every wall, so I tried some where I forced myself to do 4-5 SDK of every wall. They were about 2s slower per 100. Today I did 10 repeat 100s bacstroke and forced myself to do 7-8 SDK off every wall. They were about 10s slower per 100! In fact, I couldn't make my usual interval and had to increase my interval by :15/100. Now part of this is almost certainly due to the fact that I have done several very hard workouts this week. (Very hard for me - pretty mellow by the standards of many bloggers here.) I would have been slower today even at 3 SDK per wall, but I suspect that even when rested the time increase with increasing SDK would be significant. I don't like this trend. Last year I spent a lot of time working on my turns and I could see it translating into faster swims. This season I am spending a lot of time working my SDK and it seems to translating to slower swims. I don't like this picture at all. Although I'm pretty new to this SDK lark, I have worked on my kick/core/SDK more since May than ever. Right now I am aiming for 3-4 really good SDKs off each turn in a race. Any more than that I think will be counter-productive. I've never been a great kicker, but must have had some good core strength for my fly, which I'm getting back. I know when I do my 25s SDK (I tend to do 4 with fins, then 4 without once per week) I start out well, but half way down the pool my lungs hurt, the legs get faster and the momentum disappears! I'm sticking with the 25s as I can time them and count the kicks and it helps my lung capacity. But in the grand scheme of things you can only do 15yds anyhow. :blah::blah: there I go again......but that's whats working for me now :)

Over the past few days I have been experimenting with my backstroke SDK. On repeat 100s backstroke I typically do about 3 SDK off every wall, so I tried some where I forced myself to do 4-5 SDK of every wall. They were about 2s slower per 100. Today I did 10 repeat 100s bacstroke and forced myself to do 7-8 SDK off every wall. They were about 10s slower per 100! In fact, I couldn't make my usual interval and had to increase my interval by :15/100. Now part of this is almost certainly due to the fact that I have done several very hard workouts this week. (Very hard for me - pretty mellow by the standards of many bloggers here.) I would have been slower today even at 3 SDK per wall, but I suspect that even when rested the time increase with increasing SDK would be significant. I don't like this trend. Last year I spent a lot of time working on my turns and I could see it translating into faster swims. This season I am spending a lot of time working my SDK and it seems to translating to slower swims. I don't like this picture at all. Although I'm pretty new to this SDK lark, I have worked on my kick/core/SDK more since May than ever. Right now I am aiming for 3-4 really good SDKs off each turn in a race. Any more than that I think will be counter-productive. I've never been a great kicker, but must have had some good core strength for my fly, which I'm getting back. I know when I do my 25s SDK (I tend to do 4 with fins, then 4 without once per week) I start out well, but half way down the pool my lungs hurt, the legs get faster and the momentum disappears! I'm sticking with the 25s as I can time them and count the kicks and it helps my lung capacity. But in the grand scheme of things you can only do 15yds anyhow. :blah::blah: there I go again......but that's whats working for me now :)