The SDK Lane

Ande thank you so much for having taken the time. I appreciate a lot. Chris, those were a fantastic races. If you have a blog or something, a youtube account where I could visualize several more, I would greatly appreciate. The winner was even stronger on SDK it appears. I tested the other day, 2 50m fast, 1 almost not breathing, 1 breathing every stroke (in this order). I came up with 30.85, 30.95 respectively. Therefore I agree with you on that it's not worth building up an o2 accumulated deficit. Damn I hate SDKing on my belly. I hate feeling that I hold my breathe when I could breathe, but I guess I am going to have to live with it. I doubt that I will ever use this in a 200 though. Thanks to you all, I needed to have a feel about how widespread SDK was among 200 fly swimmers. I am a bit surprised to see the huge advantage Chris got out of it over the 100, although his performance level as well as physical abilities place him closer to say, some varsity level senior swimmers, than to mere masters training 9kilo per week and not coming from an club swimming background.

How many do you take in each race? That!!!! Is a very good question. How many do you take in each race (Short Course) Over 50m (requires your SDK to be faster than your top Fly Speed) Over 100m (especially during the second 50) And (I can't wait to get your answers) Over 200? How many of you guys are taking 15m x 8 over a 200 SC?

Although this is a little off subject, would there be any benefit of actually performing this in practice as a lactate production set, by going out too fast for say, a 200, and just barely making it back? Or like attempting sets of 100's at your 25 pace and dying before you finish each NO, NOT, NEVER, NEGATIVE, NOPE swim it in practice the way you want to race it in a meet swim it the way that allows you to do the best time & live to tell

This is the FASTEST 50 LCM SDK from a backstroke start that I've ever seen in person or on video, Hill Taylor Men 50 Meters Backstroke (final A) Texas Circuit #3, Austin Lee and Joe Jamail Swim Center Austin, TX, US Jun, 11 2009 - Jun 14 2009 What do you think? Do you know of a faster one? (i heard Lochte SDKed 50 LCM in 22.8 at the 2008 Olympic training camp, but I'm not sure how he started & there's no video)

28 32 1:00 36 1:36 44 2:20 I don't think he SDKed much he went vertical on that last 50, it was awful, painful, & somewhat hilarious to witness in a twisted sort of way OK, I've been swimming the 200 fly for a long time and have experienced that swim once or twice. It is usually the swim that convinces people never to attempt the 200 fly again. I SDK most of the 200 on a diminishing track, 10,8, 5, 5, 3, 3, 3 in short course. I get a good push off anyway, so the fewer kicks don't hurt much. The secret of swimming a good and pain free 200 fly is simple. The first 50 should feel like you are holding back, control gone mad, almost. After that, each 50 is a buildup of effort, trying to descend each. The most important thing of all, remember to exhale while your face is in the water. My best splits for a 200 fly have my last 50 being the second fastest. This accomplishes two things: a) you are stimulated to swim faster because you know that you have only 50 left, and b) the other swimmers near by feel worse yet when they see you accelerate near the end of the race.

OK, I've been swimming the 200 fly for a long time and have experienced that swim once or twice. It is usually the swim that convinces people never to attempt the 200 fly again. ... This accomplishes two things: a) you are stimulated to swim faster because you know that you have only 50 left, and b) the other swimmers near by feel worse yet when they see you accelerate near the end of the race. I've carried my share of pianos too. They make me go back and train harder. You can give the appearance of acceleration in the 200 fly just by maintaining speed. Pretty much everyone else slows down. If you jump out ahead of me in the 200 fly, I don't worry about it too much. You're either better than me or you're on a suicide mission. I'll find out soon enough :D To make this post relevant to the thread topic, I'll add that by taking more SDK's, I take fewer strokes. Seems logical to use the bigger leg muscles as much as possible and save the smaller arm muscles.

I SDK most of the 200 on a diminishing track, 10,8, 5, 5, 3, 3, 3 in short course. I think it is worth experimenting with different SDK strategies in a race. My instinctive strategy -- which may not be best -- is to try to keep them as close as possible throughout the race. In the 100 fly that means 8-9 kicks off each wall (usually 10 off the start) and in the 100 back that means 11 kicks off each wall (usually 9-10 off the start). In the 100 back, those numbers take me out to almost 15m. If I fall off in number it will be on the last wall (eg, sometimes I only make it out to 9-10 in the 10 back) due to fatigue/burning legs. In the 200 back, I can't make it to 15m on every wall, at least not at race pace. I'll usually start with 7 kicks for the first 100 and then settle on 6 for the 2nd 100. In 200 fly, like I said, it is 6 and 5. But I once did a 200 back where I reversed it: did 5-6 kicks going out and then added 1-2 kicks off the walls of the last 100. I did this because I was feeling slightly ill and wanted to conserve my energy; I ended up negative-splitting the race (unusual for me) and had a very nice swim. My best 200 SCM backstroke in the last few years, in fact. So I wonder if "back-loading" the SDKs is a worthwhile strategy to consider. Seems to work for Phelps on that last wall in many races... To make this post relevant to the thread topic, I'll add that by taking more SDK's, I take fewer strokes. Seems logical to use the bigger leg muscles as much as possible and save the smaller arm muscles. I've heard this statement echoed many times, including from some very successful distance flyers. IMO, I think it is more complicated than "saving your arms." In butterfly, everything is connected: if my legs die, then I'm going to sink and go slower, no matter how fresh my arms are. Plus, as you say, the legs are bigger muscles, presenting a greater oxygen demand. Basically, I think there is a happy medium, and every person needs to find it. Wow, spot on the main topic of next season's researches. I want to test systematic usage of train to exhaustion, or systematic failure so to speak, for threshold, max o2 peak and anaerobic capacity systems. The approach you describe doesn't correspond to a lactate production set though, it's a lactate tolerance set. A lactate production or anaerobic power set consists of producing as much lactate as possible, read reaching the fastest speed possible over a duration that is short enough so that you don't need to tolerate this lactate for more than a few seconds. Typically, a 50m corresponds better to this description. Two things. Your body will adapt to this sort of situation, by learning (asap) to better handle this precious energy source (lactate). In the same time though, the high levels of H+ (as well as other corrosive ions) will have a detrimental effect to the structures being exposed to them. Also, when you are almost swimming at vertical (fly) as a result of ridiculously high levels of acidosis, you are taxing the nervous system big time. Because whilst this is occurring, your brain will try to send even stronger electrical signals. The question is : will the benefit outweigh the downside? I don't have an answer at this time. Ande may be right, and the answer may vary between individuals. I am sure that a lot of people could be swimming faster, if only they were trying harder to swim faster when they're given the opportunity to swim fast. It is my case. My bests this season over 50,100 and 200 definitely suggests that I carry this fear of being trapped in the hurt box for too long. I need to break this pattern. I need to start too fast and try to bring it back home anyway, too see what my real limits are. But that's me. Lactate tolerance sets -- and a subset of these, "race-pace" sets -- are critical to swimming fast. I do a lot of these, but I never ever do them as just mentioned: basically, sprint as fast as you can and try to hold on. I never race that way, why would I want to practice that way? Plus as you die, your mechanics will degrade horribly and you don't want to gain bad habits. There are many ways to do lactate-tolerance sets that will give you the desired physiological adaptations without resorting to the "sprint until you die, then keep swimming" repeats. A couple interesting links to short articles: www.drmirkin.com/.../lactic_acid.html (challenges the theory that acidification is reason that muscles "seize up" as LA concentration increases) www.drmirkin.com/.../lactic_acid_intervals.html (most swimmers don't need to be sold on the benefits of interval training, but still interesting)

If you have a blog or something, a youtube account where I could visualize several more, I would greatly appreciate. I have a blog here on the USMS site. I think you can click on the link after "blog entries" under my picture to the left. I don't usually have videos taken of myself swimming, just what others have sent me. Nothing else of butterfly races that I can think of, though there are some backstroke races. I'm not sure you are interested in those.

Although this is a little off subject, would there be any benefit of actually performing this in practice as a lactate production set, by going out too fast for say, a 200, and just barely making it back? Or like attempting sets of 100's at your 25 pace and dying before you finish each Wow, spot on the main topic of next season's researches. I want to test systematic usage of train to exhaustion, or systematic failure so to speak, for threshold, max o2 peak and anaerobic capacity systems. The approach you describe doesn't correspond to a lactate production set though, it's a lactate tolerance set. A lactate production or anaerobic power set consists of producing as much lactate as possible, read reaching the fastest speed possible over a duration that is short enough so that you don't need to tolerate this lactate for more than a few seconds. Typically, a 50m corresponds better to this description. Two things. Your body will adapt to this sort of situation, by learning (asap) to better handle this precious energy source (lactate). In the same time though, the high levels of H+ (as well as other corrosive ions) will have a detrimental effect to the structures being exposed to them. Also, when you are almost swimming at vertical (fly) as a result of ridiculously high levels of acidosis, you are taxing the nervous system big time. Because whilst this is occurring, your brain will try to send even stronger electrical signals. The question is : will the benefit outweigh the downside? I don't have an answer at this time. Ande may be right, and the answer may vary between individuals. I am sure that a lot of people could be swimming faster, if only they were trying harder to swim faster when they're given the opportunity to swim fast. It is my case. My bests this season over 50,100 and 200 definitely suggests that I carry this fear of being trapped in the hurt box for too long. I need to break this pattern. I need to start too fast and try to bring it back home anyway, too see what my real limits are. But that's me.

Seems logical to use the bigger leg muscles as much as possible and save the smaller arm muscles. I agree here. This is an other benefit of SDKing. First, you end up giving less strokes. Less strokes = less upper body acid buildup. If only we could be as fast at the surface whilst breathing (no arms)....