I ask the question because when I returned to the pool last month after a three week taper for scm zones, I was swimming faster in practice than I had in decades. Now I cannot hold the same pace that seemed almost effortless just a week ago. So do I tough it out as usual until it's time to taper again, or do I schedule recovery weeks throughout the season?
Former Member
I've taken a a week off on a few occasions and it takes me several workouts to get moving again.
That has been my experience as well. I was really referring to a recovery week during which I still swim but back off substantially on the intensity.
I don't take recovery weeks, I sometimes I skip practices or sets or swim recovery workouts when I:
did several pretty hard back to back practices, or
am feeling run down or
am about to get sick or
just don't feel like killing it or
didn't sleep well or enough the night before or
feel injured.
Sometimes when I feel tired, I just go to bed or fall asleep earlier.
Also you can't always trust how you feel. I've had practices where I was getting sick or sick or felt terrible, some I almost skipped but showed up anyway & swam much faster than I expected to.
Sometimes if I'm feeling bad in a practice, I'll change suits into something faster. like go from brief to jammer or jammer to legskin. Sometimes I just skip parts of sets.
The beauty of masters is we can modify.
I also seem to do better these days on longer and more frequent tapers.
Leslie, this way leads disaster.
Longer and more frequent tapers?
Bolderdash!
The meaning of life is longer and more frequent episodes of brutal self-punishment in the pool, severe dietary restriction outside of it, and total ignoring and refusal to coddle any symptoms of discomfort and/or illness, be this real, non-delusional hypochondrical, or delusional hypochondriacal.
If life is not a ceaseless torment and uninterrupted tribulation, you are not a Real Swimmer.
--from The Manifesto of a Non-Complaining Non-Delusional Hypochondriac Who Refuses to Surrender to His Nature
The meaning of life is longer and more frequent episodes of brutal self-punishment in the pool, severe dietary restriction outside of it, and total ignoring and refusal to coddle any symptoms of discomfort and/or illness, be this real, non-delusional hypochondrical, or delusional hypochondriacal.
"All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine."
-Fast Times at Ridgemont High
What?! P90X is a piece of cake?
At the risk of Geek telling me to take this lovefest elsewhere, I will answer your question thusly:
P90X has built in rest weeks, of which I most certainly partake. But I really don't swim enough to warrant rest weeks, other than my two tapers for SCY and LCM... and my extended August/September 5+ week break. LOL.
I have a hard time backing off in the water. even when I try to swim slow I swim faster than I want to. But if I go too many days without being able to reach 90% I feel I need to step back I don't swim one day.
I miss too many workouts because of work and family so it doesn't happen too often that I miss practice because I want to.
