Hi, I can't say I'm experienced swimmer. I used to swim at school for 4 years then I had a break for 20 years. A year ago I restored my trainings (now I'm 35). So now in about 2 weeks I'm going to participate in competitions (just a small club masters event). I would like to know if I should add smth to my trainings or to remove smth. I'm going to swim 2 distances - 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke. I would appreciate any help. :)
I'm training 3 times a week, swimming for 1 hour in a 50m pool.
Here are my 3 last trainings just to give an idea where am I:
1) Warm up:
1х200m IM. Rest: 10sec /200m
Core:
4x100m Fly 3+3+3. Rest: 10sec/100m
4x100m Freestyle 6+6+6. Rest: 8sec/100m
8x50m Freestyle. @ 60sec.
6x50m Freestyle kickboard. All out. Rest: 20sec/50m
1x400m Breaststroke kickboard. Rest: 10sec/400m
1x200m Freestyle. Rest: 8sec
4x50m Breaststroke Pull with a pull buoy. Rest: 20 sec/50m
Warm down:
2х50m Breaststroke.
2x50m Freestyle.
Total: 2700m
2)Warm up:
1х200m Breaststroke. Rest: 8sec /200m
4х50m Free. Catch up drill. Rest: 8sec/50m
Core:
3x (100m Fly. fins/100m Back easy) Rest: 10sec /50m5х200m Free. fins. paddles. Rest: 15sec /100m
1x300m Fly. kickboard. fins. Rest: 8sec / 300m
1х300m Free. kickboard. fins. Rest: 8sec / 300m
4x50m Free. kickboard. fins. @ 1:00
Warm down:
1х200m Back.
Total: 3000m
3)Warm up:
2х100m ***. Rest: 8sec /100m
2х200m IM. Rest: 10sec / 200m
Core:
6 x(100m Free/100m Back). Rest: 10sec/ 100m
10x50m Free. 50/50 All out/Easy Rest: 30sec / 50m
10х50m ***. 50/50 All out/Easy Rest: 30sec / 50m
Warm down:
2х100m Back.
Total: 3000m
I would like to get more details.
Do I need to make some tapering in my case if I'm training 3 times a week?
What kind of workouts should I concentrate on? More sprint sets or just aerobic swimming adding 1-2 sprint sets? How long before the event is the best time to eat?
I read a lot about tapering but all the examples I saw are definitely for professionals they consider you make 6+ trainings a week and before competitions their workouts are not less than 3000meters (in season they swim much more) and 3000m - that is my normal training. So I'm a bit confused.
Thanks.
You'll more likely need less rest time than the elites will, as you are not doing the yardage they are doing. You will also need to "test your taper," as some say, as everyone is different. This goes for your training plan as well. Take notes. Keep a blog. Revisit your records to see what works and what does not.
Taper duration and composition differs for everyone for a number of reasons. For example, in general, distance folks do shorter tapers than sprinters. One forumite on here is a good distance swimmer who tapers for 2 weeks or more. I'm more of a sprinter who tapers for 8 days. Other sprinters pater for a month. It just depends on so many factors- maybe you have read about some of them. So use the same principles as what you have read and test your taper, and more importantly your training plan prior to taper.
Check this thread out- there are several topics regarding tapering:
Ande's Swimming Tips: Swimming Faster Faster - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums
Good luck!
Thank you mates. I decided I will decrease a bit load for the last week just to check how it will affect my swimming and feeling of the water in general.
What is the problem in warming up with IM or fly? I'm not swimming pedal to the metal, just trying to feel good body position and wave created by the body. Before swimming I also do some warm up on a dry land.
BR with a pull-buoy indeed isn't easy, but I'm breaststroker so that's my fate to this one :D Adding fins would make it easier but that's kind of cheating and I want my back to work as well not only hands. When I was teenager we used to swim that exercise for 800m - I was dizzy after that :-D
Concerning starts: yes, I take every training about 10-20 min to work on starts and push-offs though my push-offs aren't good enough - about 8 - 9 yards only.
Do you like warming up with fly?
Since you just got back into swimming, you don't need to taper for this up coming meet. Small local meets are usually more fun than going to personal best times. Swimming several events during a meet that only last 3 hours makes it really tough to come up with decent times toward the end of the meet. Depending on where you are, once a season there will be a large multiday meet that you can taper for and will have plenty of rest between events. This meet you should focus on swimming events that are interesting to you and using the times to benchmark future races against.
Your core sets look good, but I would not enjoy your warm ups. I would want more yardage, and to ease into the stroke work.
When you first return (I have returned twice now), the specifics are not that important. Spend a lot of time on improving your stroke and keeping your shoulders healthy.
You might also look into training with a team or finding others to workout with. Being accountable to a lanemate or a coach does help you give a little more effort during the workout.
You shouldn't need a taper. Relax. The first meet is just to get used to the environment and procedures of meets. Enjoy it and set your baseline times, then be sure to go out for breakfast/lunch with other swimmers afterwards. "Adopt" another team if you're not attached to a club. :)
I find pulling BR with a pull-buoy very hard on my lower back, it puts too much arch in it. Instead I put fins on - they help plane the feet up more than just dragging them; and doing a little dolphin kick instead of the frog kick ... well, it's FUN and a great timing drill.
For the 50's a good start is very important. Are there starting blocks or at least a deep end at your pool where you can practice dives?
With 2 weeks to go for a first meet in a long time I don't think you want to change too much,but I do think you would benefit from a longer warm up and warm down,just consider them part of the taper.However,after the meet,if you want to continue to focus on sprints you would benefit from doing sprints in workout once a week.25s on the minute or even 2 min.Give yourself enough rest so that you can maintain all out splits.Do maybe 8.Do them after you are warmed up,but while you are still fresh.The common practice of doing "sprints" at the end of workout are just swimming tired faster,not sprinting.
I would like to get more details.
Do I need to make some tapering in my case if I'm training 3 times a week?
What kind of workouts should I concentrate on? More sprint sets or just aerobic swimming adding 1-2 sprint sets? How long before the event is the best time to eat?
I read a lot about tapering but all the examples I saw are definitely for professionals they consider you make 6+ trainings a week and before competitions their workouts are not less than 3000meters (in season they swim much more) and 3000m - that is my normal training. So I'm a bit confused.
Thanks.
I would like to get more details.
Do I need to make some tapering in my case if I'm training 3 times a week?
What kind of workouts should I concentrate on? More sprint sets or just aerobic swimming adding 1-2 sprint sets? How long before the event is the best time to eat?
I read a lot about tapering but all the examples I saw are definitely for professionals they consider you make 6+ trainings a week and before competitions their workouts are not less than 3000meters (in season they swim much more) and 3000m - that is my normal training. So I'm a bit confused.
Thanks.
I've been doing approximately 3000 yards each practice for 5-6 swims a week on average throughout the year. For the past two weeks before Nationals for my taper I've cut my yardage and intensity down by approximately 50% or more, especially in the final week. My last 2-3 swims have been 800-1300 yards in length.
I am mainly a middle distance swimmer, and my type of training may not work for other middle distance swimmers. Everyone is different, you just have to try to find something that works well for you.
With 2 weeks to go for a first meet in a long time I don't think you want to change too much,but I do think you would benefit from a longer warm up and warm down,just consider them part of the taper.However,after the meet,if you want to continue to focus on sprints you would benefit from doing sprints in workout once a week.25s on the minute or even 2 min.Give yourself enough rest so that you can maintain all out splits.Do maybe 8.Do them after you are warmed up,but while you are still fresh.The common practice of doing "sprints" at the end of workout are just swimming tired faster,not sprinting.
Well, I think I will move exercises for technique to the warm up - is it ok?
Should I do 25s during endurance period too? In my case I have to do 25 Hard / 25 Easy by splitting the pool length because I'm training in the 50m pool.
By the way, here I found some tips for the preparation for the meet, maybe it will be helpful for someone - www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Swim-Meet
Also a small article on planning - www.brianmac.co.uk/.../swimplan.htm - I've got quite a big book on that subject, but I like small articles when you need just to refresh some key points without searching through the book.
Well, I think I will move exercises for technique to the warm up - is it ok?
Should I do 25s during endurance period too? In my case I have to do 25 Hard / 25 Easy by splitting the pool length because I'm training in the 50m pool.
By the way, here I found some tips for the preparation for the meet, maybe it will be helpful for someone - www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Swim-Meet
Also a small article on planning - www.brianmac.co.uk/.../swimplan.htm - I've got quite a big book on that subject, but I like small articles when you need just to refresh some key points without searching through the book.
25 hard,25 easy is fine.You might try 25 hard,75 easy.That is something I do sometimes on sprint days.I start doing one sprint day/week 15 weeks before a taper meet if possible,building the intensity as the season progresses and then 3 week taper(so a 12 week cycle before a 3 week taper.I also do one day of 200 race pace work as 100s at 200 pace,and a day of 100 race pace work as 50s at 100 pace.The forth day I do 12.5 sprints finishing the 50 slow and if I get a 5th day I do a long slow swim.If I get a 6th day I focus especially on turns.) I generally do active recovery,i.e. slow swims,between race pace swims,with enough recovery to maintain race pace.I want to train my body to know what race pace feels like.My main races are the 3 BRs so that is my focus.
