After recognizing that my stroke is much longer than most OWS, I decided to poke around and see if stroke was different for OW as opposed to swimming in a pool. I found this (There is a part 2 if you click on the channel and scroll down the right side):
YouTube - Swim Smooth: What Is An Efficient Freestyle Stroke? Part 1
I would love to get reactions. I know that when I quicken my stroke rate and shorten my stroke I seem to fatigue much more quickly. However, this could be due to not pursuing this long enough to re-establish breathing patterns. (When I concentrate on my stroke, I tend to hold my breath without realizing it).
I do know that while my per 100 pace is slowly improving with more speed work in my work outs, it has dropped now where near what it used to be 20 years ago.
This is why I believe that talking about some arbitrary ideal in SR is misguided. Simply because an elite OW swimmer has been observed to stroke at 80 to 90 strokes per minute doesn't infer anything conclusive for other swimmers who may not match an elite's skill or fitness profile.
Who is talking about some "arbitrary ideal" of SR? The issue under discussion is relative stroke rates between open water and the pool.
I've had the test performed on my stroke, by Steve Munatones, in March 2010. On the same day he was testing another swimmer - a Marathon Hall of Famer.
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What's noteworthy though is that the other swimmer was stroking at a much higher rate - possibly 40 to 50 percent higher - and kicking much harder.
That's noteworthy, for sure - but probably not for the reason you intended.
This is why I believe that talking about some arbitrary ideal in SR is misguided. Simply because an elite OW swimmer has been observed to stroke at 80 to 90 strokes per minute doesn't infer anything conclusive for other swimmers who may not match an elite's skill or fitness profile.
Who is talking about some "arbitrary ideal" of SR? The issue under discussion is relative stroke rates between open water and the pool.
I've had the test performed on my stroke, by Steve Munatones, in March 2010. On the same day he was testing another swimmer - a Marathon Hall of Famer.
...
What's noteworthy though is that the other swimmer was stroking at a much higher rate - possibly 40 to 50 percent higher - and kicking much harder.
That's noteworthy, for sure - but probably not for the reason you intended.
