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.
I've posted examples of pool practices designed to prepare for open water races here.
I did look at your pool practices, and here is my challenge which is why I started this thread in the first place: The two workouts you posted would produce very different results for me.
I would find it a good workout, but not too challenging to complete the descending sets of 125's at the intervals and pace times you posted. Your last set is at about a 1:20 per 100 pace with 20 seconds rest between each 125. This I can do.
But I would not be able to complete the ladder with the same pace times you posted. Swimming a 1:28 per 100 pace is sustainable for me, but I can't sustain a 1:23 pace for 1000 yards.
I am looking at my stroke efficiency more closely. I mixed in some LC workouts last week. I found that my per 100 yard SC pace didn't convert as well to a 100m LC pace. I am learning I have fast powerful turns that expend a lot of energy which explains why I could swim a :50 100 in high school but never broke 5 minutes in the 500.
I've posted examples of pool practices designed to prepare for open water races here.
I did look at your pool practices, and here is my challenge which is why I started this thread in the first place: The two workouts you posted would produce very different results for me.
I would find it a good workout, but not too challenging to complete the descending sets of 125's at the intervals and pace times you posted. Your last set is at about a 1:20 per 100 pace with 20 seconds rest between each 125. This I can do.
But I would not be able to complete the ladder with the same pace times you posted. Swimming a 1:28 per 100 pace is sustainable for me, but I can't sustain a 1:23 pace for 1000 yards.
I am looking at my stroke efficiency more closely. I mixed in some LC workouts last week. I found that my per 100 yard SC pace didn't convert as well to a 100m LC pace. I am learning I have fast powerful turns that expend a lot of energy which explains why I could swim a :50 100 in high school but never broke 5 minutes in the 500.
