Returning to swimming stagnant on speed

A few years back I was big into discussions on this forum.  Forum usage seems to have slowed down a lot but I'll give it a shot anyway.  I'm about 4 months back in the pool.  In 2015 I was holding sub 1:10's per 100 for a 60 minute timed swim.  From 2016-2019 I swam periodically with no focus.  From Dec 2019-April 2020 I had focus back and getting back down to that 1:10 per 100yd pace then COVID shut everything down.  4-5 months ago I started to put the time in again because I can't run anymore.  I am fricken' stuck!!  I am struggling to pace 1:15.  I can pace 1:17's for a 12x500 long set but if I do 10 x 100  on 1:30 I will die trying to stay below 1:15.  I have been struggling with this for about 8 weeks.  I did have covid back in dec 2020 and was pretty sick for a few weeks and then really struggled with cardio for months.  Now I have the awesome experience of a pretty serious anxiety attack during warmup if I start out too fast.  I am curious if anyone else has experienced this, not so much the anxiety but the major plateau.   I am swimming 3-4x a week, 3000-4500 on most day with a paced endurance day of 6500+ .  I am a life long endurance swimmer and love open water racing (not training).  I am a 46 yo male so I know age has it's hurdles but hell.... not this much right?  I am starting a new block of monday-Sat  as m-Swim, t-swim, w-lift, th-swim, fr-swim, s-lift.   

Is anyone else dealing with this? Any help would be appreciated.  

Parents
  • I'm a little older than you (49), but I only took up swimming about 6 years ago.  I have experienced similar swings, but it is hard to know what all is going on with me, because I was balancing improving with fighting age.  Then COVID hit.  What I have found is that, as COVID sent me into a period hwere I trained for stupid long distances, my pool swimming went to crap.  Oh yeah, and constant interruptions.  Most recently, my knee, as well.

    So first thing I would do is stop beating up yoursefl.  You aren't 39 any more.  Stop benchmarking your 39 year old self.  

    I do a lot of Hackett sets.  I modify them for open water training.  Normally it is like this:

    4X(3 pace A, 1 pace B) 50's on :45

    4X(2 pace A, 1 pace B) 50's on :50

    4X(1 A, 1B) on :55

    4Xpace B on 1:00

    So a total of 40 50's.  The way it is written is that the Pace A is supposed to be the 1650 pace, and B the 500.  I push it a bit harder, and try for 500 and 200, but I'm a little slower.  The goal is more than 5, but less than 10 seconds of rest.  I've been at points where I'd like to try to drop down to :40, but not quite there.  I start out coming in at :35-36, but taper off to :37's.  When I'm not in top shape, I fall off to :38's by the end.  My pace B's would start out :32-33, but fall off gradually coming close to :35 by the end.

    When I'm working distance, I'll do 75's instead, and go at 1:10's, 1:15, 1:20, and 1:30.  Doesn't work out perfectly, but okay.  I'll also do a normal set, then reverse it and walk down backwards at the same intervals (but often have to bump the last 16X50 to :50.  And I have done 100's, starting at 1:40, increasing by 10.

    I think the varied pace helps.  I think by swimming 50's, you can keep that form and stroke count for a little more distance than you can swimming 100's.  

    Your knee may be more impactful than you realize.  I just started gel injections last week.  I've had to stop everything.  Running ws first to go, then biking.  But UDK's hurt, as well.  And it is the point where pushing off of the wall hurts, though often I don't hurt until I'm done, and I can't sleep as after I've been lying down for a couple of hours, I wake up with sharp, shooting pains in my knee and I have to get up and walk around for a while, then ice it down.  Not sure if you've had an MRI or have been officially diagnosed, but I'd encourage it.  I'm hoping in another month or so I'll be able to resume.  But you may not be hitting the walls as hard as normal, which can have a huge impact on your pacing.  May be subconscious, as well.

Reply
  • I'm a little older than you (49), but I only took up swimming about 6 years ago.  I have experienced similar swings, but it is hard to know what all is going on with me, because I was balancing improving with fighting age.  Then COVID hit.  What I have found is that, as COVID sent me into a period hwere I trained for stupid long distances, my pool swimming went to crap.  Oh yeah, and constant interruptions.  Most recently, my knee, as well.

    So first thing I would do is stop beating up yoursefl.  You aren't 39 any more.  Stop benchmarking your 39 year old self.  

    I do a lot of Hackett sets.  I modify them for open water training.  Normally it is like this:

    4X(3 pace A, 1 pace B) 50's on :45

    4X(2 pace A, 1 pace B) 50's on :50

    4X(1 A, 1B) on :55

    4Xpace B on 1:00

    So a total of 40 50's.  The way it is written is that the Pace A is supposed to be the 1650 pace, and B the 500.  I push it a bit harder, and try for 500 and 200, but I'm a little slower.  The goal is more than 5, but less than 10 seconds of rest.  I've been at points where I'd like to try to drop down to :40, but not quite there.  I start out coming in at :35-36, but taper off to :37's.  When I'm not in top shape, I fall off to :38's by the end.  My pace B's would start out :32-33, but fall off gradually coming close to :35 by the end.

    When I'm working distance, I'll do 75's instead, and go at 1:10's, 1:15, 1:20, and 1:30.  Doesn't work out perfectly, but okay.  I'll also do a normal set, then reverse it and walk down backwards at the same intervals (but often have to bump the last 16X50 to :50.  And I have done 100's, starting at 1:40, increasing by 10.

    I think the varied pace helps.  I think by swimming 50's, you can keep that form and stroke count for a little more distance than you can swimming 100's.  

    Your knee may be more impactful than you realize.  I just started gel injections last week.  I've had to stop everything.  Running ws first to go, then biking.  But UDK's hurt, as well.  And it is the point where pushing off of the wall hurts, though often I don't hurt until I'm done, and I can't sleep as after I've been lying down for a couple of hours, I wake up with sharp, shooting pains in my knee and I have to get up and walk around for a while, then ice it down.  Not sure if you've had an MRI or have been officially diagnosed, but I'd encourage it.  I'm hoping in another month or so I'll be able to resume.  But you may not be hitting the walls as hard as normal, which can have a huge impact on your pacing.  May be subconscious, as well.

Children
  • I've gone through the whole process, mri, injections, PT, OCA of the left knee and there's nothing left.  I shortened up the sets last week and will continue this week.  I should see a difference by middle of next week if that's what I needed.  Breathing still becomes an issue.  This weekend I'm hoping to get up to the lake and get a few miles open water in, lake temps are in the upper 60's so we will see what the effect is on HR and BP as I get warmed up.