Just a thought/request:
At some point in the future, it would be nice to have workouts posted by someone who specializes in LONG distance coaching with an eye on open water distances (1 mile "death sprints" to ??? miles). The workouts provided are generally excellent, but since open water distances basically start where pool distances leave off, it would be great to have something a bit more specific. This is especially true since there is a relatively small body of printed work on longer distance/open water training and coaches for LONG distances seem few and far between.
Would anyone else be interested and would this be possible?
-LBJ
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Former Member
When I swim, which is mostly in the public length time, there is a swimmer who swims continuously around and around for an hour plus.
I too am mainly a long distance swimmer, but I do train all energy systems. I will do LSD sets, increasing in distance as I get closer to my open water season. these will still be pace sets, working on holding an even pace in different distances.
The swimmer who swims continuously has demonstrated clearly what happens when this is your main workout. 5 years ago we were very close in time held for 50's. Our times in open water were quite close as well. Now I am a good 10-13 seconds per 50 faster, and several minutes faster in the 5km event.
I have seen this pattern many times over especially when the triathletes hit the water. Swimming training is different from biking and running as it is so highly technical. If we don't keep working to be the most efficient we can be in the water then our progress will grind to a halt. We need to challenge all energy systems and as distance swimmers, we must wake up those fast twitch fibers by including speed in every workout.
Seems to work for me.
My times are getting faster each year, despite aging ;)
When I swim, which is mostly in the public length time, there is a swimmer who swims continuously around and around for an hour plus.
I too am mainly a long distance swimmer, but I do train all energy systems. I will do LSD sets, increasing in distance as I get closer to my open water season. these will still be pace sets, working on holding an even pace in different distances.
The swimmer who swims continuously has demonstrated clearly what happens when this is your main workout. 5 years ago we were very close in time held for 50's. Our times in open water were quite close as well. Now I am a good 10-13 seconds per 50 faster, and several minutes faster in the 5km event.
I have seen this pattern many times over especially when the triathletes hit the water. Swimming training is different from biking and running as it is so highly technical. If we don't keep working to be the most efficient we can be in the water then our progress will grind to a halt. We need to challenge all energy systems and as distance swimmers, we must wake up those fast twitch fibers by including speed in every workout.
Seems to work for me.
My times are getting faster each year, despite aging ;)
