What do YOU need to do to have a major swimming breakthrough?"

hi blue, thanks Just do the best you can in each training session and make sensible eating and drinking choices out of the pool. when you do practice sets like 10 x 100 on not much rest work to keep smooth, push a little but not too much as you get in better shape you'll be able to hold faster times on faster intervals Do your fast training swims with someone timing you on a watch, so you'll know your practice times to the 10th of a second. Glad you like my posts. I'm hoping to put in writing most of what I know about swimming and continue to learn as much as I can about swimming faster faster. What I don't want you to do is set some sort of time related goal then miss it and be disappointed. So I write, put in the training, swim in a few meets and find out where you are. Though I do set time goals at the beginning of each season, lately I've found myself having to get real about what I'll be capable of at Zones in the 200 IM. Ande Originally posted by Blue Horn I agree completely with your assessment, I just wanted to add a time component to my goals, especially since the Woodlands meet is at the end of the summer. Right now, I would agree with your list that my goals should be to (1) train consistently (I am going 5 days a week and actually look forward to getting up at 4:50 am every morning) (2) definitely lose weight (I am 185 lbs and 5'10, but need to be down around 160-165: I have very broad shoulders and doubt that I could get any lower than that without suffering deleterious effects) and (3) improve my stamina, which is most important right now. Once I improve my stamina everything else should fall into place. As to my previous times, I had to quit swimming in HS to focus on football and keep my weight on (I should have stayed with swimming). Since I focused on *** stroke events and IMs in HS, I just don't recall my times from that far back. Plus, I now realize that my freestyle technique in HS was beyond pathetic. However, I didn't have any difficulties keeping the intervals. My current times: If I push of the wall I can do a 25 around 13 to 14 seconds, and I am right at the 30 second mark for the 50, but my 100 is around 1:18. I guess I am back to the stamina goal. FYI on my background: I shattered the head of my left humorous racing supercross about 6 years ago, and it really tooks its toll. I still don't have a full range of motion but I have noticed it getting much better recently. I am finally able to push it everyday without serious pain and numbness. Actually, these problems are now pretty much gone, so I am able to push it much harder. Thanks for all of your help, I really enjoy your posts. Hook'em Blue

hi blue, thanks Just do the best you can in each training session and make sensible eating and drinking choices out of the pool. when you do practice sets like 10 x 100 on not much rest work to keep smooth, push a little but not too much as you get in better shape you'll be able to hold faster times on faster intervals Do your fast training swims with someone timing you on a watch, so you'll know your practice times to the 10th of a second. Glad you like my posts. I'm hoping to put in writing most of what I know about swimming and continue to learn as much as I can about swimming faster faster. What I don't want you to do is set some sort of time related goal then miss it and be disappointed. So I write, put in the training, swim in a few meets and find out where you are. Though I do set time goals at the beginning of each season, lately I've found myself having to get real about what I'll be capable of at Zones in the 200 IM. Ande Originally posted by Blue Horn I agree completely with your assessment, I just wanted to add a time component to my goals, especially since the Woodlands meet is at the end of the summer. Right now, I would agree with your list that my goals should be to (1) train consistently (I am going 5 days a week and actually look forward to getting up at 4:50 am every morning) (2) definitely lose weight (I am 185 lbs and 5'10, but need to be down around 160-165: I have very broad shoulders and doubt that I could get any lower than that without suffering deleterious effects) and (3) improve my stamina, which is most important right now. Once I improve my stamina everything else should fall into place. As to my previous times, I had to quit swimming in HS to focus on football and keep my weight on (I should have stayed with swimming). Since I focused on *** stroke events and IMs in HS, I just don't recall my times from that far back. Plus, I now realize that my freestyle technique in HS was beyond pathetic. However, I didn't have any difficulties keeping the intervals. My current times: If I push of the wall I can do a 25 around 13 to 14 seconds, and I am right at the 30 second mark for the 50, but my 100 is around 1:18. I guess I am back to the stamina goal. FYI on my background: I shattered the head of my left humorous racing supercross about 6 years ago, and it really tooks its toll. I still don't have a full range of motion but I have noticed it getting much better recently. I am finally able to push it everyday without serious pain and numbness. Actually, these problems are now pretty much gone, so I am able to push it much harder. Thanks for all of your help, I really enjoy your posts. Hook'em Blue