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

hi Syd, great to hear from you sorry it took so long to respond I started this same thread in general so I'd be more likely to see it forums.usms.org/showthread.php you wrote: my goals are: 56 100m fr, 25 50m fr and 2:09.9 200m free You asked: How can I make a significant improvement on my times? First specify the tenths and hundredths of your goals which goal is most important to you? Train for that one Train to sprint 1) do fast 15's, 25's, 50's and 100's with plenty of rest get timed 2) get a hi-neck fast skin suit 3) lift weights and get strong 4) keep training consistently 5) Read Swim Faster Faster and apply the sprint tips forums.usms.org/showthread.php you're off to a strong start good luck ande ps I answered more of your questions in this thread forums.usms.org/showpost.php This is my first post. I have been lurking for about a month trying to absorb the wealth of information on this site but the sheer volume of it all is quite overwhelming and the search function does not always yield the results I want it to, so forgive me if I repeat some questions others have already asked. I last competed when I was 16 years old. I turned 40 two weeks ago. Don't be alarmed, I have exercised in the interim. I ran half marathons in my early 20's, played waterpolo in my late 20's, have swum laps intermittently and have regularly used the Royal Canadian Airforce 5BX plan. (Anyone else on this site used that fitness routine?) Unfortunately, as my father once scandalously said, and I scandalously repeat, I don't know whether I learned to talk first or smoke first and my bouts of exercise have been punctuated by a pack a day. I kicked it finally over three years ago. About a year ago I started swimming regularly: 3 - 4 times a week and covering a distance of only 1000m each session. Typically I would do a 500m warm up followed by 10 x 50m at the fastest pace I could manage, allowing myself enough rest between each 50 to maintain a really fast sprint. That meant taking anything from 2- 4 mins rest between each 50m. This worked pretty well and my time for 50m got faster until it levelled out at about 27 secs. This was roughly what I used to do when I was 16. To be honest it was such a long time ago I can't remember but I don't think I ever went 26. My fastest time back then (Summer of '83) for the 100m was 57. I never trained particularly hard and my coaches weren't particularly good either. I remember my one coach used to bark "1000m crawl. Take your marks, (and then he would utter this strange guttural sound, emulating a starting gun) HUT!" and off he would go into his office to read the newspaper. My other coach, although a much more likeable fellow never really gave me any advice on my stroke and how it could be improved. In his defence, though, I never showed enough interest that would motivate him to spend time and effort on me! About 7 months ago I upped my distance to 2000m a workout, adding a set of 10 x 100m at 2 min intervals. I would start the first one off at a slow 1:20 and descend the set until I was doing the final one at about 1:05. That exhausted me when I first started doing it. It paid off. 3 months ago I got a friend to time me off the blocks in 50LCM pool and I went 26:52. It didn't feel smooth though. I was fighting the water. About that time I found this site and realised the need to increase my distance considerably. I now swim 6 times a week, doing 4000m four times a week and 2500m twice a week. A 4000m session might typically include: 500m warm up, 5 x 200m @ 3:15, 10 x 100 @ 1:45 or 1:30, 500m kick (alternating 50 free, 50 fly, 50 ***), 40 x 25m @ 30secs (alternating free and fly). Sometimes I will do 20 X 100 instead of the 200's but otherwise that is pretty much it. Not much variation. On the shorter days I will focus more on sprinting. Now I haven't got anyone to time me again so I don't know if my 50 time has improved or not ( I suspect it might have marginally but probably not that much) however my stamina certainly has. To give you an example I can now do those 10 X 100m's @ 1:45 mainting 1:08 for all of them and then with and extra 2 mins rest after the 9th one, do the final one in 59. I should mention at this point I am quite addicted to my swimming workouts. I have to force myself to take one day off a week and I hate doing it. I am having so much fun swimming. It was never this much fun when I was a kid. My question: how can I make a significant improvement on my times? My problem areas: My Kick - practically non-existent, my legs cross over the whole time and I have no idea if I have a six beat or two beat kick. It most certainly can't be a 6 beats per stroke but it could quite conceivably be 6 per 25m. Quite frankly I don't know how I would go about calculating it. I am so busy trying to breathe smoothly and pull efficiently that I couldn't possibly, at the same time, divert my attention to count my kick as well. Everything would go to pieces. For the most part it feels as if my legs drag lazily behind me. SDK - I had no idea what that was until I joined this site - honest. Mine is terribly weak as I discovered. Starts - have only done one of those in the last 24 years! Other strokes. I swim a pretty competent Fly. Breastroke is ok but then whose isn't? Backstroke is my worst. I feel like there is water going up my nose and I am about to drown. I swim in fear of breaking my hand against the wall and can't wait to turn over onto my stomach again. What else is relevant? Ok, perhaps my goals. I would like to do 56 for the 100m, 25 for the 50m and go under 2:10 for the 200m free. I would also like to add a 50 fly and maybe a 100 fly as 4th and 5th events. Oh, I didn't mention that I train on my own. Swimming is not a big sport in Taiwan and I have yet to find someone to train with. I am constantly racing the clock. Also I imagine I have this 'other swimmer' in the lane next to me who is always a shoulder length ahead and this helps a lot. Finally, I am really impressed with the solid advice on this site and have been motivated in no small way by the encouragements. I think of Ande in particular. Syd

hi Syd, great to hear from you sorry it took so long to respond I started this same thread in general so I'd be more likely to see it forums.usms.org/showthread.php you wrote: my goals are: 56 100m fr, 25 50m fr and 2:09.9 200m free You asked: How can I make a significant improvement on my times? First specify the tenths and hundredths of your goals which goal is most important to you? Train for that one Train to sprint 1) do fast 15's, 25's, 50's and 100's with plenty of rest get timed 2) get a hi-neck fast skin suit 3) lift weights and get strong 4) keep training consistently 5) Read Swim Faster Faster and apply the sprint tips forums.usms.org/showthread.php you're off to a strong start good luck ande ps I answered more of your questions in this thread forums.usms.org/showpost.php This is my first post. I have been lurking for about a month trying to absorb the wealth of information on this site but the sheer volume of it all is quite overwhelming and the search function does not always yield the results I want it to, so forgive me if I repeat some questions others have already asked. I last competed when I was 16 years old. I turned 40 two weeks ago. Don't be alarmed, I have exercised in the interim. I ran half marathons in my early 20's, played waterpolo in my late 20's, have swum laps intermittently and have regularly used the Royal Canadian Airforce 5BX plan. (Anyone else on this site used that fitness routine?) Unfortunately, as my father once scandalously said, and I scandalously repeat, I don't know whether I learned to talk first or smoke first and my bouts of exercise have been punctuated by a pack a day. I kicked it finally over three years ago. About a year ago I started swimming regularly: 3 - 4 times a week and covering a distance of only 1000m each session. Typically I would do a 500m warm up followed by 10 x 50m at the fastest pace I could manage, allowing myself enough rest between each 50 to maintain a really fast sprint. That meant taking anything from 2- 4 mins rest between each 50m. This worked pretty well and my time for 50m got faster until it levelled out at about 27 secs. This was roughly what I used to do when I was 16. To be honest it was such a long time ago I can't remember but I don't think I ever went 26. My fastest time back then (Summer of '83) for the 100m was 57. I never trained particularly hard and my coaches weren't particularly good either. I remember my one coach used to bark "1000m crawl. Take your marks, (and then he would utter this strange guttural sound, emulating a starting gun) HUT!" and off he would go into his office to read the newspaper. My other coach, although a much more likeable fellow never really gave me any advice on my stroke and how it could be improved. In his defence, though, I never showed enough interest that would motivate him to spend time and effort on me! About 7 months ago I upped my distance to 2000m a workout, adding a set of 10 x 100m at 2 min intervals. I would start the first one off at a slow 1:20 and descend the set until I was doing the final one at about 1:05. That exhausted me when I first started doing it. It paid off. 3 months ago I got a friend to time me off the blocks in 50LCM pool and I went 26:52. It didn't feel smooth though. I was fighting the water. About that time I found this site and realised the need to increase my distance considerably. I now swim 6 times a week, doing 4000m four times a week and 2500m twice a week. A 4000m session might typically include: 500m warm up, 5 x 200m @ 3:15, 10 x 100 @ 1:45 or 1:30, 500m kick (alternating 50 free, 50 fly, 50 ***), 40 x 25m @ 30secs (alternating free and fly). Sometimes I will do 20 X 100 instead of the 200's but otherwise that is pretty much it. Not much variation. On the shorter days I will focus more on sprinting. Now I haven't got anyone to time me again so I don't know if my 50 time has improved or not ( I suspect it might have marginally but probably not that much) however my stamina certainly has. To give you an example I can now do those 10 X 100m's @ 1:45 mainting 1:08 for all of them and then with and extra 2 mins rest after the 9th one, do the final one in 59. I should mention at this point I am quite addicted to my swimming workouts. I have to force myself to take one day off a week and I hate doing it. I am having so much fun swimming. It was never this much fun when I was a kid. My question: how can I make a significant improvement on my times? My problem areas: My Kick - practically non-existent, my legs cross over the whole time and I have no idea if I have a six beat or two beat kick. It most certainly can't be a 6 beats per stroke but it could quite conceivably be 6 per 25m. Quite frankly I don't know how I would go about calculating it. I am so busy trying to breathe smoothly and pull efficiently that I couldn't possibly, at the same time, divert my attention to count my kick as well. Everything would go to pieces. For the most part it feels as if my legs drag lazily behind me. SDK - I had no idea what that was until I joined this site - honest. Mine is terribly weak as I discovered. Starts - have only done one of those in the last 24 years! Other strokes. I swim a pretty competent Fly. Breastroke is ok but then whose isn't? Backstroke is my worst. I feel like there is water going up my nose and I am about to drown. I swim in fear of breaking my hand against the wall and can't wait to turn over onto my stomach again. What else is relevant? Ok, perhaps my goals. I would like to do 56 for the 100m, 25 for the 50m and go under 2:10 for the 200m free. I would also like to add a 50 fly and maybe a 100 fly as 4th and 5th events. Oh, I didn't mention that I train on my own. Swimming is not a big sport in Taiwan and I have yet to find someone to train with. I am constantly racing the clock. Also I imagine I have this 'other swimmer' in the lane next to me who is always a shoulder length ahead and this helps a lot. Finally, I am really impressed with the solid advice on this site and have been motivated in no small way by the encouragements. I think of Ande in particular. Syd