Here's the situation. I'm 29 years old and one year back from a 10 year retirement stint. It feels like I'm still trying to remember how to race (that first meet was tough), but things are coming around. It certainly isn't as easy as it used to be. But I'm getting away from the point.
Currently, I train myself. I'm in the water about an hour a day and training in a short course (25 Y) pool. I shoot for 3,000 yards in a one hour session. But quite frankly, I find that my long course swimming isn't as good as it should be. By the end of the race, I'm struggling. In short course, however, I've still got the power I need to crash the walls. My short course times showed good improvement over the winter season, but my long course times remain unchanged from last year. It doesn't take a geneous to figure out that I am screwing something up with my training. My typical sets are as follows:
- 10x100 on 1:45 or 1:30
- 12x50 IM style 1-6 fist lap, 7-12 last lap on 1:00
- 12x75 pull on 1:20
- 8x150 kick-drill-swim odds are fly/free even are back/free on 2:45
- 9x75 IM style 1-3 first lap, 4-6 second lap, 7-9 last lap on 1:30
- Water Polo Pyramid 25-50-75-100-100-75-50-25 utilizes head-up swimming, backstroke, freestyle, and underwater swims with a 30s base interval
- Broken 1000 (400-300-200-100) (normally a warm-up)
- 5x200 (1&5-Freestyle, 2&4-Even Lap IM order, 3-IM)
- 10x100 kick w/ fins (fly and free) on 1:45
- 10x50 kick w/ fins fly/free on 55s.
Are there certain sets that I should, or shouldn't, be doing with a short course training facility that would help me prepare better for the long course races??? I'm dying here because the big season is the summer season, and my long course swimming is falling apart. Looking for some help on this one. Thanks.
Former Member
I did actually train in that pool last summer with the USA Swimming club here in town. That's the status of that pool now. You have to either be in cahoots with the Club or pay their registration fee to train with them (something like $47 a month). And if I weren't already paying for the Rec Center training facility, I would consider this. And last year, they wouldn't let me train with them unless I was a full fledged member of their club. That lasted a summer, as I hated their fees and organization skills. That's why I'm training on my own now. For now, getting into that facility just isn't in the mix, for time, money, and energy on my part.
David:
Is it possible for you to workout in a 50 meter pool. I not sure if there is one by where you live but it would be worth it to check it out and see. You would be surprised at how much your Long Course swimming times would improve if you were to work out in a Long Course pool even if its 2 to 3 times a week.
David:
I just remembered the pool that I was thinking of. Its called the Campbell County Aquatic Center and its has a very nice state of the art Natatorium pool. One of my friends was visting there many years ago and he got some good Long Course workouts in. He said it had good hours both in the mornings and evenings. So if you live near there I would suggest getting some workouts in if you can.
Distances: To be brutally honest, I don't do anything over 100 M (Y) unless it's an IM, and in that case, it's the 200 variety. I don't train enough to be able to do the longer races (200's, 400's, 1000's, and 1500's). Nothing more than 100 for me, sir.
Strokes: In my one year out of retirement, I've swam two (2) IM races (one in meters and one in yards). The 50 and 100 Freestyle are staples in my event line-up. Since returning, I've also added the 100 Fly to the mix, and even snagged a lifetime best. I also do the 100 backstroke, only because I want to get a little more out of my meets (I don't want to suit up for just one race). So, the backstroke is more of a filler race for me, though I do look to improve. The IM I do just because. The races I really focus on on the freestyle and butterfly races. And I wouldn't have been so worried about the butterfly if I didn't improve as much as I did.
Does this answer your questions???? A little much, I suppose.
