Cesar Cielo is fastest swimmer in the world -- 25 yards in 8.88 to the foot -- he was just trying to "maintain" on the second 25...
There are 3 ways to swim faster in any given race:
1) Improve your technique -- if you become more effecient in your technique, your times will drop across the board
2) Maintain a pace as close as possible to maximum speed -- You can hold your maximum speed for 6-8 seconds. There are no swim races of that length - so when training for any swimming race (50 up the mile), you are trying to maintain a pace as close to your maximum speed as possible.
3) Get Faster = improve your maximum speed
I would say on average, Masters swimmers (and age-groupers) spend their in the water workout season according to the following breakdown (rough guess):
1) Improving technique = 20-30%
2) Maintaining close to max = 65-79%
3) Improving Max Speed = 1-5%
Think about it -- if you swim 4-5 times per week, that equals about 20 hours a month. Did you spend more than a full hour in October on maximum speed ?
This Thread is all about Category 3 -- Improving your Max Speed --
Would this be considered kosher? Would it piss lanemates or the coach off even if you explained your particular needs?
It certainly wouldn't piss me off, seeing as how you specified that part of the program would be advance notice to the others in the lane. To me, modifying the workout in a courteous and non-disruptive way, to address personal goals or injury or whatever, is more "leading by example" than "causing trouble."
Would this be considered kosher? Would it piss lanemates or the coach off even if you explained your particular needs?
It certainly wouldn't piss me off, seeing as how you specified that part of the program would be advance notice to the others in the lane. To me, modifying the workout in a courteous and non-disruptive way, to address personal goals or injury or whatever, is more "leading by example" than "causing trouble."
