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 --
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Thanks again Chris and Paul.
Chris, I purposely did not select a first set of 100s or 200s b/c I'm very aware of how much that will hurt. I need to build up gradually to pain.
With the 8x50s they were supposed to be all out. If we do 200 race pace (that same set), we'll do them on 1:00 and often 1 EZ / 1 FAST (not 2:00). I was thinking all out 100% should have been on 3:00 perhaps? And yeah, I don't want to think about 200s yet.
Although to the coaches' credit we do always end the practice with a 200 or a few 100s or 50s fast for time. I don't know if that counts for speed work. I would guess not b/c we usually have done anywhere from 5,000 to 8,500 yards by then. Although this year, I'm nailing out some faster swims (as compared to when I first started this.) And no, I don't do that much yardage every day. In fact, I swim LESS than when I swam masters b/c I alternate days on and days off. Tomorrow, I don't plan on doing more than 3K. Max.
Paul, I'll PM you. Appreciate it!
Thanks again Chris and Paul.
Chris, I purposely did not select a first set of 100s or 200s b/c I'm very aware of how much that will hurt. I need to build up gradually to pain.
With the 8x50s they were supposed to be all out. If we do 200 race pace (that same set), we'll do them on 1:00 and often 1 EZ / 1 FAST (not 2:00). I was thinking all out 100% should have been on 3:00 perhaps? And yeah, I don't want to think about 200s yet.
Although to the coaches' credit we do always end the practice with a 200 or a few 100s or 50s fast for time. I don't know if that counts for speed work. I would guess not b/c we usually have done anywhere from 5,000 to 8,500 yards by then. Although this year, I'm nailing out some faster swims (as compared to when I first started this.) And no, I don't do that much yardage every day. In fact, I swim LESS than when I swam masters b/c I alternate days on and days off. Tomorrow, I don't plan on doing more than 3K. Max.
Paul, I'll PM you. Appreciate it!
