I need some workout advice. My goal is to get my 100 Free time under 1:00. Right now I am at about a 1:05. I only get 45 minutes in the water each day. I need some thoughts on what type of sets I should be doing. this morning I did 10 100's, 8 of them on the 1:25 and mixed in 2 on the 1:20.
Should I be doing sets where I try to hold 1:10's and under but take more rest in between or sets like I did this morning. Anyone with thoughts??
Thanks and Merry Christmas to all.
Tom,
How do you feel when racing a 100?
What is your strategy in the race itself?
Simple things to work on are dives, streamlines and turns. While most people will tell you improvements here give you only fractions of a second benefit, I would tend to disagree. It is all about momentum, and how you enter the water - and use walls - will not only give you some benefits there, but also as you swim. A better dive will get you more momentum in your breakout, and your starting speed will be a bit quicker. From there, you'll be able to speed into your turn and use that momentum to tumble faster. With a great push-off and streamline, the process repeats.
Personally, I find it helpful to train long for short events. Training for a 500 free has been more beneficial for my 50/100/200 in the last three years than it has for the 500. Working through those longer swims, I've gotten comfortable swimming through the pain of the bonking process to the point where I am able to maintain speed while in the process of bonking.
Try a set of descending swims, descend 1-4 to all out, then hold on a 5th - that is good stuff right there.
This morning my splits for the 100 were 32 and 33. The last lap of that 100 was tough. I could really feel my stroke deteriorating. so it seems most are in agreement that my workouts should be focusing on race pace as much as possible. Doing 100's, 50's and 25's as fast as I can, but then taking more rest?
Coachtoml,
I couldn't tell from the posts, are you talking 1:00 SCY or LCM? I'm going to assume you are talking SCY.
It really seems to me that you need help learning how to race in a sprint. For the 100 and 200 FR the SCY pool will really favor the swimmer with better starts and turnes.
I'm guessing you are the kind of swimmer that breathes every 2 strokes... and takes alot of strokes per length. (15 is alot) I'd work on learning how to extend your start and walls... learning exactly where you need to breath in each lap for a given race...
for example, in my SCY hundred I breath twice in the first last (not sooners than 5 strokes out), 5 times in the 2nd lap, 5 in the 3rd lap and 4 in the final lap. Do you know how many breathes you are taking?
I also only kick enough to rotate my stroke until 3-4 strokes out from the 2nd turn, then I start kicking for drive. Learning to do this properly fixed my splits so they are even, or slightly negative. My last race I split 24.9/25.6.
Keep working on it, you will get there! Don't beat yourself up... It's not your fault you don't know this stuff yet... teaching this is why most teams have 'sprint groups'.. something I have not seen much of at masters programs.
