What distance is the minimum?

What event are you trying to prepare for? Swim it all out and that's a workout. The correct answer to "what distance is the minimum" is the length of your focus event, plus warm-up. Nobody ever believes this but I've prepared for events 50-500 this way and gotten lifetime bests.

Josh Davis has a unique method going around 3,000 yards a week. He did a lot of training using a swim tether, decked out in gym clothes and running shoes. www.floswimming.org/.../14214-josh-davis This is the gear he speaks about YouTube - Josh Davis using the HomeSwimmer system! ...although definitely not one of his high intensity practices.

What event are you trying to prepare for? Swim it all out and that's a workout. The correct answer to "what distance is the minimum" is the length of your focus event, plus warm-up. Nobody ever believes this but I've prepared for events 50-500 this way and gotten lifetime bests. I am training to turn 40 in shape. I have no masters program where I am but I anticipate moving soon and will join a proper program. I raced backstroke mostly in my day. Today I did 5x 100 swim w/10 sec in between. then 5 x 100 kick, 5 x 100 pull, then 5 x 50 at 90% same interval. meters. Its my third week and today I felt I could have done double that. lots left in the tank. just no time. feels good :)

I think 3000-4000 yards sounds about right. Any effort is better than none though. As you get in shape, you'll go faster and further. In the time it takes you to swim your 2000 you'll be able to 3000 or maybe 4000.

You guys are too much! I've been training an average of 3,000-4,000 yards PER WEEK for the 12 years I've been back in Masters and most would say I am an adequate swimmer (though my 59.18 100 IM this year was about 2.7 seconds slower than my 3rd place nationals finish in the 25-29 age group 35 years ago...my shoulders aren't as good at age 60, I guess!). If you're talking minimum, I think 1000 yards 3x per week is closer to it, with fewer joint issues from overuse. Of course, 200's are usually my racing limit, distance-wise. Train smart, not long! My main set is 8x25's with about 10 seconds rest, descending times. Thank you!! I just joined USMS last year and have yet to swim in a meet. When I read the workout articles in Swimmer magazine I feel very intimidated. Then I wondered why in the world you need to swim 4-5000 meter per workout to compete in a 50 or even 500 meter event. I compete in triathlons and find if you train 10-15% farther/faster than the race distance in each event you will do pretty well.

What event are you trying to prepare for? Swim it all out and that's a workout. The correct answer to "what distance is the minimum" is the length of your focus event, plus warm-up. Nobody ever believes this but I've prepared for events 50-500 this way and gotten lifetime bests. Oh good! That's what I do! I swim 2000 meters 3 times a week as fast as I can maintain the entire time. I'm a female 56 y.o. and my average 50 yd lap time is 55:26. I am mainly training for tris but hope to compete in some USMS events this spring and summer. Can I hope to be competitive in my age group?

slackers

Oh good! That's what I do! I swim 2000 meters 3 times a week as fast as I can maintain the entire time. I'm a female 56 y.o. and my average 50 yd lap time is 55:26. I am mainly training for tris but hope to compete in some USMS events this spring and summer. Can I hope to be competitive in my age group? I've found that a quick way to get depressed & to feel very inadequate is to spend any amount of time on these forums :sad:-- especially on the ones involving how impossibly fast a lot of other people can swim. . . so I just don't read those much anymore, & concentrate on ones like this post. :) I used to just try to get as many yards as possible during my master's workouts, & also when I swam on my own. Lately, however, I have been emphasing "quality, not quantity". IOW I now try to get time hacks for both my 'easy' segments, & 'fast' ones (especially during master's workouts). Also, kick fast on kick sets, take rests where needed, but also push myself into tighter intervals. So I have these benchmarks I try to beat (I keep a log of them), & when I do, I 'raise the bar higher'. I think that, more than anything, doing that has gotten me faster (I will NOT disclose my times because I feel that most people would snicker at them :-(. But, I feel I'm getting faster :applaud:. Typically our master's workouts are about 4500 yards, which I 'eventually' will finish (I can stay past our workout time :) to do so). On my own I do considerably less distance, but as mentioned work on my times & technique -- I think it's helping me! As for "being competitive in your age group", I just don't see how very many people can be . . . considering the caliber of seemingly many USMS swimmers . . . my :2cents:

As for "being competitive in your age group", I just don't see how very many people can be . . . considering the caliber of seemingly many USMS swimmers . . . my :2cents: It depends on how you define "competitive in your age group". While I am particularly mediocre for most events, I can still set a competitive goal....eg being in the top 50 for 100 free. Right now my time is no 47 and I'm not going to nationals, so I think that goal has been missed.:afraid: Its also why I'm swimming fly like a crazy woman as I hope to get a top 10 for the 200 LCM. So you can always be competitive, even if you're not going for a record breaking swim!

A friend of mine swims 1500 meters max, 3 times a week. He keeps himself in shape by way of weight lifting. He is a sprinter. His events are 50 Free, 50 Fly, and 100 IM. However, a few of my teammates are swimming 3500 three or four times a week. They are doing weight lifting 2 days a week. They are going to participate in the Canadian nationals this year. They have great chances of winning top 3. I think you must choose your events in order to plan a minimum.