Yes, and drills. Good time to seek a coaches advice and even some video analysis to see what areas you need to focus on.
1 Like
Reps? Yes
But gaining an understanding of areas to develop technique will help short circuit the development (if such a thing is possible).
1 Like
So i swam again today. That’s 2 weeks in a row.
Last week i did 4 x 500m of continuous swimming at the one pace that i possess. Today i did 2 x 1000m and 1 x 500m. Felt a fair bit stronger for the first 1000m this time, after just one week which was positive. Slowly got slower and slower as the session went on, but felt slightly less so than last week.
I was trying to pay attention to my stroke etc and noted that i’m a lazy glider. Clearly from barely swimming in the last 10 years, with most of the times i have bothered being out at sea in a wetsuit. I tried to up my stroke rate a bit to counter, which feels like the right thing to do? But it was my fitness that pretty much immediately derailed that. I was getting knackered very quickly.
I’m never going to be a dedicated swimmer. So what’s best here? Keep upping the distance and getting really comfortable with my one pace over more and more distance? Or break it down into 400s or 500s and have better form/swim faster during the intervals? I think i need a few more weeks of just swimming before i’m even going to think about any faster reps etc.
Shortly i’ll jump in the sea and try to up the swims to 2 x a week. But the sea swim will obviously be very conditions dependant. Looking back i was swimming in May last year in the sea. But with the rubbish spring that we’ve had so far, that feels crazy as it just hasn’t warmed up properly yet.
Looking at my Veloviewer, looks like i’m on for a stellar swim year!! 
ETA i’m not looking to set the world on fire in Sept! a 70-75 min swim but not being totally exhausted will suit me fine (conditions dependant of course)
6 Likes
400/500s?!
Mad man - give some shorter reps a go, 50s, 100/200s - I’d very much work up to 400/500s.
Also throw in some quick 25s and really get the arms turning over
2 Likes
They sound worse!!!
Don’t forget that 500s are just me plodding up and down! I have no speed whatsoever in the pool!!!
Pool is a tad busy for churning up and down. But could certainly try some 1s and 2s without too much fuss i guess. Other than my failing/flailing body
2 Likes
If I started doing 500s I think that would have killed me, dead arms/shoulders and completely drained. I don’t think I’m a particularly efficient swimmer though so I find the shorter reps easier to start with.
Over the three sessions I currently do one is made up of shorter stuff, one longer and the third generally is a pyramid
2 Likes
500s are too long, both for speed & focusing on technique.
W/U
Drills
Main set
C/D
2 Likes
Agree with the others. Just because we’re saying shorter reps doesn’t mean you have to do them harder, can still relax at the same effort
1000s can wait til at least July.
3 Likes
Roger that people.
I think i’m just a bit afraid of what might look like actually ‘training’ for the swim … as then i can’t hide behind my usual excuse!
#fearoffailure
But point taken and will implement soon. Though drills may be a step too far !m
3 Likes
I have to go to Bath for work, does anyone have any pool recommendations?
University has a 50m pool that is open to the public at times?
3 Likes
Aw what a shame. I can tell you are truly gutted…
3 Likes
Arh, who will I laugh at when I get tired at the end of my 2k swims?
1 Like
1x masters swim, 2x OW swim per week is decent.
Quality and progressive overload is what you want…even a basic written training plan will help. All long sets won’t train good stroke mechanics, self assessment won’t teach better technique.
3 Likes
Cheers.
Yeah I’d love (well maybe not love! 
) to get to a masters swim but the times don’t really work for me unfortunately. That’s what I did 10 yrs ago when I did Wales. And it definitely helped. I guess the reality is I could shuffle stuff if I properly tried, but just not sure I’m dedicated enough to the cause.
I looked back over my training plan actually for that build. I’d average 2/3 swims a week for about 1.6hrs.
So, maybe if I can be a bit more disciplined in a pool once a week, and then top up with one sea swim. I should be able to fit that in with a bit of luck. That should get me somewhere I hope.
3 Likes
Roughly speaking what paces are you swimming?
My default is around 2.00/100m
When I start it’s a bit quicker, and I end up a bit slower.
IM Wales 2013 I swam a 1.10.
In my halves I was swimming about 35, but they were off literally a handful (count on one hand) of token ow swims.
If I could swim 1.15 at Wales in Sept (conditions dependant of course) and not be battered. I’d be happy enough with that to start my day.
1 Like
Not strictly true, you can play at trial and error using stroke rate and stroke counting to assess if it works or not. Could learn a lot by watching the tubes and trying to replicate and assessing. simple thing is to stick a nome in , set to say 50, count strokes and if you take les per length you know you are doing something well. Using a pull buoy can help with front quadrant changes to take kick from the equation also.
4 Likes
Anyone here do the butterfly start you see some pros do?