Swimming for Hammers and Spoons

It’s a good way to actually make 200m hard feel pretty manageable :sweat_smile:

Massively. I was so pleased to get back down to 200.

So, I thought I’d do a set of 400s, my first in I can’t remember how long. Which is probably quite telling, in that it’s the session I really suffered (performance wise) for not doing in the last year or so. I also kept my w/u drills before the main set down to 500, inc only 50 kick ; again 1k w/u & drills before a set is probably overkill for me!

I swam 4x400 with 40s RI, and at no point did I feel like I was blowing or ragged…6:33/29/30/29 :sunglasses: So maybe my old benchmark 5x400 off 7:00 isn’t so far off after all.

Feeling pleased.

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Just did
150 mixed WU
150 mixed CD

With a quick main of 5*200s off 3:30
Made them all under 3:02.x

Arms bloody kill. Getting out of bed was hard work this morning.

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So you should be swimming 400 reps in around 6:10 then :wink:

I’ll give it a go next week!

Half term from tomorrow, so my arms will get a mini-break of 3/4 days of no swimming.

Start back off with some 50s on Tuesday and try some 400s on Weds - VOM!

Just had a look at my Cotswold Classic swim, 62 SPM (garmin has it as 31) @ 1:28 pace.

Had a crack at 50m kick (on my back with no board), 55s.

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Oh, pi55 off :rofl:

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Hah - maybe kicking on back without a board is quicker!?

Takes me longer than that to do 25m :frowning:

I kick faster on my back as well, but it’s all good practice

I like kicking on my back because I can breathe without trying to perform some weird head up/sideways movement, taking in a mouthful of water and losing any momentum.

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At least 725m of kick in this mornings session.
My ankles are toasted. As well as my arms and lats.
No more swimming for three days now

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Was that a group session, or do you just hate yourself right now?

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I had my best ever training session yesterday. Joined the fast group and managed to keep up easily. Main set was 10 X 100 in under 1m35 off 2m, I managed each one in 1:30 - 1:32, a lot of drafting involved, however, I have never managed to keep up with the group at this pace before. After we did 5 X 100 at 1:45 off 2:00 and I found it ridiculously easy, I have never found 1:45 easy before

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I’d be cruising 1:25s in a draft line in a pool :sweat_smile:

Group session.
Drafting at 1:25/100 for the final 1200m (6*200s)
Hard work when it’s your turn at the front :face_vomiting::face_vomiting::face_vomiting:

That’s were the training effect happens! Although there’s no chance of me swimming a 2:50 200m at the moment. I could manage 100s in the pack though.

So today I did another long overdue session…I swam a whole 1500m in the pool without aids…or stopping! :grin: So add that to the 400s, and I’ve had quite a good couple of days going back to building some speed endurance. Negative split too; 13:01 through hallway and finished in 25:41. Just need to up my game to get back to comfortably below 25 in the pool again. At my best I was around 23:00 wetsuit in a triathlon, but that was over 5 years ago now. In fact I haven’t done a Std Dist since 2014!

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Under 25 is the criteria for being able to sign up for our clubs Wednesday morning swim group. I’m normally at the back of the slow lane (session is max of 12… 2x6), and our main sets will generally be “off” 1:35 or 1:40 pace. So 100s off 1:35-1:40; 200s off 3:10-3:20; etc.

Most of the time, if I truly try and swim at between what the coach defines as tempo and cruise pace, I’m getting a few seconds at most recovery when we’re doing 10-15x100 off 1:35 (factoring in the benefit of the draft).

The faster lane (who are generally all happy swimming 1:20ish pace and even below) just tend to get more rest, and less frequently go off a faster turnaround and do more reps.