Flip turns is just practice. Just force yourself every session and it will become normal. Control breathing out and really try to use momentum off the wall to save energy. Also consider losing the fly kick and just try to get good streamline and breakout a little earlier.
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I’d love to practice them properly but there are too many people in the pool and I always seem to kick off at an angle. I stopped doing them after I came up in the next lane and didn’t know what was going on!
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@Mr-me, Sounds like you are very similar to me, just a bit faster in all 3 disciplines. I’ve got no top end, especially swimming. On the bike on Zwift races, I can maitain 340w for 30 mins, however, bring on the sprint at the end, I am left spluttering as everyone zooms past me. I can run a 3:05 marathon, but struggle to get below 18:45 5km. earlier this year, when my swimming improved significantly I was swimming a 6:30 400m and managed a 1h4m 3800m in the pool, alas, not swimming as fast at the moment due to lack of pool time
The longer and more difficult the bike and run leg, the more competitive I am. However, I am determined (once again) to sort out the swim
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Yep, all sounds very familiar. I’ll check in from time to time to update my progress but will be I’ll be interested to hear how you get on over winter with the swimming.
You still thinking of racing Portugal in November? I heard some rumblings that it might actually be going ahead. I’m all done for this year and am (hopefully) racing Alpe D’huez next summer before doing Portugal 2021 which will be almost 2yrs to the day after my previous IM.
I’m getting increasingly worried that Portugal may indeed be taking place
Its now less than 5 weeks away. I had a couple of weeks of low intensity in September, it was nice to have a bit of a break, but been ramping the training for the past 3 weeks. Ideally I could drop a kilo or 2 as I put on a bit of weight over past 2 months.
Done some big bike sessions in past couple of weeks and an Ultra run at the weekend, so I’ve hit all the key sessions at the right time. Should be in top form in time for Cascais
It looks like Kona Qualifying will be tough given the depth of the field who have entered, it will be a great test to see how I stack up against some of the word’s best Ironman Athletes in my age group. A sub 10 hour would also be nice, it looks like a pretty fast bike course, but obviously in November on the Atlantic Coast, wind could be a big factor
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I was writing a post about swimming but it was TL;DR for me nevermind you.
In short, my current lack of fitness in the pool has highlighted how relatively unfit I have been in the water Vs on land in the past. I will work to resolve this.
What’s the consensus on the best swim TT?
1000m or 400/200m CSS?
What’s the goal?
I think fade is probably the biggest issue with me when swimming. I find even over the 400/200 test, I can get a good idea of my ability to maintain form and power.
I do however do some longer 1500/2000 efforts to see how the indicated CSS stacks up however. I’d personally train shorter reps CSS sessions (so 100s, 200s, 400s) to the 400/200 determined CSS, simply because they’re largely representative of what should be achievable over those distances.
Only really do IM and HIM, so goal is fastest at minimum effort
Last couple of 1km TTs I’ve done I’ve managed with a negative split (that was pre lockdown) so hopefully pacing was ok
I was more meaning what’s the goal of doing the test? What are you intending to do with the information you get from it?
A 400/200 CSS test for me is something I would use to set CSS based sessions off the back of it. As an example, if you’re not going to do traditional CSS based sessions, then I wouldn’t see much point in doing one of those tests.
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Mostly to track progress and make sure my intervals are the pace they need to be.
My 100’s off 1:45 are around 1:33 and below
200’s off 3:30 were all on 3:00 last week
I recall you having a diesel engine, but something seems wrong there?! You get faster the longer you go?!
If you’re doing shorter intervals like that, then I personally would see value in a repeatable test like the 400/200. The 400 still needs pacing, but less so than a 1 or 1.5k TT. And a lot of what I’ve taken from Hammerer over the years is about the importance of strength endurance when swimming. My swimming falls to pieces if I begin to lose my form through muscular fatigue rather than aerobic capacity. And I find a fast 400 really stresses that, as if I’m not in a good place, I’ll really tail off over that final 100m simply through an inability to keep moving water fast, rather than a lack of aerobic fitness.
I think I’ve posted this before but I really like the explanation of the use of a CSS test, other than just setting a training pace. I copied it from their website a few years ago and it seems to have been removed since.
Forget CSS for the most part. Train to a target not some arbitrary “threshold” figure made up by Swimsmooth. Filler, work on Beats Below Max , so do a test like 10x100 off 10seconds. Add 10secs to total and divide by 10, theres an off time for most sessions but just regular training you can sense paces anyway. No need for testing. Work out a swim max heaet rate by taking pulse for 10secs and multiply by 6 after a sprint or two. Do some sets at 5BBM or 10-20BBM or 40BBM. Mix it up, dont be a one pace pony. Dont forget stretch sets, to force adaptation to new paces. Swimming isn’t bike or run, threshold sets like SS 16x100 at CSS involves you doing 8 easy then 8 muscling through with poor form trying to hit targets. It’ll make you tired so you think good jawb but will result in poor form for half the session. Swim more good strokes is always the goal of any swim.
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Session of 100s
Session of 200s
Could be just the delay in pressing the lap button
Feel like I’m slowly getting back some swim fitness. 15x100 at lunchtime, off 15s rest, and managed to hold 1:31-1:33 for all of them.
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Hmm, maybe we just need to change what time we swim.
In my case 40 years ago!
Isn’t there some Japanese proverb about the best time to plant a tree is 40 years ago, the second best time is now.
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Interesting. I tend to find I swim best morning or lunchtime. I don’t like swimming in the evening. I feel slow and sluggish.
Lionel also said on the OA podcast once that he made big strides by starting to swim in the mornings, albeit he also linked that to the added implication of swimming fresh rather than after a bike/run session earlier in the day, and also swimming with a squad.
Not unique or new to swimming, same study been done many times across sports.