Swim improvements - share them here (Page 2)

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2008-10-13 6:00 AM
in reply to: #1731705

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Subject: RE: Swim improvements - share them here
Wo, Coach Gordo in the house!

All I can say is patience, Grasshopper. I have been steadily improving though for me it comes slowly. What has worked:

drills that make sense to me
mindful swimming
frequent swimming
enjoying swimming

It is interesting to study and practice practice practice all the facets that make up a swim stroke. I also changed my benchmark from a Masters-style all out sprint time/100m to tri-style super efficient, less kicking, better time/100m at more moderate effort. The all out sprint approach or real high yardage per swim just resulted in my form falling apart/shoulder injury/burnout attitude.


2008-10-13 12:19 PM
in reply to: #1734093

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Subject: RE: Swim improvements - share them here
camy - 2008-10-10 5:23 PM

My opinion is it's not ALL about technique. I think that's just a crutch used like buying a bike that "fits" best. It's hard to quantify, but sure is thrown out there often. If it were ALL about technique, the top female  would be as fast as the top male swimmers. Turns out, the difference (%) in top male/female times are about the same as is for track events.Certainly males don't physiologically have better technique, right?

I guess it's also hard to define what technique is. To me, simply, it's the part of swimming that focuses on reducing resistance and increasing efficiency. So, body position, stroke timing, high elbow, etc all fall under this. Kick & pull strength focus/drills and hard sets would not be something of technique.

For someone (like the OP) swimming a sustained pace of 1:54 per 100, they need to work hard on both to see the most improvements. Also, I'm a firm believer that you need to spend at least 4 days a week swimming to see big improvements.

 

Edited to add. I'm not a fast swimmer and have plenty to improve upon. I get destroyed by real swimmers several times a week and know my place. I'm just tired of hearing it's all about technique when I had my biggest gains by swimming lots and doing alot of speedwork (ie building strength).

I agree.  It's not just technique.  You can swim 40k+  a week doing nothing but drills and technique work and you'll be a fantastic slow swimmer.  It's about building technique at pace.  If you never swim fast, you will never get a feeling for what swimming fast is like.

Personally my biggest improvements have come from high frequency in the pool.  It seems 5+ is my magic number.  I know I'm swimming enough when the first 200 I do feel fast and effortless.  Swimming twice a day (focus on form in morning and intervals in evening) at least once a week has also been a great help.

But take it with a grain of salt.  I am a consistent 1:50 per 100 swimmer

2008-10-13 12:56 PM
in reply to: #1731705

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Subject: RE: Swim improvements - share them here

So I can't expect much improvement only swimming 3x/wk, max, as I plan to do over this winter?   Bummer.  Really? 

I'm really not into lap swimming but do 2x/wk OWS in the summers.  I thought I would focus for 2 months on swimming over the winter, and if my time per 100m can drop from 1:55 to 1:45, then it'd be worth it to maybe continue, but if not, then I'd live with comfortable, even if mediocre paced, swimming.

2008-10-13 12:56 PM
in reply to: #1731705

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Subject: RE: Swim improvements - share them here

This is so simple.

I am a sinker with rigid ankles. I have my 4 year old daughter in a swim class at the Y. They were trying to teach the kids to kick instead of bicyle. The instructor told her to make a little splash with her feet to ensure they were at the surface. I though it was a good idea so the next morning I focused on this. My 100 length (not lap) time went from best of 58:15 to 55:38. I was very happy with this simple suggestion.

 

chevy57

 

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