General Discussion Triathlon Talk » How many yards should I do over the next 3 weeks Rss Feed  
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2008-03-14 2:48 PM

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Subject: How many yards should I do over the next 3 weeks

My 1st tri is in 4 weeks.  The last week will be a taper.  3 weeks of training left.

The swim in .5 miles, bike 10, run 4.  I am good on the bike and run.  Just maintaining those.  I need to focus on the swim.

After starting about 4 weeks ago, I put in 9200 yards starting from zero.  Or 2300 a week average (last 2 were 3300).  I think I am seeing now that my progress is slow partly because I am not putting in enough yards.

I had a swim lesson yesterday and 2 more over the next 2 weeks. 

I am trying to set a goal for the number of yards I should put in between now and the tri on April 12th.  I am willing to swim 6 days a week or double up on a few days if I miss.  Right now, after a taper, I could probably do 200 yards straight.  I would love to be able to do maybe 500yds, rest then 250, rest then 150 to total 900.  I would be fairly happy with that or better.

How many yards do you think I should go for to make some significant improvements assuming that I am working hard on form at the same time. 

I am thinking something like 30,000-35,000 yrds or 1500-1800.  This would be about an hour in the pool each day for me but may hopefully will get better as I train.  More or less?

Thanks.



2008-03-14 4:00 PM
in reply to: #1272632

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Subject: RE: How many yards should I do over the next 3 weeks
trimore - 2008-03-14 2:48 PM

My 1st tri is in 4 weeks. The last week will be a taper. 3 weeks of training left.

The swim in .5 miles, bike 10, run 4. I am good on the bike and run. Just maintaining those. I need to focus on the swim.

After starting about 4 weeks ago, I put in 9200 yards starting from zero. Or 2300 a week average (last 2 were 3300). I think I am seeing now that my progress is slow partly because I am not putting in enough yards.

I had a swim lesson yesterday and 2 more over the next 2 weeks.

I am trying to set a goal for the number of yards I should put in between now and the tri on April 12th. I am willing to swim 6 days a week or double up on a few days if I miss. Right now, after a taper, I could probably do 200 yards straight. I would love to be able to do maybe 500yds, rest then 250, rest then 150 to total 900. I would be fairly happy with that or better.

How many yards do you think I should go for to make some significant improvements assuming that I am working hard on form at the same time.

I am thinking something like 30,000-35,000 yrds or 1500-1800. This would be about an hour in the pool each day for me but may hopefully will get better as I train. More or less?

Thanks.



I think your goal should be to do a half mile [880 yards] without stopping, since your upcoming tri is a half mile swim. Minimum workout then would be 900 yards [however you want to dice it]. Maximum = you know your limits. If you're toast after 900 then call it a day and try again tomorrow or the next day. Once you're at 900 continuous then you can start piling on yardage as you see fit, because more swim fitness = more energy left for the bike & run. It's good that you're taking lessons because swimming more doesn't necessarily guarantee swimming faster, as is typically the case with biking/running. Swimming more efficiently will ensure swimming faster and expending less energy. On Endurance Planet he said that running is about 90% efficient; about 90% of the energy you expend running is used to propel you forward. He said for the average triathlete swimming is about 3% efficient. If you can increase your efficiency by 1% you've actually increased your swim efficiency by 33% [if that makes sense].
2008-03-14 4:08 PM
in reply to: #1272632

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Subject: RE: How many yards should I do over the next 3 weeks

I agree, just work on doing more yards at a time.  If you die after 200 yards, slow way down.  You wanna be able to swim 800 yards nonstop.   Total yards per workout isn't that important.   I'd start doing a couple 100s as a warm up ( or 4x50)  And then swim as far as you can nonstop. Try to build up to 800 or even 1000 if you can.   Kinda funny for me, once I hit 400, I did 800 the next week and 1600 the next.  Seems like once you break a certain wall it gets easier. 

 

 

 

2008-03-14 7:55 PM
in reply to: #1272632

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Subject: RE: How many yards should I do over the next 3 weeks
First, I would stop counting the yards and focus on spending time in the pool A good start might be an hour 3 to 4 days a week, primarily focusing on form. Master the tips you will learn in your lessons. Is it important to swim the race distance without stopping before the race? I think it does wonders for your confidence but beyond that not much. If your focusing on yardage in your swim, you will chase a number and go home rather than focusing on improving. My other thought is to throw a distance swim in the mix one day and week and try to build up your long swim on that day. You have 4 weeks left and I wouldn't neglect the other sports, especially the run. After a swim and a bike the run is a different animal than just your normal run. I think you have pleny of time and I hope you do well.

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