Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

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Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

Congrats, I think you're closer to MOP than you might be aware of ... or at least you're FOBOP Keep it up!

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9167

Stairway to Seven

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

datlas - 2013-03-17 2:15 PM

Those who have been around know I have struggled with my swim, but I continue to work on it.

I have been going to the pool 3-4x/week for the past few months and am getting better. Relatively.

I don't often time myself, but maybe once/month I do.

Today I swam 1000m at a moderate pace (Z3) and it took 24 minutes. Nothing special, and probably still BOP. But 6 months ago that distance would have taken 28-29 minutes. So that's a 4 minute drop in my 1000m time. BTW that's in a 25m pool without flip turns.

My goal is to get another 4 minutes off my 1000m time...which is what I think I need to get from BOP to MOP in the swim.

Comments?

I get 2:24 / 100m great improvement.

If you do a set like 10 x 100m , what kind of interval or send off can you do?

taking off 4 minutes per 1000m translates to about 24 seconds per 100, or a target of 2:00/100m

Most of that is going to be reducing drag and improving streamlining, then building up the sustainabililty of that form.

Can you d 25m on 30seconds? If so try this .
2 x 25
3 x 50
2 x 75
1 x 100

Just keep working on making steady improvements in technique and you'll continue to take time off your swim.

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Malvern, PA

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

AdventureBear - 2013-03-17 3:55 PM

datlas - 2013-03-17 2:15 PM

Those who have been around know I have struggled with my swim, but I continue to work on it.

I have been going to the pool 3-4x/week for the past few months and am getting better. Relatively.

I don't often time myself, but maybe once/month I do.

Today I swam 1000m at a moderate pace (Z3) and it took 24 minutes. Nothing special, and probably still BOP. But 6 months ago that distance would have taken 28-29 minutes. So that's a 4 minute drop in my 1000m time. BTW that's in a 25m pool without flip turns.

My goal is to get another 4 minutes off my 1000m time...which is what I think I need to get from BOP to MOP in the swim.

Comments?

I get 2:24 / 100m great improvement. If you do a set like 10 x 100m , what kind of interval or send off can you do? taking off 4 minutes per 1000m translates to about 24 seconds per 100, or a target of 2:00/100m Most of that is going to be reducing drag and improving streamlining, then building up the sustainabililty of that form. Can you d 25m on 30seconds? If so try this . 2 x 25 3 x 50 2 x 75 1 x 100 Just keep working on making steady improvements in technique and you'll continue to take time off your swim.

I CAN do 25m in 30 seconds...but then would be very short of breath. I would have to stop and wait several seconds before I would be able to swim more. I have done some intervals but have really been trying to focus on my form and streamlining. I am also concerned that when I try really hard to go fast, my form suffers. Is that anything to be concerned about??

Coach

9167

Stairway to Seven

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

datlas - 2013-03-17 3:01 PM

AdventureBear - 2013-03-17 3:55 PM

datlas - 2013-03-17 2:15 PM

Those who have been around know I have struggled with my swim, but I continue to work on it.

I have been going to the pool 3-4x/week for the past few months and am getting better. Relatively.

I don't often time myself, but maybe once/month I do.

Today I swam 1000m at a moderate pace (Z3) and it took 24 minutes. Nothing special, and probably still BOP. But 6 months ago that distance would have taken 28-29 minutes. So that's a 4 minute drop in my 1000m time. BTW that's in a 25m pool without flip turns.

My goal is to get another 4 minutes off my 1000m time...which is what I think I need to get from BOP to MOP in the swim.

Comments?

I get 2:24 / 100m great improvement. If you do a set like 10 x 100m , what kind of interval or send off can you do? taking off 4 minutes per 1000m translates to about 24 seconds per 100, or a target of 2:00/100m Most of that is going to be reducing drag and improving streamlining, then building up the sustainabililty of that form. Can you d 25m on 30seconds? If so try this . 2 x 25 3 x 50 2 x 75 1 x 100 Just keep working on making steady improvements in technique and you'll continue to take time off your swim.

I CAN do 25m in 30 seconds...but then would be very short of breath. I would have to stop and wait several seconds before I would be able to swim more. I have done some intervals but have really been trying to focus on my form and streamlining. I am also concerned that when I try really hard to go fast, my form suffers. Is that anything to be concerned about??

Yeah, don't worry about the time then right now...just wondering about the 30 sec/25m because some people can swim fast for very short distances and slow down dramatically because their overall form is "fragile".

Focus right now on form & streamlining and not fighting the water in any direction and watch for your EASY 25m, 50m adn 100m times to start dropping.

I have a swimmer in my masters who started in January with a 2:20 ish 100yds. Each week we pick one form item to work on and he swims 2 other times with another group focusing on those things. Each week he gets progressively faster, and last week was able to swim at will 4 x 100 on 2:15 hitting 1:50, 3 x 100 on 2:15 hitting 1:45 and 2 x 100 on 2:15 hitting 1:40. Then he swam an all out 100 and hit a new PR (1:35 I think). It's just small specific focuses eaach week. The past 2 weeks it has been tightening up his Gluts to keep his legs from falling as he rotates creating drag. This week it was to stop slowing down while breathing by keping his lead arm waiting patiently in front while he took a breath and THEN stroking. He's not tryign to swim faster he's just tring to not slow down as much by getting rid of drag.

You're probabaly in a similar situation he was in in January.

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Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

I have to ask a question on the term "Master Swimmers". It has always been my impression that if you can't swim worth a lick, you have no business signing up for that swim group. That swim group is all about one interval after another, harden the heck up until you are blue in the face and coaching is just concerned about the send off the times. When did swimmers with 2:00+ minutes for 100 yards start joining Master Swim groups? Heck I can do better than that and I wouldn't dare get in the pool with that group of torpedoes who can easily swim over and under my slow pace with relative ease.

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Malvern, PA

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

Billyk - 2013-03-17 4:28 PM

I have to ask a question on the term "Master Swimmers". It has always been my impression that if you can't swim worth a lick, you have no business signing up for that swim group. That swim group is all about one interval after another, harden the heck up until you are blue in the face and coaching is just concerned about the send off the times. When did swimmers with 2:00+ minutes for 100 yards start joining Master Swim groups? Heck I can do better than that and I wouldn't dare get in the pool with that group of torpedoes who can easily swim over and under my slow pace with relative ease.

I suppose it depends on the Masters group. At my Y, the masters group is pretty fast and the coach really just puts up the torture, I mean, workout schedule for the day. Those folks are way faster than me. I don't belong there...yet. If I keep it up, maybe next year.

Coach

9167

Stairway to Seven

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

Billyk - 2013-03-17 3:28 PM

I have to ask a question on the term "Master Swimmers". It has always been my impression that if you can't swim worth a lick, you have no business signing up for that swim group. That swim group is all about one interval after another, harden the heck up until you are blue in the face and coaching is just concerned about the send off the times. When did swimmers with 2:00+ minutes for 100 yards start joining Master Swim groups? Heck I can do better than that and I wouldn't dare get in the pool with that group of torpedoes who can easily swim over and under my slow pace with relative ease.

I welcome swimmers of all levels at my masters practice. The other lanes are swimmign 1:05s & 1:10s/ 100. I modify the set so everyone stays busy and sees progress. Everyone gets technique help. I'd rather have the 2:20/100 swimmer at masters so I can help them improve than have them imprint poor habits that it would take me a year to unwind.

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Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

That has got to be the only Master Swim Practice in the country with, well, slow swimmers. I had never heard of this before and you have got to be only "coach" that is willing to work with just such swimmers. It makes my head "spin" trying to visualize how a setup with slow and the normal torpedo paced swimmers works. Since I'm only 25 miles away I just might have to see this to believe it.

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9167

Stairway to Seven

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

Billyk - 2013-03-17 7:58 PM

That has got to be the only Master Swim Practice in the country with, well, slow swimmers. I had never heard of this before and you have got to be only "coach" that is willing to work with just such swimmers. It makes my head "spin" trying to visualize how a setup with slow and the normal torpedo paced swimmers works. Since I'm only 25 miles away I just might have to see this to believe it.

I assure you it's not. many of my swimmers also go to the "other" masters practice in town. it makes no sense for a coach only to work with faster swimmers because the bad habits that get imprinted are so difficult to get rid of. IN fact, before I started masters I would give lessons, then see the swimmer a year later after they had started masters and in order to keep up, they developed really bad stroke techniques that I had to constantly keep fixing. So I started my own masters club.

The set up is that I have a pool with on one else in it at 8pm, 1-2 swimmers per lane and the practices are by nature, done at individual paces, stroke counts, tempos, etc. Either I take the time to set up the paces per person or they've already done enough swimming with me to know what their individual paces are. Numbers of swimmers vary with time of year and other commitment and some nights are 2, other nights are 10. Max I think is about 12.

Now if I do have swimmer whose best 100 is a 2:30 (not their 1000 TT pace), then they usually get some drills, some whole stroke focal points, and the practice repeat distances are halved or quartered for them. They are usually pretty happy just to get attention in the group setting.

Anyway, in the summer time I rent a 50m pool 2 nights a week. Feel free to stop by.

Edited by AdventureBear 2013-03-18 2:44 AM

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Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

I was intimidated by Masters for a long time, but talked to the coach when I caught him at the pool outside the session, and was welcomed to join when I had only been swimming about 4 months. He said I could get in the 2:00/100yd lane. I am the slowest swimmer in the entire group but do get my distances modified but still get my butt kicked. I have never been the worst at anything in any group so it is humbling but fortunately the group is very supportive.

What does BOP and MOP mean? (newbie here)

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Member

796

Malvern, PA

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

Jonathan7 - 2013-03-18 10:32 AM

I was intimidated by Masters for a long time, but talked to the coach when I caught him at the pool outside the session, and was welcomed to join when I had only been swimming about 4 months. He said I could get in the 2:00/100yd lane. I am the slowest swimmer in the entire group but do get my distances modified but still get my butt kicked. I have never been the worst at anything in any group so it is humbling but fortunately the group is very supportive.

What does BOP and MOP mean? (newbie here)

BOP = Back of Pack

MOP = Middle of Pack

and, not that I have delusions of attaining it, but...

FOP = Front of Pack

Member

796

Malvern, PA

Subject: RE: Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

datlas - 2013-03-18 11:49 AM

Jonathan7 - 2013-03-18 10:32 AM

I was intimidated by Masters for a long time, but talked to the coach when I caught him at the pool outside the session, and was welcomed to join when I had only been swimming about 4 months. He said I could get in the 2:00/100yd lane. I am the slowest swimmer in the entire group but do get my distances modified but still get my butt kicked. I have never been the worst at anything in any group so it is humbling but fortunately the group is very supportive.

What does BOP and MOP mean? (newbie here)

BOP = Back of Pack (ie. SLOW/weak)

MOP = Middle of Pack (ie. average)

and, not that I have delusions of attaining it, but...

FOP = Front of Pack

Swim Progress....slow but definitely better!

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