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Long Axis Night

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6 Comments
by
USMS MemberThe Fortress
, January 20th, 2009 at 10:17 PM (1419 Views)
Gym:

60 minutes at the gym this afternoon doing weights, core and RC. Didn't go crazy since I hadn't lifted since last Tuesday.

Team Workout:

Swam with my team tonight. Tuesday is always freestyle night. To me, that translates to long axis night.

Warm up:

200 swim
200 kick
200 drill
200 kick
200 swim
(I skipped 200 chatting with my coach about last weekend's meet.)

Main sets:

assigned:
800 freestyle pull, every 4th 50 fast
did:
4 x 200 backstroke, 4th 50 fast, :30 RI
(I never pull; the guys on my team just love pulling though.)

50 EZ

10 x 100 free with fins @ 1:20
(I did 5 free and 5 back. Held about 1:09s on back.)

50 EZ

8 x 75 @ 1:40 w/pull buoy
(back, breast, scull -- odds on stomach, evens on back)
(I don't own a pull buoy. I did the backstroke portion going 15 meters UW, dolphin kicked on breast and did V sit scull, which is tough on the forearms)

50 EZ

Speed set:

assigned:
16 x 25, 4 x through:

3 fast free @ :30
1 easy back @ 1:00

did: (since no kicking)
UW shooters with fins instead of the fast frees

200 C/D

__________________________________

Got my splits from the races Sunday.

200 back:

32.11
1:08.36 (36.24)
1:45.13 (36.97)
2:22.36 (37.23)

Seems like a typical sprinter 200 back: out too fast. But for a first effort, I'm fine with it. I actually *tried* to go out at a leisurely pace. And my first 50 reflects, in part, popping off a good start. A backstroker teammate told me that, when she first started doing masters 200 backs, she had the same problem: always too fast the first 50. Now, she says she has to tell herself to go faster the first 50. lol

My only other thought on the 200 back is that my legs didn't hurt as much as everyone warned me. It just hurt all over at the end. I'm attributing this to all my kicking and fin work. Probably helped in this event.

200 IM -- I think I'll keep those splits "secret." I did, as previously confessed, bonk on free. The most interesting split was my first 50 fly: 29.29. Little surprised at this as I was *trying* to go very very slowly, was hardly kicking at all and had slight cramping in both calves. Maybe I just have no slow gear on fly ... I thought I was taking it out slower than my last 100 fly in October when I was out in 30.2 or 30.4 or thereabouts. So I was rather surprised to see this split. Thinking my 100 fly should be faster at Auburn ...

Total: 3950

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Updated February 10th, 2009 at 10:28 AM by The Fortress

Categories
Swim Workouts , Strength Training and Dryland Workouts

Comments

  1. jim thornton's Avatar
    Leslie, how important do you think A) weight lifting, and B) kick sets are to race performance, and--assuming you do think they are important, are they more key to sprinting or endurance? Answer, if you will, on my vlog!
  2. The Fortress's Avatar
    Jim, I see you're trolling around for answers on this question. For me, they make a huge difference. I think the key factor in my improvement since Austin is weights. And I still don't do them frequently enough or with heavy enough weight. Much as I'm not fond of them, I will probably carry on with the endeavor through Indy. Ande calls weights "free speed". The ranked swimmers on my team (guys anyway) all lift. You should be lifting for general health and fitness anyway or you'll have the gradual erosion of muscle mass problem.

    Kick sets are likewise a a staple for me. I do them for two reasons: they save my shoulders and they are essential for sprinters. However, I think they're key for your fav 200 free as well. Most elite 200 freestylers, kids and masters that I see, have a constant 6 beat kick. I've seen some without it of course, but many of the best have it. I think ehoch commented on this in his "speed zone" thread. I think my ability to do a decent 200 back as a drop dead sprinter is due more to my kick work than my training in general.

    If you're looking to improve your swimming (and you've improved a lot in the last year with Bill's workout despite the buboes), these are the obvious two areas for you to work on.

    Now I see I'm supposed to put this on your vlog, so I'll copy and paste. Is there a vlog on this topic coming?
    Updated January 21st, 2009 at 10:43 AM by The Fortress
  3. rtodd's Avatar
    Maybe I just have no slow gear on fly
    Welcome to the club. For me a fast 50 SCM is 32, and a "slow" SCM 200IM split is 35.
  4. The Fortress's Avatar
    I don't know how to fix this problem ... I do a lot of easy speed fly in practice, yet can't really slow it down to save energy on a 200 IM. Any ideas?
  5. pwolf66's Avatar
    Maybe just accept that that's your EZ speed and work to improve your over all conditioning for the 200 IM. Then again, you DID say that's not an event you'll visit again anytime soon.
  6. The Fortress's Avatar
    Hmmm ... I'd like to improve my overall conditioning. I think I've done that somewhat this fall and winter though. I really think you need to do 20-25K to do well in this event without it being excruciating. As you say, I'm not wild about this event for the future. But never say never!