The IM Lane

[ande]

IMers, We're Jacks & Jills of all trades
Fly back breast free
We gotta have speed but we gotta last to finish fast.
It takes strategy & conditioning.
We train equal amounts of all 4 or have a fatal flaw.
We try to make our worst stroke not so bad.
It's worked well for Ryan Michael Eric, Ariana Kirsty & Stephony

What did you do in practice today?


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16584"]the breastroke lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16601"]The Middle Distance Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16587"]The Backstroke Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16588"]The Butterfly Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16618"]The SDK Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16591"]The Taper Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16586"]The Distance Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16589"]The IM Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16585"]The Sprint Free Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16619"]The Pool Deck[/ame]

[Couroboros]

On Friday, the one day of my meet I had no events, I swam a 400 IM for the heck of it in the warm-up/down area.

It was interesting! I didn't get my time or anything like that, but I didn't feel too bad doing it.

I think a lot of it depends on not making the rookie mistake of going out too fast on the fly.

[swimmj]

working on even splitting a 200 IM - so yesterday featured

6 times thru
200 IM 1-3, broken :10 at the 100, 4-6 broken :10 at the 50
100 easy

I'm trying to not use my legs much in the first half, so that I'm stronger for the 2nd half. Was able to neg split or even split all but 1 of these.

[Jeff Commings]

Long live the 100 IM!

It's the reason I got into Masters.

[Ahelee Sue Osborn]

TUESDAY & THURSDAY workouts are devoted to stroke specialty and IM.

DEVOTED!

Plenty of other time to swim freestyle and ridiculous yardage to make the triathletes and grinder freestylers happy.

Coaches need to schedule stroke sets - and present stroke clinics so their athletes know how to swim strokes correctly.

There is a reason so many age-group development coaches train kids to swim IM events - it builds overall fitness and athleticism.

For masters, that IM training philosophy helps swimmers stay young, flexible, open minded, and less set in their ways like little old men and women!

Project 85% of readers will disagree with me, but I still think I'm pretty close to right!

[ElaineK]

TUESDAY & THURSDAY workouts are devoted to stroke specialty and IM.

DEVOTED!

Plenty of other time to swim freestyle and ridiculous yardage to make the triathletes and grinder freestylers happy.

Coaches need to schedule stroke sets - and present stroke clinics so their athletes know how to swim strokes correctly.

There is a reason so many age-group development coaches train kids to swim IM events - it builds overall fitness and athleticism.

For masters, that IM training philosophy helps swimmers stay young, flexible, open minded, and less set in their ways like little old men and women!

Project 85% of readers will disagree with me, but I still think I'm pretty close to right!

I'm in the projected 15% who AGREE with you! I'm a new Masters swimmer (joined in February) and only focusing on my best stroke (breaststroke) this year in competition, but I'm really looking forward to adding IM to the mix in the future. I am working up to it slowly, because I've had back and shoulder (thoracic outlet syndrome) surgeries in between my high school swimming days and my Masters swimming, 31 years later. But, I've been testing my body by increasing my yardage and speed gradually to the point where I'm up to 4-5 days/wk, 2500 - 3500 yds per workout. And, if I had the time, I know I could do more. On the other days, I dryland train, and that is going well, too. So far, so good! So, I'm heading in the IM direction. BUT, I want to get my breaststroke technique DOWN and continue to improve my times, before I alter my focus to improving other strokes. My ultimate goal is to get the technique DOWN on all of them! If I do that, speed will improve.

[Jimbosback]

I have a long term goal of breaking a minute in the 100y IM. It was always my favorite event. I do what I call "IM Sprint sets" which are simply 25s, on the minute, in IM order, all out until I can't take it anymore. The goal for now is to be able to repeat 15s every length.

[knelson]

I think a lot of it depends on not making the rookie mistake of going out too fast on the fly.

Nope. You've got to take out the fly fast...and then manage to survive for the next 300!

[Karen Duggan]

Ahelee you are spot on!
At our workouts, we IM-types pretty much have to fill in stroke when the interval allows. Unless you're really fast, and I'm not, I can't do 10 x 50 stroke on :35! So I have to wait until the 40 or 45 to throw in some stroke.
It's a bummer : (

[ande]

added these links to all the first posts in each lane
wonder which lane is going to get the most posts & views
right now the breastrokers are killing all the other lanes



[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16584"]the breastroke lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16601"]The Middle Distance Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16587"]The Backstroke Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16588"]The Butterfly Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16618"]The SDK Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16591"]The Taper Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16586"]The Distance Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16589"]The IM Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16585"]The Sprint Free Lane[/ame]


[ame="http://www.usms.org/forums/showthread.php?t=16619"]The Pool Deck[/ame]

[That Guy]

When I do IM sets, it's usually one of the following:

400-300-200-100 on 6:00-4:30-3:00-1:30
5x200 on 3:00
10x100 on 1:30

I haven't done an IM set in a while. So tomorrow I'm going to do the 4-3-2-1 set. Followed by a fly set. Gotta keep the universe in balance.

[Ahelee Sue Osborn]

Headed to Mission Viejo for Regionals today.
Really mixed bag of training going into the meet. And emotionally drained after one of our favorite swimmers suffered a massive heart attack in my early morning workout yesterday. Still critical.

But here comes that 400IM on day one of the meet.
What event provides a full workout in itself like the 4IM?

My swimmer, Tom, thinks its bad ass that I swim it and I agree.
I sure don't feel bad ass today. But then, the 4IM is nothing like the battle he is facing right now.
So here goes...

[ande]

good luck ahelee,

Easy speed, breathe & save your legs on FL & Bk
stay relaxed
be smooth
work the breast & free

[That Guy]

When I do IM sets, it's usually one of the following:

400-300-200-100 on 6:00-4:30-3:00-1:30
5x200 on 3:00
10x100 on 1:30

I haven't done an IM set in a while. So tomorrow I'm going to do the 4-3-2-1 set. Followed by a fly set. Gotta keep the universe in balance.

About halfway to the gym I remembered that I signed myself up for this set. I went after the 400 a bit too aggressively, so I felt wasted the rest of the workout, but it came out okay. 5:11-3:54-2:36-1:16. I still did the fly set afterward, and then weights, and then abdominals, and then biked to work. So I'm tired but in a good way. I like Ahelee's suggestion of designating one day per week for an IM main set.

[swimmj]

Headed to Mission Viejo for Regionals today.
Really mixed bag of training going into the meet. And emotionally drained after one of our favorite swimmers suffered a massive heart attack in my early morning workout yesterday. Still critical.

But here comes that 400IM on day one of the meet.
What event provides a full workout in itself like the 4IM?

My swimmer, Tom, thinks its bad ass that I swim it and I agree.
I sure don't feel bad ass today. But then, the 4IM is nothing like the battle he is facing right now.
So here goes...

Oh, Ahelee, so sorry to hear that one of your swimmers had a massive heart attack. How scary for everyone and emotionally draining. You are bad ass for swimming the 400 IM - remember to save your legs for the 2nd half of the IM - use mostly arms for the fly and back and remember to breath. Lots. I'll be thinking of you and Tom and wishing you both well.

We also have 1 day a week for IM's and 1 day a week designated stroke day. We also have a mid distance free day and a sprint day and a recovery/technique day. Something for everybody. I love swimming IM's - it's just very fun to work on all strokes. And the distance free helps me build endurance for the 200 and 400 IM, so I try to make every practice.

[That Guy]

And emotionally drained after one of our favorite swimmers suffered a massive heart attack in my early morning workout yesterday. Still critical.

Whoa, for some reason I completely missed this part of the post earlier. Since no one yelled at me, I will now yell at myself.

TG, no one cares about your crap while there is a swimmer in the ICU!

Get well soon.

[That Guy]

First thing's first: Ahelee, is Tom doing better?

Fridays are becoming IM Day. This week I did my least favorite of the three IM sets that I posted earlier in the thread: 5x200 IM on 3:00. This set just hurts, and it takes great concentration not to lose technique. I went 2:35, 2:36, 2:35, 2:36, 2:34. Not my fastest work but I held on and finished well.

A funny thing happened during this set: turning from fly to back on the 4th 200, I saw that the Pink Thong Exhibitionist was on the pool deck. Then the woman that I was splitting a lane with hopped out. Aw crap. (To complement his repulsive costume, the PTE swims wretched breaststroke exclusively, always with large hand paddles. Dangerous.) Sure enough, as I finished the 4th 200, I could see that the PTE was making his way toward my lane. I started the 5th 200 and sure enough, there he was in the water as I finished the fly. (I was still splitting the lane, not swimming down the center.) Then on my second length of backstroke, I saw that he moved over one to split a lane with my friend Kyle instead of splitting with me. BAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA the PTE is afraid of me!!!!

[That Guy]

I AM REVIVING THIS THREAD

Why? Because today I taught myself the backstroke to breaststroke flip turn. I've never been able to do it with any consistency before, but now I've got it. Here's what I did. The pool was nearly empty so I moved to the center of the pool and did 10 x 25 back-to-breast, starting and finishing in the middle. The first two sucked because I was trying to do something like this [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSKt6S4jLLA"]YouTube- ‪Eric Shanteau Back - Breast Transition Turn‬‎[/nomedia] or this [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfRn9LMd44s"]YouTube- ‪Adam Mania's Back to Breast turn‬‎[/nomedia] and I just can't seem to get that right. So then for #3 I decided to try this instead (I've seen this technique but I had never tried it before): [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoOJWnOj8S4"]YouTube- ‪Tay Back To Brerast‬‎[/nomedia] I cheated a little bit and looked at my hand before it touched the wall, but I completely nailed the turn. There's no rotating or twisting, just touch the wall and flip straight over. Then I nailed the turn 7 more times, at different speeds and off either hand. For the rest of the workout I started working these turns into my warmdown swims (e.g. alternating backstroke and freestyle each 25, doing this flip turn on each back-to-free transition) and eventually got to where I didn't need to look at the wall prior to flipping. That is important since by putting my head underwater prior to touching the wall, I'd be risking a DQ for submerging past 15 meters. If an idiot like me can learn this, then anyone can! WOO HOO!!! THERE'S A HALF SECOND I'M NOT GIVING UP ANYMORE!!!

[tjrpatt]

I AM REVIVING THIS THREAD

Why? Because today I taught myself the backstroke to breaststroke flip turn. I've never been able to do it with any consistency before, but now I've got it. Here's what I did. The pool was nearly empty so I moved to the center of the pool and did 10 x 25 back-to-breast, starting and finishing in the middle. The first two sucked because I was trying to do something like this YouTube- ‪Eric Shanteau Back - Breast Transition Turn‬‎ or this YouTube- ‪Adam Mania's Back to Breast turn‬‎ and I just can't seem to get that right. So then for #3 I decided to try this instead (I've seen this technique but I had never tried it before): YouTube- ‪Tay Back To Brerast‬‎ I cheated a little bit and looked at my hand before it touched the wall, but I completely nailed the turn. There's no rotating or twisting, just touch the wall and flip straight over. Then I nailed the turn 7 more times, at different speeds and off either hand. For the rest of the workout I started working these turns into my warmdown swims (e.g. alternating backstroke and freestyle each 25, doing this flip turn on each back-to-free transition) and eventually got to where I didn't need to look at the wall prior to flipping. That is important since by putting my head underwater prior to touching the wall, I'd be risking a DQ for submerging past 15 meters. If an idiot like me can learn this, then anyone can! WOO HOO!!! THERE'S A HALF SECOND I'M NOT GIVING UP ANYMORE!!!

I do the bucket turn alot because I need the air. But, I would like to master Shanteau's transition. When I watch Nationals or Grand Prix events, I am stunned how many swimmers do the open turns. I sometimes do the open turns but that is when I am so zapped after the backstroke portion of the 400 IM. Shanteau's version is probably the one to shot for.

[That Guy]

I do the bucket turn alot because I need the air. But, I would like to master Shanteau's transition. When I watch Nationals or Grand Prix events, I am stunned how many swimmers do the open turns. I sometimes do the open turns but that is when I am so zapped after the backstroke portion of the 400 IM. Shanteau's version is probably the one to shot for.

Shanteau's turn is great but I'm going to stick with the turn that I can actually perform. But I do need to recalibrate how long I can hold my breaststroke pullouts, especially in the 400. My IM sets in the coming weeks should be interesting. More importantly: will they be faster?

Edit: Hey I found another one: [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiPcnTMIi4s&NR=1"]YouTube- ‪turn backstroke-breaststroke / virata dorso-rana‬‎[/nomedia]