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Thanks Mat, that’s helpful. I’m going to get my self a kitchen timer like the one you described. This will be an interesting experiment since I’ve tended to do workouts that apply about the same level of stress every time with only a little variation (the 3x6x50 at 1.25 was an exception and I found I had to really push myself to get started with that) I finally managed a swim with Heather and I think I will try to get her to video the test 100s. Exciting to hear that she’s joining you in Turkey, hope you both have a wonderful trip.
I’m going to go ahead with the Sprint course but I still have a few things to get in order to get started. I’m going to get a kitchen time to help with timing individual laps. It’s going to take me a while to achieve a consistent SPL on an all out effort. I did a 100 today at 1.35 and my SPL count was 17, 18, 19 and 20 or 21. I was breathing right every two strokes. My time was 1.55 but there was no way I cold have timed individual pool lengths without some stopping.
On individual lengths my SPL consistency is good-today I did about 15 lengths at 17 SPL at several different TT tempos (1.45,1.40,1.35). My turnaround is quite weak so this adds to my stroke count on all subsequent laps. I think I’ll first need to be able to do a number of 50s with the second length being no more than plus 1. It seems like an earlier set (3x6x50 at 1.25 with consistent SPL would be a good way to work on this)
I did relaxed 250 with the snorkel to warm up working on extension and then another 250 working on adding breathing but keeping one goggle in the water (breathing right on the way down and left on the way back)
One way you can measure more details of your 100 sprint time trials is to set up a camera that covers the entire lane, and then you can go watch the video later to measure the time of each lap and number of strokes taken, plus you can see how far you went on each push off and how much time the turn and the glide lasted – all interesting and useful information when trying to shave seconds off your time.
I have a simple Timex Ironman watch and I start the chrono when I push off and I can touch the split button as I am doing my flip turn and hit the stop button as I hit the final wall – then I have the splits on my swim. That is only slightly inconvenient but it does give me some sense of splits.
Or, its a short distance and if you just happen to have a friend there, they would be occupied just 3 minutes or so, and you can train them to push the split buttons and stop button. An off duty lifeguard perhaps. Since you only do the 100 time trial occasionally, not a big request.
Then the main practices themselves are virtually all 25s or 50s.
Yes, the first level of sprint strength is just getting that second length to be only 1 to 1.5 stroke more than the first length. Just like being strong on the second half of a climb – you need strength all the way through the whole climb. That turn and push-off needs to be really strong, every time because it will definitely affect your swim splits.
Thanks Mat, the camera sounds like a good idea. Heather made a video for me the other night while staying in one place and I was able to count strokes and see lap time-it was only one lap but it would have worked just as well for a 50 or 100. I’m going to work on SPL consistency and getting a good push off and I’ll be ready to go. I’m actually really enjoying pushing myself a bit in terms rate. Appreciate all the feedback.
500 warm up- easy swimming-relaxed but working on syncing the kick and the extension of the entering arm and wide recovery with high elbow and hand close to surface.
12 x25 at 1.4 working on maintaining 16 SPL every length (was able to manage this)
200 relaxed swim
12×25 at 1.35 same but working 17SPL (was able to manage this) (15-20 sec at wall)
200 relaxed swim
20 x1.25 maintaining 18 SPL (all but one length-probably a counting problem)
200 relaxed swim
I’m going to repeat something very much like this 2-3 times per week and cut down the rest times and then progress to 50s maintaining SPL and hopefully get some consistency at greater distances. On laps seemed to be close to 26 sec/lap-so even though tempo and SPL were changing the rate down the lane seemed to be very much the same or within a sec or so. I started (first stroke) on the third beep consistently.
with both of thises
I am planning to commit to completing the Ik course. I’ve been out with a bug for about a week but am now returning to swimming. I’d like to schedule a lesson after I return from Colorado (back on 10/15). I feel like it would be very helpful to have a lesson that goes through a typical workout. I’m choosing the 1k course because my real goals are to be able to swim farther and a bit faster. I think I have a good sense of the focal points that need the most work, but I want to pursue improvement in a more structured way. I’d also like to talk about breathing every two or three in terms of the practice sets.
Based on your FB posts it looks like the trip to Turkey was a big success. Let me know what works for you the fourth week of October. I’ll be sure and do the test swim prior to the lesson and have tried several of the workouts.
Greetings from London!I have 3 nights here (1 more then coming home). Yes, swim camp went very well.
OK. Yeah, we could run through one of those assignments on the 1K program. Review them and see which one you’d like to have us demo.
And, being out ill for a while, we’ll need to extend the program, if the timer has been running on that.
Thanks Mat. I’ll probably do my 400 test swim after I return. Until I leave next week I’m just getting back to speed (ha), working on fundamentals and getting my swims back up to around 2.5k. I’ve been doing a 500 warm up with snorkel which lets me concentrate on all the form elements aside from breathing. My main sets are all about neutral spine and not lifting my head when I breathe. I’ve been doing lots of 25 repeats so I can really focus on the mechanics around breathing. At camp you focused on the need to really get full extension for core stability and streamline and I’m finding it also makes it more comfortable to get a breath without feeling immediately like you’re sinking.
Enjoy London, looks like an amazing city.
I added a little wrinkle to my warm-up today which turned out to be more like
25 down-neutral spine, good extension
25 back-swim with one finger
25 down same
25 back swim with two fingers
25 down same
25 back swim with three fingers
25 down same
25 back swim with full hand
repeat three times (600 yards)
Then go to work on main set (25 breathing 3, head down, hold skate, maintain SPL (18) x50
250 cool down, relaxed swim breathing left
Well thought out and very respectful response from you regarding your departure from the TI organization. I’m looking forward to seeing where you will take Mediterra in the future. I’m off to Colorado for a week I’ll be in touch when I get back to schedule a lesson.
Based on a post from the TI folks I also added another wrinkle to the warm-up-300-400 (additional) with the snorkel at 1.8, working at that super slow pace to really feel balanced and not rushed. This allows nice attention to all my critical focal points and also to keep working on extension but doing so with a tremendous amount of exertion. Even though on longer swims I may breathe mostly right I still plan to do most of my pool work breathing every three in order to develop as balanced a stroke as possible.
Off to Colorado on Wednesday, back in a week.
I’m off to Colorado tomorrow so just a relaxing workout today. I got in and swam 1800 yards comfortably. Slow turnover, but used the TT to keep it steady. Breathing every 2 strokes (right down, left back). I wanted to swim with a sense of ease and being able to go as long as I wanted to which I did-still can’t swim that far breathing every three without it feeling like a struggle. I think I did a better job keeping my head down, especially on the right side. Looking at the bottom of the pool with a relaxed neck is pretty much a constant focus now. Turning to the side with head tilted slight down seems to make it easier to catch that pocket so you don’t have to lift your head. Swimming with one eye closed I was getting closer to having one goggle in the water.
Also did some repeats afterwards and a sort cool down which wasn’t really needed since the long swim was so relaxing. I’ll get to work on the 1k program when I return and am still hoping to have a lesson the week of October 21-25.
Just got back from Colorado and I had difficulty getting into the dojo with my other devices (left my password at home). That date and time will work for me and mercifully I seem to be in ok health even though both girls had the stomach flu while were taking care of them (nightmare cleanup). I’m going to ease into the pool tonight but I should come prepared with with a number of questions as well as a 1k test swim on the 24th.
Alex
Just making a note to remind myself that I’d like to work on the three part brething drill during the next lesson. I think I’m breathing earlier, but at times it feels like when I do it tends to rush other parts of the stroke cycle. I also still feel like I need to do about a zillion 25s with all the different focal points for neutral spine. Even when I focus on extension and feel that nice abdominal tension I still have tendency to lift my head a bit. I can see from videos that any lifting of my head drops my hips and sets me up to drop even lower into the water when I take a breath.
Looking back over my entries dating back to swim camp I can see that I have been all over the place. I have also noted that my SPL varies a good deal 2-3 strokes from day to day depending on howmany days in a row I have trained. When i swim 5 or 6 says in a row my SPL goes up by about 2 stokes at any give TT tempo for a 25. Going back to previous posts I think Mat was correct about using the fall/winter to build some power and then applying that to distance. My workouts are also all over the place which isn’t that big a problem if just swimming to maintain a certain level of fitness, but it might work as well for specific goals (like a faster 1k time or a comfortable 3k). As I mentioned in response to one of Mat’s blog posts I still have not developed a good way to determine my level of fatigue/fitness to do a good workout. My pattern has been to swim five or more days a week and just figure out something to do each time I’m in the pool and I’d love to get a little more consistent than that.
After a 250 warm up I started work on a TT ladder trying to hold SPL
2×50 at each step Ladder : 1.4, 1.37.1,34, 1.31, 1.28, 1.31.1.34,1.37,1.4
For the first three steps I was generally at 18 down/19 back-I feel like I could really use some coaching on turns as the lap back always feels so much harder than the lap down.At 1.31 things started not going well and I got up to to 21 on some returns so I stopped and did 10×50 at 1.31 to work on consistency and managed some improvement.
I tried both breathing every three and every two and it didn’t seem to make that much difference.
In addition to turns I feel like I could also use some more caching and practice on breathing-my breathing still mess up my mechanics in ways that I still find difficult to control (bretahing early enough, keeping my head down, exhaling continuously-not holding my breath)
After the ladder set which I altered considerably I drilled breathing left (three strokes take a breath-stop and repeat) for 25 then swim continuously for 25 and did that a number of times
Finished up with a relaxed 300 breathing every three
Thanks for another great lesson. I’m going to head back today to keep working on those wall turns and will add a set to develop SPL consistency. My max SPL came out at 20 using the individualized method, so I’m going to start there and continue as described in the adaptation phase. This weekend I’ll work out a seven day training plan as recommended in the course materials. I’ll also redo the 100 yard test swims to obtain the data needed.
Worked on several of the things we went over yesterday;
200 wu (snorkel @1.3) This tempo has become very comfortable
wall turns x5
20×25 @1.25 20 sec rest-push off technique +18 SPL (3 or 4 failures-lost count, came in at 19)
wall turns plus speed burst x5
200 easy swim breathing every 3
20×25 @1.25 same as above
200 east swim breathing every three
1600 total
Today was a relaxed swim day :
My warm up was a relaxed 1000 yards at 25 minutes. At this point my relaxed 1000 is probably the same as my best 1000, because a relaxed approach is about the only way I can do a 1k. I did breathe every three was comfortable throughout so that was good news (I hadn’t done that in some time).
20×25-maintianing 18 SPL (didn’t use the TT today, just relied on internal cues to hit the mark and was pretty much at 100 % with 15-20 rest between repeats)
500 relaxed swim to finish up, also breathing every three.
Amazon pool was amazing today-mist rising off the water at 9, two other people in about ten lanes and water polo at the far end. It was overcast when I started and sunny when I finished, just a perfect morning.
Oh, that pool sounds wonderful. I would eat that up – 50m outdoor in the cool air. Dreamy.
You are becoming such an artist. Those internal cues are your control panel and you’re getting a good feel for them.
I set up a new topic for us in your PDZ
https://dojo.mediterraswim.com/forums/topic/sprint-training-fall-2019-alex-gr/
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