Realistic Swimming Goals - Dropping Time

[bwilms]

This season (my second) I am really trying to focus on my swimming form in hopes to eventually increase my speed.

At the beginning of the season, I could sustain a 1:00 50yd for about 1100yds. This morning, after focusing on drills for the last several sessions, I sustained a 0:57 50yd for 350yds (which was the end of my session, but I felt I could have done more).

I would love to drop my 800yd time to 12:00 for my July race(s). How realistic is it to drop my 50yd pace by 0:12? Is this too aggressive of a goal? I suppose I'm looking for some evidence of what other people have done (if you kept track of such a thing).

To give you an idea of my training, I'm swimming 3 times a week, with my long session being about 33 minutes (working toward a 54 minute peak). I've been starting my sessions with 400yds of drills and then going to laps, focusing on the form I practiced in the drills.

[Aussie Rob]

1:54/100 to 1:30/100?

It's very ambitious, but ill never tell someone they can't do something if they try hard enough. What kind of rest between sets are you giving yourself? :5? :10?

Better swimmers than me will be along to give more advice, but i think the best thing you can do is join a masters group. Every single person i have seen do masters on a consistent basis has improved their swimming markedly. I know ill be swimming masters a lot next winter.

[bwilms]

Apr 7, 2009 9:30:51 GMT -5 Aussie Rob said:

1:54/100 to 1:30/100?

When you write it like that it looks a little more difficult I was just excited this morning to see my time drop by 3 seconds or so and it got me pumped up!

rob said:

It's very ambitious, but ill never tell someone they can't do something if they try hard enough. What kind of rest between sets are you giving yourself? :5? :10?

I normally do 1x100 for each of 4 drills, resting 20s in between. As my comfort level with the drills increase, I'll be increasing the distance and (hopefully) decreasing the rest. I don't break the lap portion of my workout into sets. I usually just swim continuously.

rob said:

Better swimmers than me will be along to give more advice, but i think the best thing you can do is join a masters group. Every single person i have seen do masters on a consistent basis has improved their swimming markedly. I know ill be swimming masters a lot next winter.

I actually just got my info packet from the Solon Masters group yesterday I haven't taken a look at it yet, but you're right, it might be a great thing to work on as a goal for the winter.

[jimdehner]

I agree with Aussie - this year I joined Rob's swim clinic and joined a master swim group - I'm swimming better and stronger than ever before - I'll never be "swimmer" but at least my form is better, I have better endurance and have some idea how to swim a workout - How much you'll improve depends on your starting point but you need someone who know what their doing to help you make changes -

[Steve Yutzy]

It's never a bad idea to have someone who knows what they're doing (myself, my wife, Rob Reddy, Laura Kessler, or a masters group coach come to mind) look at your swimming. It's easier to become a faster swimmer by becoming a more efficient and technically correct swimmer than just by swimming more.

[MarkD]

I'll second that... Rob and Steve have been an excellent help to me. My flip turns still suck, but they're better than they were a month ago !!

[ajbaucco]

To bwilms. Swimming with masters at Solon is the absolute best thing you can do. Working with Rob Reddy over the winter will help, but the sessions are too infrequent for enormous change. My close buddy, Dave Deucker is on deck at Solon and he is a great coach. He took my swimming to a whole new level in just a few months. Swimming frequently is the key. The more you get in the pool, the better you get. Frequency is even better than yardage.

To give you an idea, before a spent the winter swimming with Dave Deucker my avg. 100 pace (that I could hold for say 8 x 100 on :10 rest) was about 1:30. After that winter, it dropped to about 1:22. Then, after another winter of masters (lots of sessions). I can hold about 1:12 pace.

Long story short. Swim frequently. Swim with Solon. You will improve.

[bwilms]

Thanks, ajbaucco. That's the kind of stuff I was looking for.

I've been swimming three days a week and I've been focusing on drills shown to me by a local high school coach. I had him watch me swim and give me some pointers a few weeks back. I've already noticed improvements.

I want to join up with the Masters, I just need to fit it in.

Thanks again, all.