Cr@p Swimmers R Us

Last night was a bit of a killer session.

25m/50m/75m/100m then 20s rest and repeat 4 times (lane 1 got 6 reps). It sounds easy enough until coach says I want you all to be outside of the comfort zone. Therefore, it's going to be
25m fly
50m back
75m breast
100m crawl
Afterwards he commented that he had spotted that I was doing my butterfly with breathing every other stroke (like it's supposed to be). Actually I found that 22 m of fly was do-able. The 50m backstroke I find to be a killer.

A hard work session. Maybe the pint of beer with the big Sunday lunch wasn't such a great idea.

I have the perfect out - since my hip surgery I'm banned from swimming breaststroke!

I've always swum breast stroke, but it was quite a challenge in the middle of a high heart rate session. My rhythm was all to cock.

Just had it pointed out to me last Saturday, that my body is snaking through the water. It seems that I am not engaging my core and my legs are just swinging around causing drag.

To rectify this I need to engage my core, increase my leg kick to a 4 beat kick and also ensure that my toes touch as they pass to prevent scissor kicking, another bad habit I have aquired.

Apart from the above everything else isn't to bad.        

Last swim session and it looks like something may have clicked with my swimming. I've managed to slow my pace down to something i can now sustain for far greater distances. My last set of the evening was 500m FC, I completed that and didn't feel i had to stop, breathing felt good, and the mile before new year seems more achievable.

Coach after the session gave me a couple of sets to try and work on first was 3-500m wu, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m with a small rest between each set. Next session should work the opposite way, 3-500m wu, then 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m. His other sugestion was 3-500m wu, then 4x400m with 2 min rests between sets, each time i do this i should try to reduct the rest time until i can do the mile.

Ended up with a cold that was threatning most of last week setting in sunday afternoon, normally i just keep going with work and i really struggle to get rid of colds. This time i took a couple of days off, ended up sleeping for 17-18 hours monday, and woke up feeling loads better, did the same tuesday, and today I'm back in work and feeling better than i was before the cold set in. Training is a little behind, but if I'm still feeling good tonight I'll go along for another hours swim session.

Either my maths is wrong T-Hill, or you are already doing 2 miles in a training session. 3x 500m is a mile in it's own right, let alone a warm up, the tally being 3000m. So it's just the 2x 400m warm down to finish the Iron Distance. Tough luck on the cold, but a very brave approach to dealing with it by taking days off. It's easy to say that it's in everyone's best interests (which it probably is), but there's always some boss or peer who will grumble about not being really ill. Clearly you needed the recovery too. Don't try and catch up lost training sessions though.

Good news on the stroke development SK4, that's some really useful help being outlined. I'm feeling as though I need some more input from Coach. Clearly others are 50% faster than me, and from their upper body muscularity (or lack of it) it's not just about power. So we have drag reduction and efficient use of what muscle power is available. Hmm, Mr Smooth, here we come.

Blisters - I think T Hill means between 300m & 500m w/u not 3 x.

With all the rest i.e. 100m/200m/400m and 800m are these supposed to be done at a faster speed or is it just to get you to swim further.

Think I ought to go and study my Fink training plan properly

The idea with the 100/200/400/800 is to keep the effort the same and increase the distance, but the follow up session 800/400/200/100 the speed should increas as you get to the shorter sets.
SS - you are right on the warm up, was told to do what feels right for that session but aim between 3 and 5 hundred metres.
I very rarely take time off work ill, and have worked with the same people for a long time now, hopefully that gives me the benifit of the doubt. That said i know what you mean, and i really don't know if its best to just keep going or to stop and fight what ever you have off before you continue. I'll not be trying to catch up on any missed training, monday is a rest day, so I'm only one day down for the weak, will be taking today easy too. The goal is to work up to a mile with no breaks before new year, in an hours session i think i can go the distance now, but that will involve stopping resting, doing some drills etc.

If i go to swim today I'll keep a track of the total distance i cover.

hilly, if you get a copy of the plan for the eve from the club, you can work out your distance by how far you got through the set. Think I made it to the end once! They are usually about 2500 to 2700M long in teh crap swimmers lane

Session tonight was a flogging for all attendees, with coach demanding alternate breathing. He also stated that it will take at least 6 sessions before it becomes embedded. Deep joy.

The pool is significantly shallower as a result of our efforts.

Du, dun ,dun ... I have venture to the local pool twice on my own now, not as part of a club session or anything. Both times I managed 1K in 1Hr, so no I just need to be able to do that twice as quick and for twice as long and without hanging on to the wall for a breather every 2 lengths.

Ali, well done on achieving that progress, it's certainly a stage that any swim coach can build from.

I'm looking for some encouragement re distances & times, I can knock out 2km in 40 minutes, front crawl, alternate breathing, no breaks, that's the furthest I've ever swum & I'm doing that twice a week at the moment before I start the Fink 30 week competitive program in Feb.  Man it's dull, that's 100 lengths of the pool I swim in.

I did a 2000 metre session last week that had 800 metres of drills as well still managed around 45 mins with a few breaks of 60 seconds between sets.

Tonight I was in the OAP lane, 12 year old kids were pi**ing past me in the fast lane in their squad lessons little gits but I know my technique is better than it was, I've had a good few lessons now, stroke count is down & my Poolmate is telling me efficiency is around 42 which is above average supposedly?

Am I really going to be able to double my distances & up the speed before September?

Should I be doing more 'zombie' swims before the 30 week program starts for IM Wales?  Maybe even get toward doing the 3.8km before mid Feb?  The base I need for swimming feels like it's lacking, my bike & run base I'm less concerned about.

Any help most welcome.

I wish i could knock out 2k in 40 mins.no chance

Final RV, sorry mate can't help you, I think you are on the wrong thread.    

Final RV

you will be fine. With consitent and frequent training you will improve. and with swimming the improvement will be a step change.
You wont need to be able to swim the distance in Feb in order to swim the distance in Sept. You will find you will improve because of the swim training, but also the bike and run training will help your endurance in the swim. Also the effect of the wetsuit

If 100 laps are dull why not start Fink now, or pick Fink sessions at random?  No reason to wait till Feb. You can then restart the program in Feb.

Fahq Me, 100 lengths takes me 75 minutes on the few occasions I've got there.

I can understand how you feel about it being dull, but as you say yourself, it's ONLY 45 minutes. I have a couple of suggestions, and these may be off the wall for December.
1 - Find a 50 metre pool. They are less popular, but you'll do fewer lengths.
2 - Swim in the sea. I started an outdoor swim friend-finding thread, worth a go.

Did 4x 400m with 2 min rests between sets today, feels good to be back in the pool, just hoping i don't pick up another cold from swimming. Am still over rotating to breathe, need to look for a way to stop that, so any suggestions would be welcomed, and would really like to see the times starting to come down from 10min per 400.