Need training methods for sprint competition.

New Daddy said:

Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my training
regimen for the remaining three weeks.

three weeks is a quite short period to prepare yourself for a contest,
in my opinion it should be at least a mesocycle of 4 weeks, with the
last week of tapering. Also the gym is quite counterproductive
(especially in the last mesocycle).
What I would suggest is to assume you have just finished the first
microcycle (since, according to your post, you have a good anaerobic
basis) and give your best on the coming two weeks, maybe helped with a
(really slight) session of gym.
Considering you are dealing with a short distance competitions, you
should pay a great effort on dives and turns.
About specific trainings, for the 100 free style I would suggest a
fractioned work, somethings like:
4 x (50 maximal + 5" rest + 25 maximal + 5" rest + 25 maximal + 1'
rest)
where "maximal" means you should go as fast you can.
for the 50m you should do somethings to reach the the peak of lactate,
somethings like:
8x100m (breathing every 3, 5, 7, 9) to get hypoxia
4x(25 maximal + 25 easy)
8x25m (12,5m max without breathing + ending easy) to reach the peak of
lactate
8x25m (starting easy and ending fast)

hope it helps,
Mauro

"New Daddy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I am planning to enter a local masters swimming meet for the 100M
freestyle and 50M butterfly (this competition features races of 00M or
less).

With the competition only 23 days away (on May 13th), what would be
the efficient training regimen from now? I am a masters swimmer but
have recently been more involved in other sports than in swimming and
think swum about three times a week on the average for the last month.
When I swim, however, I mostly do lap swims, so it will be the first
time for me to gear myself up for a sprint event.

Since anaerobic capacity will be more crucial for sprints, I'm
thinking of increasing power (as much as I can during the short
period) by using a "power bucket" (a plastic bucket attached to your
trunk by a cord in order to increase resistance) and do more interval-
style training than lap swims. Maybe I should go to gym and work out
as well.

Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my training
regimen for the remaining three weeks.

Given that the time is short, I'll make a simple suggestion - test
yourself now, after a day or two's rest, at both events, and use those
numbers to guide your interval training for the next two weeks. E.g.,
try to swim some 25's and 50's at the same speed you did your 100 test,
for fly just 25's. The idea is to put together some volume at your race
pace with rests between rather than do volume at a slower pace. If you
can manage these 25's and 50's at a little faster than your test pace,
that's great. I don't think extra resistance, in the pool or the gym,
will help you at all at this stage and it might even hinder. Basically
all you want to accomplish is to get used to swimming faster. Do some
easy laps to warm up and cool down and make interval work the center of
your swim workout. The point is that swimming faster, while on some
level requires great anaerobic capacity, is also a different skill - I'd
focus on the skill.

Just my opinion.

-S-

New Daddy said:

I am planning to enter a local masters swimming meet for the 100M
freestyle and 50M butterfly (this competition features races of 00M or
less).

With the competition only 23 days away (on May 13th), what would be
the efficient training regimen from now? I am a masters swimmer but
have recently been more involved in other sports than in swimming and
think swum about three times a week on the average for the last month.
When I swim, however, I mostly do lap swims, so it will be the first
time for me to gear myself up for a sprint event.

Since anaerobic capacity will be more crucial for sprints, I'm
thinking of increasing power (as much as I can during the short
period) by using a "power bucket" (a plastic bucket attached to your
trunk by a cord in order to increase resistance) and do more interval-
style training than lap swims. Maybe I should go to gym and work out
as well.

Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my training
regimen for the remaining three weeks.

One thing I used to do to sharpen myself up, quickly, before a sprint
meet is to spend 5 -10 minutes at the end of a workout swimming very,
very slowly freestyle...almost swimming in place. Then, somewhere
within the length, I would go from "zero to sixty" as quickly as I
could. I would try to get on top of the water and hold it there for
8-10 strokes before slowing down again. Think of a speed boat going
from floating to full throttle very quickly. This exercise seemed to
sharpen me up. Make sure you are well warmed up first. Good luck.

Quoted message said:

New Daddy said:

I am planning to enter a local masters swimming meet for the 100M
freestyle and 50M butterfly (this competition features races of 00M or
less).

With the competition only 23 days away (on May 13th), what would be
the efficient training regimen from now? I am a masters swimmer but
have recently been more involved in other sports than in swimming and
think swum about three times a week on the average for the last month.
When I swim, however, I mostly do lap swims, so it will be the first
time for me to gear myself up for a sprint event.

Since anaerobic capacity will be more crucial for sprints, I'm
thinking of increasing power (as much as I can during the short
period) by using a "power bucket" (a plastic bucket attached to your
trunk by a cord in order to increase resistance) and do more interval-
style training than lap swims. Maybe I should go to gym and work out
as well.

Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my training
regimen for the remaining three weeks.

One thing I used to do to sharpen myself up, quickly, before a sprint
meet is to spend 5 -10 minutes at the end of a workout swimming very,
very slowly freestyle...almost swimming in place. Then, somewhere
within the length, I would go from "zero to sixty" as quickly as I
could. I would try to get on top of the water and hold it there for
8-10 strokes before slowing down again. Think of a speed boat going
from floating to full throttle very quickly. This exercise seemed to
sharpen me up. Make sure you are well warmed up first. Good luck.

This sounds like fartlek.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek

Tony Bryant said:

Quoted message said:

New Daddy said:

I am planning to enter a local masters swimming meet for the 100M
freestyle and 50M butterfly (this competition features races of 00M or
less).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

With the competition only 23 days away (on May 13th), what would be
the efficient training regimen from now? I am a masters swimmer but
have recently been more involved in other sports than in swimming and
think swum about three times a week on the average for the last month.
When I swim, however, I mostly do lap swims, so it will be the first
time for me to gear myself up for a sprint event.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Since anaerobic capacity will be more crucial for sprints, I'm
thinking of increasing power (as much as I can during the short
period) by using a "power bucket" (a plastic bucket attached to your
trunk by a cord in order to increase resistance) and do more interval-
style training than lap swims. Maybe I should go to gym and work out
as well.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my training
regimen for the remaining three weeks.

Quoted message said:

One thing I used to do to sharpen myself up, quickly, before a sprint
meet is to spend 5 -10 minutes at the end of a workout swimming very,
very slowly freestyle...almost swimming in place. Then, somewhere
within the length, I would go from "zero to sixty" as quickly as I
could. I would try to get on top of the water and hold it there for
8-10 strokes before slowing down again. Think of a speed boat going
from floating to full throttle very quickly. This exercise seemed to
sharpen me up. Make sure you are well warmed up first. Good luck.

This sounds like fartlek.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That's it! I knew there was a name for it. And now I remember being
a 13-year-old trying not to laugh every time the coach said
"fartlek." Good memories.

Anyway, this used to help me get up for a sprint event when I was not
planning a taper. Also, I agree with Steve about focusing on the
"skills" of sprinting. Spending some time practicing starts and
turns...fast entry, good streamlines, strong kicking off the wall,
etc...could allow you to drop more time than any last-minute training.

Swim Jack said:

Tony Bryant said:

Quoted message said:

On Apr 20, 2:08 am, New Daddy <[email hidden]> wrote:
> I am planning to enter a local masters swimming meet for the 100M
> freestyle and 50M butterfly (this competition features races of 00M or
> less).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> With the competition only 23 days away (on May 13th), what would be
> the efficient training regimen from now? I am a masters swimmer but
> have recently been more involved in other sports than in swimming and
> think swum about three times a week on the average for the last month.
> When I swim, however, I mostly do lap swims, so it will be the first
> time for me to gear myself up for a sprint event.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Since anaerobic capacity will be more crucial for sprints, I'm
> thinking of increasing power (as much as I can during the short
> period) by using a "power bucket" (a plastic bucket attached to your
> trunk by a cord in order to increase resistance) and do more interval-
> style training than lap swims. Maybe I should go to gym and work out
> as well.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my training
> regimen for the remaining three weeks.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

One thing I used to do to sharpen myself up, quickly, before a sprint
meet is to spend 5 -10 minutes at the end of a workout swimming very,
very slowly freestyle...almost swimming in place. Then, somewhere
within the length, I would go from "zero to sixty" as quickly as I
could. I would try to get on top of the water and hold it there for
8-10 strokes before slowing down again. Think of a speed boat going
from floating to full throttle very quickly. This exercise seemed to
sharpen me up. Make sure you are well warmed up first. Good luck.

Quoted message said:

This sounds like fartlek.

Quoted message said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek-Hide quoted text -

Quoted message said:

- Show quoted text -

That's it! I knew there was a name for it. And now I remember being
a 13-year-old trying not to laugh every time the coach said
"fartlek." Good memories.

Anyway, this used to help me get up for a sprint event when I was not
planning a taper. Also, I agree with Steve about focusing on the
"skills" of sprinting. Spending some time practicing starts and
turns...fast entry, good streamlines, strong kicking off the wall,
etc...could allow you to drop more time than any last-minute training.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text

I just read the Wikipedia description of fartlek. Just to clarify, I
didn't do a "minimum of 45 miunutes" of this before a meet. Just
around 10 minutes. It was really to practice an "explosive" action
and getting on top of the water. I would make a couple of the bursts
going into the wall, to practice turns at sprint speed.

"Swim Jack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Swim Jack said:

Tony Bryant said:

[email hidden] wrote:
> On Apr 20, 2:08 am, New Daddy <[email hidden]> wrote:
>> I am planning to enter a local masters swimming meet for the
>> 100M
>> freestyle and 50M butterfly (this competition features races of
>> 00M or
>> less).

Quoted message said:

>> With the competition only 23 days away (on May 13th), what would
>> be
>> the efficient training regimen from now? I am a masters swimmer
>> but
>> have recently been more involved in other sports than in
>> swimming and
>> think swum about three times a week on the average for the last
>> month.
>> When I swim, however, I mostly do lap swims, so it will be the
>> first
>> time for me to gear myself up for a sprint event.

Quoted message said:

>> Since anaerobic capacity will be more crucial for sprints, I'm
>> thinking of increasing power (as much as I can during the short
>> period) by using a "power bucket" (a plastic bucket attached to
>> your
>> trunk by a cord in order to increase resistance) and do more
>> interval-
>> style training than lap swims. Maybe I should go to gym and
>> work out
>> as well.

Quoted message said:

>> Please let me have your two cents on how I can improve my
>> training
>> regimen for the remaining three weeks.

Quoted message said:

> One thing I used to do to sharpen myself up, quickly, before a
> sprint
> meet is to spend 5 -10 minutes at the end of a workout swimming
> very,
> very slowly freestyle...almost swimming in place. Then,
> somewhere
> within the length, I would go from "zero to sixty" as quickly as
> I
> could. I would try to get on top of the water and hold it there
> for
> 8-10 strokes before slowing down again. Think of a speed boat
> going
> from floating to full throttle very quickly. This exercise
> seemed to
> sharpen me up. Make sure you are well warmed up first. Good
> luck.

Quoted message said:

This sounds like fartlek.

Quoted message said:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek-Hide quoted text -

Quoted message said:

- Show quoted text -

That's it! I knew there was a name for it. And now I remember being
a 13-year-old trying not to laugh every time the coach said
"fartlek." Good memories.

Anyway, this used to help me get up for a sprint event when I was not
planning a taper. Also, I agree with Steve about focusing on the
"skills" of sprinting. Spending some time practicing starts and
turns...fast entry, good streamlines, strong kicking off the wall,
etc...could allow you to drop more time than any last-minute
training.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text

I just read the Wikipedia description of fartlek. Just to clarify, I
didn't do a "minimum of 45 miunutes" of this before a meet. Just
around 10 minutes. It was really to practice an "explosive" action
and getting on top of the water. I would make a couple of the bursts
going into the wall, to practice turns at sprint speed.

I haven't read this Wiki, but fartlek for runners as I understand it was
never alternating very slowly with really fast, nor was it for the
purpose of improving performance at a sprint distance event. Typically
it was/is used by distance runner to get used to supplying a burst of
speed as one might need to do in a distance race to open a gap on the
pack, or to close a gap in front of you. I was always told that the
most important and difficult part of fartlek running was returning to
your normal pace, and not a slower one, after the burst portion was
finished, important for the obvious reason that you need to be able to
open or close down a gap and then get back to a pace that's equal to
what the pack is doing if your burst of effort is to have any benefit to
your overall performance in the race.

-S-