Terry's Spring Training

[terry]

Monday 22 June 2000y in 40 min (Project Total Training Yards: 44,000)
Tuneup 400y, Change SPL each 25 as 916-15-14-13-14-15-16. etc.)

Main Set
3 x 550 Descend on 10:00
SPL range 14 to 16

Today was the final day of my 2-month Spring Training Project. It is also the final day I will swim indoors until at least early October. This I chose this as the day to repeat the baseline test set with which I started this project. Here are results of the three times I did this baseline test.

April 20
3 x 550y on 10:00
#1 @ 1.20 Tempo Time 8:31
#2 @ 1.17 Tempo Time 8:27
#3 @ 1.15 Tempo Time 8:25
SPL range 14 to 16.
Broken 1650 = 25:23

May 2
3 x 550y on 10:00
#1 8:14 @ 1.20 Tempo
#2 8:08 @ 1.17 Tempo
#3 8:01 ! 1.15 Tempo '
Broken' 1650 = 24:23
SPL was 15, with only one length at 16.

June 22
3 x 550y on 10:00
#1 @ 14-15 SPL 8:04
#2 @ 15-16 SPL 7:46
#3 @ 16 SPL 7:45 (struggling a bit with foot cramps)
‘Broken’ 1650 Time = 23:35

Today was the first time I didn't use a Tempo Trainer on this set. Instead I set my SPL range the same it was on my initial baseline test two months ago.

My broken 1650 time today, at same range of stroke counts, was 1 min 48 sec faster than two months ago, an improvement of just over 7%.I made this improvement on a total of only 44,000 training yards, which I believe is a pretty significant payoff for rather modest training.

[s.sciame]

Originally Posted by terry

My broken 1650 time today, at same range of stroke counts, was 1 min 48 sec faster than two months ago, an improvement of just over 7%.I made this improvement on a total of only 44,000 training yards, which I believe is a pretty significant payoff for rather modest training.

Hi Terry, really impressive: another way to see it (assuming that also the RPE between the 2 test was the same and that this broken distance corresponds to a straight 1500m on race day) is that your 100m pace over 1500m has improved from 1:41/100m to 1:34/100m in 2 months and only 44k yards. For sure 7s/100m in 2 months is a huge improvement to me, regardless of yardage.

Do you think a concurrent element for this quick result, together with skill mastery of course, is that the 1st baseline was taken right after 7 months without swimming (not that 1:41/100m over 1500 after 7 months of stop is a leisure pace by the way)?
Or I put it this way: now that you swam consistently for 2 months and you are well trained, how many more seconds per 100m do you think you could gain in the next 2 months at the same yardage and training strategy?

Thanks in advance!
Salvo

[terry]

Originally Posted by s.sciame

now that you swam consistently for 2 months and you are well trained, how many more seconds per 100m do you think you could gain in the next 2 months at the same yardage and training strategy?

Salvo
Good questions
1) Yes the first baseline was definitely affected by coming straight off a 7-month hiatus. However as I always say, my performances are far more due to efficiency than fitness and I think the 1 minute (5%) improvement I recorded within the first couple of weeks, on my 2nd attempt at the baseline is a good indicator of that.
2) We're about to find out how much more improvement I can wrest from my training in the next 2+ months since I started my Summer 2015 Training Project today with a baseline test set of 5 x 300 on 6:00 in a 50m pool and will continue until on or about Sept 7.