Terry's "Zero-Cancer Zone" Practices

[CoachSuzanne]

Originally Posted by terry

For a variety of reasons too complex to go into now, I haven't posted anything on this thread in over three months. However I plan to practice-with-purpose for the rest of the summer and to post my practices regularly. I felt absolutely brilliant at times during this evening's practice in Lake Minnewaska.

Thurs 22 July 2000m at Lake Minnewaska
I did a single set, as I nearly always do at the lake. I've been swimming at Minnewaska fairly regularly since June 18, ranging between 1200 and 2000m. I'd planned to swim 2400m (6 x 400) this evening but decided to stop after 5 x 400.

Main Set 5 x 400m on 9:00
Increase tempo by .02 sec on each 400 (1.18-1.16-1.14-1.12-1.10) and take times. Goal is to keep effort quite low and descend the set by maintaining stroke quality.
My times were 6:22-6:10-5:56-5:53-5:52. I decided to stop the set after 5 repeats because of diminishing returns.
I can calculate total strokes for each 400 by dividing time/tempo
I took 323 strokes on the first 400, 318 on #2, 312 on #3, 315 on #4, and 320 on #5.

Based on my results, what would you advise I do in my next practice to target and improve my current weakness?

I'm curious what your RPE was, but there is a nadir in your SPL at repeat #3 at a tempo of 1.14. You get faster after that and SPL goes up, but what was your effort level?

I'd like to see you able to hone in on the 6:00 pace (1.14 or 1.15 tempo) as it looks like that's a nice area where form/endurance still holds together, and then explore the faster tempos in shorter repeats.

Maybe something along the lines of
3 Rounds of 4 x 200m as 1.18, 1.16, 1.14, 1.12

You'd be fresher when you hit the 1.12 tempo. or do 2 rounds of 5 x 200m and take it down to 1.10 again.