Swimming times getting slower

Jun 12, 18 5:21

Post #1 of 16 (3098 views)

Hi, I'm worried because my pool times are getting considerably slower in the last month or so as I build up towards my race season. During my base phase and early build I was putting out 1.30s for my 100m reps. I'm now at 1.33s and 1.34s. It's petty disheartening, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them? I am puting less hours and less mileage in the pool (from 12k in base to 8k now), but I'm still swimming 3 or 4 times a week, and would hope that my good foundation would at least keep me at the same pace, not see me getting slower! I'm doing more on the bike and doing some open water swimming, so I don't know if they're contributing.
Does anyone have any experience of this? Has this also happened to you? Is it to be expected that I could be getting slower in the pool at this time of year, or that I could lose such pace with my reduced volume?

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 5:50

Post #2 of 16 (3046 views)

My times definitely got slower as the overall workload increased for my first Ironman this year. But after a recovery week, they typically came back.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 6:05

Post #3 of 16 (3024 views)

Boomwhacker1 wrote:

Hi, I'm worried because my pool times are getting considerably slower in the last month or so as I build up towards my race season. During my base phase and early build I was putting out 1.30s for my 100m reps. I'm now at 1.33s and 1.34s. It's petty disheartening, and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them? I am puting less hours and less mileage in the pool (from 12k in base to 8k now), but I'm still swimming 3 or 4 times a week, and would hope that my good foundation would at least keep me at the same pace, not see me getting slower! I'm doing more on the bike and doing some open water swimming, so I don't know if they're contributing.
Does anyone have any experience of this? Has this also happened to you? Is it to be expected that I could be getting slower in the pool at this time of year, or that I could lose such pace with my reduced volume?

Similar here. But typically I still can nail it in my races and go strong till the end of the swim. Plus, and that might be something for you to test, if I do a 400m test, it typically becomes faster towards my race season, even though my 100m reps become slower. Can't explain, I do not think much about it, that's just the way it is for me ;-)

Re: Swimming times getting slower [motorcity] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 7:09

Post #4 of 16 (2950 views)

Thanks, that's good to hear. I did a 400m test though and I was 14 seconds slower than my previous test, so it's happening across the board! :-(

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 7:13

Post #5 of 16 (2942 views)

A few years ago I had to take some time off running in December and January. Those were my best swim meet times ever.

Like me, it's likely your current training load is limiting your efforts in the pool. Keep plugging away at it and the times will come back down when you are rested for your big race.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 7:20

Post #6 of 16 (2920 views)

Boomwhacker1 wrote:

Thanks, that's good to hear. I did a 400m test though and I was 14 seconds slower than my previous test, so it's happening across the board! :-(

Ouch, well don't know where you come from (i.e. what your typical 400m time is and how much it would vary due to form on the day), but 14s sounds like a lot. Other than becoming generally slower year over year, at least within a year, I am more or less consistent, so it might be 5~10s slower/faster during the course of the year.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 7:23

Post #7 of 16 (2913 views)

what is the longest swim you do? that you have done, over the past month? and i mean a continuous swim, in a pool.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 8:28

Post #8 of 16 (2852 views)

I generally only do reps of 100s and 200s with 20s rest intervals. I did a 1900m Time Trial in the pool a month ago, and that was my longest continuous swim in the pool. I also did a 2.8k continue open water swim last week. These long swims are rare though. Maybe once a month I'll do a time trial either a 800,a 1500 or a 1900.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 8:48

Post #9 of 16 (2821 views)

i find that if i'm not doing very much weekly yardage that a straight 1500 or 2000 yards, or longer, on the clock, fairly stiff pace, one or twice a week, covers up for some of that yardage shortfall.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 8:56

Post #10 of 16 (2802 views)

Boomwhacker1 wrote:

I generally only do reps of 100s and 200s with 20s rest intervals. I did a 1900m Time Trial in the pool a month ago, and that was my longest continuous swim in the pool. I also did a 2.8k continue open water swim last week. These long swims are rare though. Maybe once a month I'll do a time trial either a 800,a 1500 or a 1900.

I'm gonna say that you're just fatigued from the additional B and R, and possibly a little less flexible? Work on mobility and make sure you are getting adequate recovery.

I would also like to see a bit more variety in there. 100's on 20s rest is a fine workout, but it's like broccoli. It may be very good for you, but you need more than just broccoli in a balanced diet.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 9:22

Post #11 of 16 (2773 views)

More than likely you are doing too much on the bike/run. The open water swimming is making you slower since you are just swimming continuously. That'll make your stroke sloppy and less efficient.

The other thing is you don't have a good base of training. 12k is not very much swimming. The only way you'd be able to go from 12k to 8k and not lose efficiency/speed is if every time you got in the water, you swam very hard.

Hope this helps.

http://www.magnoliamasters.com
http://www.snappingtortuga.com
http://www.swimeasyspeed.com

Re: Swimming times getting slower [SnappingT] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 10:45

Post #12 of 16 (2690 views)

12K is not much swimming? don't say that I thought it took a lot of effort for me to reach that level.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 10:49

Post #13 of 16 (2680 views)

Thanks Dan, that's a good suggestion. I could swim loads more (I love swimming), but try to balance my TSS with all 3 disciplines, and don't want to be too swim heavy. That's a good way of upping the mileage without upping the TSS too much.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [SnappingT] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 10:49

Post #14 of 16 (2680 views)

SnappingT wrote:

More than likely you are doing too much on the bike/run. The open water swimming is making you slower since you are just swimming continuously. That'll make your stroke sloppy and less efficient.

The other thing is you don't have a good base of training. 12k is not very much swimming. The only way you'd be able to go from 12k to 8k and not lose efficiency/speed is if every time you got in the water, you swam very hard.

Hope this helps.

12K is double what I'm doing each week these days. I've lost a little speed, but not that much.

FWIW, I do some hard / fast stuff every time I get in, but that's not the whole workout. Last night was pretty typical in that coach had us do probably 600 "fast" metres out of 3000 total. (2 x 200 fast and 2 x 200 neg split)

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Re: Swimming times getting slower [Boomwhacker1] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 12:05

Post #15 of 16 (2629 views)

Running and biking volume will make your swimming worse, when you bet some rest in you’ll probably be fine.

Re: Swimming times getting slower [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 18 13:23

Post #16 of 16 (2563 views)

I think you’ve got a little bit of a different “base”of fitness for swimming than the OP.

http://www.magnoliamasters.com
http://www.snappingtortuga.com
http://www.swimeasyspeed.com

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