Here is summary of my taper plan...

1.) Swim every day. (maybe miss one or two days)
2.) Swim about 2000 scm per day (even less next week).
3.) On one day I do around 4x100 fast @3:30 (or something similar)
4.) Following day I do around 2x50 fast @2:00 & 4x25 sprint from blocks.
5.) Following day I do 2x50 fast @3:00 and just some starts.
6.) Repeat 3 & 4 & 5 until the meet comes.
7.) The rest of the yardage on 3 & 4 & 5 is slow swim (no faster than 1:15-1:20/100m pace) or drill.
8.) Will probably stretch a bit each day in the time I would have been swimming.

I started Monday. Next weekend I swim: 50/100 br, 100/200 im, 50 fly.

Any opinions or recommendations from my fellow fishes?

I'm not sure I understand how skating comes into this thread, but I'm with you. I learned so young I have no memory and had a hard time teaching my kids because I don't remember the beginner stage.

WU: 400, 4x50 fist/swim, 500 kwf
Drills: 4x75 (sc/sc-1/bk), 4x75 (bk/sc/sc-1)
Main: 3x400 @6:15 (5:15,5:10,5:05), 100 ez, 3x400 pull@5:30 (5:00, 4:55, 4:53)
4200 scy

Was really hoping to get that last 400 at 4:50 just for the nice descending pattern, but it didn't happen :(

Any opinions or recommendations from my fellow fishes?

I would just add that taking off days completely are often the best option. We get into this mindset that we should be doing something every day, but getting complete rest and great, long sleep is the way to really taper. I have found that a couple days off say on we/thurs, then a really easy warm up and a 50 or two on friday net best taper results. Especially in swimming, as we always had guys that took whole weeks off completely, and they were usually the ones that had sick tapers and race day drops.

i agree!

SH I'd do a lot less (like you're taper plan) but also add a little more less ;-) The speed work seems great, lots of rest and not too much. Days off are a great idea (maybe light stretching). How about some starts w/ a few breakout speed work strokes, 4 strokes? I would love to do that but going to go easy on my shoulder and wait until meet warmups.

About 1600 today... 100's swim and 50s kick. Took Monday off but came back strong. Holding 4 x 100 @ 1:15 EASY w/ 30' rest. ! I love a taper!

I don't recommend my 3-4 week time away from swimming. I'm sure it's gonna feel like crap when I get back into it.

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Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

New workout today for me, first time ever kicking more than just a hand full of yards at a time.

SCY 2,700


3x200 1ea S/K/P

2x200 on 3:30
3x100 on 1:45
4x 50 pull 1Arm Drill L R

2x200 on 3:30
3x100 on 1:45

4x 50 EZ

300 cd

Thanks!!!! ;)

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#WeAreTheForge #BlackGunsMatter

"Look, will you guys at leats accept that you are a bunch of dumb asses and just trust me on this one? Please?" BarryP 7/30/2012

outdoor pool is 75 degrees right now, so perfect for some extended hard efforts without overheating (it will be 85 degrees in about a month)

normal 500 warmup (300 easy, 4x50 drill)
4x50 25 fast 25 easy

6x400 on 5:40, threshold/strong effort. Descended from 5:00 to 4:55. I can definitely feel myself tighten up around 1800m. HR goes up slightly then and I need about 1/2 stroke more per 25.

2x100 warm down

3300scm.

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Rest is good but feel for the water helps too. I found 1000 metre easy with drills and pick ups is easy on the systems but willl enhance feel and technique.

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___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

OK. Thanks guys (monty and sweet_wtr too). That all sounds like good advice. Now that I am remembering, I have responded to more rest better than less rest. It's just that I usually tapered off from 10k+ yards a day -- not really the case this time.

Seems like you've got bigger fish to fry (so to speak) than worrying about your feel for the water right now. I wouldn't take any chances with that stuff. What you described sounds really dangerous.

I don't think it matters too much that you are not doing 10k a day, remember it is all relative. When you were doing that, you probably felt the same after as you do now doing 4k. It was just that you were adapted to higher mileage, so your body handled it. I know it is the case for me, 4k now trashes me like 12k used to, so i figure i need the same type of taper. In all the years i have swam and known swimmers, i have never encountered someone who rested too much, but many who rested too little. tons of guys that screwed their big meet being too tired, then went to some podunk meet a week or two later and crushed their A races times. So i always error on the side of more rest, even though my brain says use the time to get in last minute training!

It was 98 degrees here today, and the pool was 85+. Early summer i guess, triple figures for the weekend.

Broken 1650 (8x200@2;50/50@40) 21;06(2;42/37/35/35/33/32/30/29/:33 for last 50)
3x200IM kick@4;00- 3;42/3;35/3;30
17x100pull@1;20- 1;15/1;14's
50SD
4000SCY in 59 minutes

Chill Wednesday swim

1300 warm-up
600 pull on 9:00
5x100 on 1:30
400 pull on 6:10
3x100 IM on 1:50
200 kick
100 fast (1:08)
30 seconds between each

300 cool down

3700 SCM

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Bruce
ALBOPADS XTERRAWETSUITS NEWTON OAKLEY FIZIK GARMIN ROTOR COMPUTRAINER QUARQ HONEYSTINGER

Definitely not the fastest guy here, but I need some motivation (I swim alone). I only have half an hour in the mornings at 6:00am to swim:

300w/m
50k
200pull (3:18)
2x200 (3:06;3:11)
50k
500 (8:44)
25back

I need to work on my kick, I kick 1:22 per 50y with a kickboard

1525scy

My wednesday swim

1000 warmup
10x50 on :50 - held :37s / 38's
200 ez
5x(3x50) on 1:00 - ez 200 (s,k,p,s) between sets of 3. held 33's
800 (100s, 200k, 100p x 2)
finished up with a couple of fastish 50's from a push. I was feeling tired, so only managed 32's
100 warmdown

3450scm

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

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

4/19:

w/u: 9 pull-ups (don't ask), 550

10x(100 on 1:15, 2x50 on 1:00): 1:08/07/07/07/07/06/06/06/10(pacing the slacker in the next lane)/05

2600 scy

(the issue was not that I was tired, but that was as fast as I could go. I'm just not as fast as I'd like to be)

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"Go yell at an M&M"

I think folks in general should kick much much less with a board.

try kicking on your side. It will allow you to feel both phases of the kick rather than splashing through the surface, force you to improve your body position, hold your breath (more like actual swimming), and might help you improve your feel for the water as you scull with your forward hand, which is essentially in the catch position while your body is in an exaggerated roll.

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You're absolutely right. When I started swimming a few years ago this is what I was doing as I did not own a kickboard at the time. Time to get back to my roots :-)

I probably do 10% or less of my kicking with a board. Of course, that doesn't mean it's good advice. =)

Today...

1,000 scm -- swim, drill, kick. One good effort 50 breast stroke @ :35

WU: 2x{ 200, 200 kick}
Main: 3x{ 8x50 pull @:45, 400 fr w/ fins, 100 ez}
CD: 100 drill
3600 scy
Maybe I was just tired, but 400 fr w/ fins wears me out. I think I swam faster 400's yesterday
without fins :(

My entry form has been sent in for NS Provincial Masters.

200 IM
200 Free
50 Fly
50 Free
100 Free

The 200's are really gonna hurt, but at least they're out of the way early.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

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

10x(100 on 1:15, 2x50 on 1:00): 1:08/07/07/07/07/06/06/06/10(pacing the slacker in the next lane)/05

2600 scy

(the issue was not that I was tired, but that was as fast as I could go. I'm just not as fast as I'd like to be)
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Ken L. //

When i first glanced at this i said either you got on some new longevity drug program, or i should just quit. What i though you did was 10x100@1;15 at those fast times, but on further reflection i see what the set really was. Still a great set, a sprint set with lots of active rest. Not the distance set that has you doing a sub 11;00 1000yds.. It seems to me that you are in the best swimming shape since we started our 50+ club here, good job..

Another hot pool today, so started with a long stroke, one less per lap to stretch things out;

13x300--5swim@4;30-4;04/4;00/3;57/3;56/3;53--2xIM kick@5;45--5;35/5;28--5pull@4;00--3;51/51/49/48/46-1xIM kick@5;30--5;23
100SD
4000SCY in 1;00.+

I love all the thoughts on taper time. I love taper time.

The rest of April looks like this for me:

Last bike ride today then took Felt Fabulous to shop for a tune up. Perfect timing!

Super light running for a couple more days (when I say super light it's more like a 'why bother' for most people).

Chilln' like a villain pool workout planned for tomorrow... similar to SH's workout.

Grab a couple splash arounds next week and it's go big or go home time.

Feet are feeling much better and shoulder is improving every day.

Nothing but positive thoughts from here on out!

200 swim
200 kick
100 ? I can't recall...means I could have skipped it. ( I was really tired after work, I almost took a nap instead of swimming. I got up in the dark this am to go ride the trainer...knee said no in the first 5min, so I was up really early with no work out to get the blood pumping through me=a bit tired all day.)

5x (150 cruise@2:30/50 fast@1:00; 150's ~2:05-2:12, 50's ~:34-:37)
10x50 strong@1:00 avg :38

200 kick
100 bk
100 50 kick w/ scull (no board), 25 kick on right side/25 kick on left
100 fr/br/fr/br

2500scy ,or maybe 2400scy ;)

Hope the knee feels better soon.

Did dry land training aka twice a year pretend I'm an Army officer APFT plus more running to get to 35 minutes. Doing an afternoon APFT in HI probably not the brightest and then went directly to the only pool that is open from 5-6 pm on this portion of the island. It is long course yards, yes you read that correctly. 50 yds but at least it was relatively cool and not too much current from the water slide. Mediocre swim even for my poor abilities and ran out of time.

2300 LCY
200 w/u
4X300 :20
400 :30
500

run: 5 mi easy swim: 4200 yds main set 100-200-300-400-500-400-300-200-100 on 1:35/100


likely not swimming again until Monday, unless you count later today - babysitting / taking kids swimming :-)

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD