Here’ a quick question for those of you in the know. I’m currently swimming around a 1:10 IM swim time (fairly comfortable pace based on a LCM swim I did a while back), but I want to break an hour for my upcoming IM in Wisconsin in 6 months. It may not be possible to do that, but I’m going to train on the blind faith that it CAN be done.
So the question is, what’s the best way to get my LSD speed from 1:50 per 100m to 1:30/1:35 per 100m? Bear in mind that I’ve only been swimming for 4 months and only 2-3x per week. I have no formal training at all, but my wife used to swim a bit and helped me with my stroke. Should I just keep swimming by myself and try to increase my speed slowly (I use workouts that I take from USMS’s website) or should I sign up for Masters and just go there and bust my butt? I’ll do whatever it takes . . . but I want to do it in a way that is most effective. Thanks!
first, I wouuldn’t be too concerned about a 1:10 swim. That’s a fine swim time for an IM. Yes, it’s “fun” and bragging rights to go sub an hour.
The simple answer would be to join a master’s swim club. Any extra time you’d put in on the swim would be best spent where you can grab some real time on the bike/run.
Oh, being one of those 1hr swimmers, it’s really disheartening during the first 15 mi of the bike, you’re doing 21 outta town from Madison, and the speedys are flying by you like you’re standing still!
I agree with another poster that once you get under 1:10 the gains relative to the time that you put into swim training become minimal. I am not saying that you can’t get faster, I am sure you can - below I have listed some tips for “free” speed, but it’s a long race and a couple of minutes faster on the swim is not going to have a huge impact on the overall time of a 9:00+ race.
The negatives about getting out of the water at big IM races in the 1:00 - 1:10 time zone is the traffic at this point is insane - in tranistion, and during the first hour or so on the bike. You need to be very cautious about getting nailed for drafting. However, to beat this traffic these days you need to be well under 1:00.
Some tips for “free” swim speed:
Work on technique as much as you can. Even small improvements can yeild significant results
Get the best wetsuit that you can afford, that fits you perfectly
Learn how to draft on the swim and do it like crazy
It’s a risky technique and can backfire, but It can yield suprisingly positive results when you blast out a bit too fast for the first 500m or so on the swim and then settle in behind a faster swimmer, when they pass you as you fade off a bit and let them tow you along!
I would say all of the above points can be worth 5:00+ minutes on an IM swim if executed properly with NO real increase in swim training time/volume.
I say this from personal experience: I was a consistant 57 min IM swimmer getting out of the water regularly with people who would be killing me in pool work-outs and that I had no real right to swim kneck and kneck with.
One thing that has helped me is doing intervals. I used to always do long sets and times where ok. Then I started doing some speed work and intervals and my times where better with less overall time in the pool.
My first IM (imoo) was last year and swim time was 1:07, 1st 15 miles of bike was crowded!
Fleck, when do you need to get out of the water to beat all that bike traffic?
I will be at Moo this year with you and have the same time goals. More time in the water refining the stroke and 100’s on shorter times along w/ tt of 1500’s periodically. Only time will tell.
Larry
Oh, being one of those 1hr swimmers, it’s really disheartening during the first 15 mi of the bike, you’re doing 21 outta town from Madison, and the speedys are flying by you like you’re standing still!
Masters group will definitely help. As for the speedys who fly by you on the bike when your going sub 1:00 hr in the swim, IMWis or any other IM, just race your race and if you race smart, you will be seeing those folks again on the run , when your running and they are walking. Don’t be to concerned about that 1 hour mark in the water. There will be plenty of time to make that up during the rest of the race. So many people have a tendency to go out hard and I have seen it happen time and time again. Race your race and dont worry about the other person.
Thanks for the detailed advice–much appreciated! I’ll give it a try and see if my times start coming down over the next few months. Look forward to seeing some of you in Wisconsin!
EXACTLY! After the first train went by… and I mean train, I jumped… then thought that could make a long day even longer in the end, so I just la-tee-da’d my own day.
I dont mean to oversimplify this but to be perfectly honest, just like with diets, supplements, etc,…there are no fads or easy ways, there is only one way to improve…and that is to swim your booty off…
in LP’99 i swam 1:08
in IMFLA '03 i swam :59 something…
between 99 and 03 i drastically increased my volume, actually between 2001 and 2003 i really increased it…for '99 i swam 2xper week, 3000 yds each time…last year i swam 5-6 days per week, and averaged 20,000 yds per week. (i have no swimming background)
a really bad a$$ swimmer once told me that anybody whos ever been fast in the water has put their volume in…
there are no secrets. best of luck!!!
i do agree with a previous poster who said that you have to weigh what the cost is in investment of time for a sub-1:00 swim versus potential improvements on the bike and run. its personal.
Okay. At first I was reading a 1:10 IM as an Individual Medley for 100 yds??? So, I’m thinking “HOLY COW” what a cry baby this guy is…or am I really that out of touch with what the other folks are swimming these days??? What gives!
Okay, now that I have settled down a bit as I read on further that 1:10 IM is a one HOUR and ten MINUTE Ironman…whew!
The best way to knock time off your swim is to do everything that Fleck said…and do a lightening quick T1. You won’t believe how much time people waste in T1 in Ironman. This will get you 3-5 min compared to a lot of 1:10 swimmers. Just look at the T1 splits of the 1:05 to 1:10 crowd vs the 48-52 min crowd. They are way faster in T1. You can be as fast as a pro in T1 and it takes ZERO additional effort. Its a long enough day, why spend any more time in transition. Do everything in forward motion all day. Over 10+ hours, this all adds up. In aid stations, grab your stuff on the move. No standing still. All this will add up to way more than killing yourself doing 2 extra swim workouts a week. If you can save yourself one min per hour racing smarter, that will more than take care of the 10 min you are searching for.
I agree with the 1 hour steady state swims in open water. 75% of my swimming is done in my wetsuit in open water - minumum swims 2 miles. I might hit the pool once every two weeks.
It has been working pretty well. My 2 mile steady state swims have dropped 7 minutes in the past two months.
I have seen recommendations against doing mostly long straight wetsuit swims (from masters coaches) but I just don’t feel like the payoff is worth me killing myself in the pool 3-4 times per week hammering laps.
I do throw in tempo efforts in the middle of my long swims and I think that’s good enough. It’s working for me.
One thing I’ve found is if I keep my turnover steady and my body high in the water, it keeps my momentum and speed up throughout the hour long swim. If my elbows start dropping after the catch then I know I’m getting lazy or really tired. Usually it’s just lazy.
I’ll probably swim in the 1:10 range at IMCDA, and that will be fine with me.
i wouldn’t call it a secret, but masters classes is what pushed me to better swims. i swam about 1:03ish at im cali in '01, then 56 and change at imcda last year. cumulative training over the two years definitely helped increase my aerobic capacity, but the biggest difference between swim training in '01 and '03 was the addition of 2 masters classes per week. something about the coached/team environment caused me to work harder than i would have on my own.
Work on technique as much as you can. Even small improvements can yeild significant results
Get the best wetsuit that you can afford, that fits you perfectly
Learn how to draft on the swim and do it like crazy
blast out a bit too fast for the first 500m or so on the swim and then settle in behind a faster swimmer, when they pass you as you fade off a bit and let them tow you along
doing intervals
longer intervals and steady state one hour swims, preferably in open water
**More time in the water refining the stroke **
**100’s on shorter times **
tt of 1500’s periodically
do a lightening quick T1
throw in tempo efforts in the middle of my long swims** **
keep my turnover steady and my body high in the water
And my personal fav:
swim your booty off
Thanks all! You really are a wealth of info. I’ll be back in 6 months with an update . . .
one more in terms of intervals. i’d have repeats of 400’s or 500’s with about 15 seconds rest, working up to 8-10, depending on distance of intervals. shoot for just above race pace. great for the aerobic engine and building muscular endurance. i use these in place of long straight swims since those drive me nuts.