I am training for MOO. I have been swimming 3x per week about 1000 yards each time (I know, not much). Swimming is my limiter insofar as speed. And I also like it least, by far. I am using a HRM training in the run and bike in zone 2 nearly exclusively. I was very successful at developing my run so that now I can run any distance at a good clip (for me) and stay in my zone 2 (about 150-160)
Here is what has me concerned. I did my long bike on Saturday AM. On Sun AM I went for a swim. I planned on a long swim (2000 yards). My HR was off the charts. I started feeling weird after 1000 yards or so and checked my HR. Even swimming very easy, I was at 180-190. I stopped at 1500 yards because I just could not get stable. After my shower walking out of the gym I was still at 150.
I went for an easy run 4 hours later and my HR was 10-15 beats higher than it would normally be for that run.
So, I really need to get my swimming HR settled. Some of the problem may have been from the ride on Saturday. And my run was skewed because I was anaerobic on the swim, I presume. Can I just do LSD in the pool with the expectation that it will have the same effect as it did in my running? Other (or better) advice?
If I get out of the water at Moo with a 190 HR I may as well go home.
hmm… could what happened on sunday swim and run after have been a physiological aberration due to e.g., nutrition, sickness, fatigue? In general you’re going to see high HR coming out of the water. A big task will be getting this down on the first leg of the bike. So I think the key difference between a high HR and a HR “off the charts” must be RPE. Swim within your limits and if you have the endurance base your HR will settle on the bike and you will be fine. Again just guessing, and obviously no offense intended, but if your avg/swim is 1000yards I’ve go to believe it aint pretty. Are you breaking it down into sets? Keep the sets short enough with enough RI to maintain perfect form throughout. If your form is bad or you are not breaking down the distance into shorter sets even when you are trying to go “very easy” you might still be very inefficient and tense, thus causing high HR? So if, from what looks may be the case, swim is a HUGE limiter for you (and forget speed limiter - first you have a basic skills limiter and then an endurance limiter) then maybe schedule a good 3-4 week base block of swim focus with emphasis on skill drill training (e.g., TI balance stuff) and/or a few coached sessions w/ video analysis?
If your body position/balance is poor, chances are you’re kicking like hell to keep from sinking. That uses a lot of energy and could easily cause your heart rate to go up. If the swim is your limiter, you need to be spending a lot more time in the water. 3,000 yards per week is not enough to make any significant improvement. I saw a huge improvement in my fitness and times when I increased my training from 5-6,000 yards per week to at least 10,000 yards per week. Joining a masters group is a great way to get in the yards.
your technique may not be optimal and all the suggestions about how to structure your swims are good, but i would take a day or two off. the high run HR nearly confirms that you are simply burnt to a crisp. get some sleep, eat some tacos, have a few sodas and go back at it in a few days.
Your high HR was almost certainly not from swimming, rather from your long bike or some other extenuating circumstance. However, even with those other conditions put aside, you are obviously going to have a very high HR with such poor swimming.
I don’t want to be a downer, but can you safely finish a 4000+ yard swim in open water, potentialy rough water with 1500 athletes swimming over you? Remember, you can’t put your feet down or hang onto the wall to rest halfway through.
You are on the right track in comparing run training with swimming. You’ve got to get to the point where every workout is at least 2000 yds. Personally, I find that 3 workouts of 3000yds each is the minimum required for maintenance.
Here is a skeleton workout that you can adjust to fit:
FWIW, and I don’t think it’s worth that much, but I have been in the water my whole life - albeit not as a competitive swimmer. I was a lifeguard many years ago as well. Open water and other swimmers do not bother me. I am not looking to put my feet down or grab a wall. I never feel as though I am uncomfortable in the water, just that I have little endurance at this point swimming.
It has been more than 10 years since I have swum more than 1000 yards at a time. My work schedule forces me to swim on my lunch hour, thus the 1000 limitation on my swims so far. The weekend swim will be my long swim.
That said, my form is not very good - although I am not thrashing around either. I have seen a coach and have several things to work on. Much of what I learned originally is now considered obsolete form.
You sure you aren’t sick? Most people have trouble getting their heart rate up in the pool so your experience is unusual. Did you drink a lot of coffee or take Sudafed beforehand?
Also, I find my heart rate tends to be lower the day after a hard workout rather than higher.
That’s interesting. Hayfever season just picked up here in Madison, WI and I took a Drixoral OTC antihistimine the day before. It has never affected me in any negative way before. I have taken the same pill for more than 5 years. But I wonder about it’s effects on training?
Great news about your past swimming experience, although it doesn’t make you faster at least you don’t have to worry about panicking in the water or taking a long time to get comfortable in the water. Both are common problems to beginners that you don’t have to deal with.
Sounds like you are heading in the right direction, just keep it up and you’ll get there.
BTW, I’ve got horrible allergies and I noticed that many over the counter medecines interfere with my sleep quality and resting HR. I have noticed smaller effects (+5 beats) during exercise. I’m with the other posters, make sure you are not sick or over-training.
I’m with you on that one also. My swimming heart rate is really high compared to biking and running too. Sometimes I just think swimming is tough. I know a lot of people who get short of breat after a few laps. I think it just takes more training (at least in my case) either way, good luck.