Swim: how slow is slow? (Page 2)

I swam my first 100 yds this morning in: 1:50.08

But after 40 laps, my average per 100 yd was 2:20.62.  I am pretty slow - guaging from the guys who swim in the adjacent lanes.

I am a mid-to-back of pack swimmer and finished my IM swim in 1:30:04

~Mike

Chris, as a note on the 'slow down' advice, once your form improves in the water and your hips 'ride' higher in the water, you'll get to the point where you will need to kick less.  This will significantly lower your heartrate and allow you to almost 'swim forever.'  I've gotten to the point in my workouts where if it asks me to do pull drills with the pull buoy, I'll forego the pull buoy and just work on keeping my knees 'locked' or at least very close together with little or no kick.  I get that similar feel of my hips and legs still staying high in the water and will get the added benefit of still being able to rotate my hips while being able to concentrate on my pull.

Congrats on your improved swims.  Keep at it!

When people talk about their per-100 yd time, is that considered what they 'can do' or what they typically do?  My typical/average /100 is about 2:20 but that is a very comfortable easy pace that I can sustain all day.  By best would be about 1:45/100.  Just curious if people cite thier /100 time as thier best /100 or thier average /100?

~Mike

For exactly the reason you're citing, I would say you should probably be looking at your avg pace that's repeatable over a longer workout.  I'd say that I have 3 different "paces" that I keep in my head - one is my all out sprint best pace, one is my repeatable 100 pace, and one is my TT 1000 yd pace.  If somebody asked me what I swim, I'd probably answer with a number that's between the repeatable 100 pace and the TT 1000 yd pace - so for me, it's right around 1:50.  By having those 3 gauge numbers in my head, I can get an idea of how each workout is going while I'm in it - it gives me numbers to try to beat during workouts.

Edited to add that you have a pretty big range between your "best" and your "can swim it all day" number... my numbers are all tighter than that (1:39 best, 1:48 repeatable 100, 1:54 TT1000).  That big range would appear to indicate to me that there's room for form improvement that will help you to bring your all day pace down.

I needed to read this thread this morning (thanks Stampinann for sending it to me). I'm working hardest this year on improving my swim because I know it will improve my confidence. I'm training for my first half ironman and I am whoring input from everyone who knows how to swim! Kid in the next lane might find me begging for scraps of help if he's faster than I am (and let's face it, he is).

I have noticed that one of my biggest problems before was that I wasn't doing the drills. I've had coaching and that brought me up from a 3:00/100 to a 2:45/100 and some much better form. But after coaching was over I went right back to getting in the pool and swimming long distances and dropped my drills.

After surgery in December I decided to come back into each of my sports by doing it right, so I begged for drills (and found a great site, www.swimplan.com) and have been drilling since then, particularly working on my kick after determining I can swim faster if I don't kick. I've come down to a 2:03 best time 100 with 2:20 being average in just a few months! Form is where it's at!

I'm about tapped out on coaching funds this year, so I'm not sure if I can hire a coach, but I do have a few GREAT people who are helping me out, so ask around. You can probably share your expertise (mine would be in running) and swap with someone who is a great swimmer. Kara (from BT) gave me some swim drills that have proven to be a HUGE benefit in a short time.