Time trial results

Here are the times from Sunday. Well done to everyone: it was a hard session. The two key time trials were 400m and 200m and these are used to assess your Critical Swim Speed (CSS). If you're familiar with this just move onto the results - if not, here's a short explanation.

It's important to remember that the time trial test is about your current fitness level, so if you've had a race recently or have been hammering hard in training this will be reflected in your CSS score.

The idea behind the CSS test is to find a non-invasive way to assess an athlete's aerobic capacity and to identify the anaerobic and aerobic components of their fitness. After much research and testing different distances, the 400m and 200m appear to give the most accurate result. Your CSS pace is the basic pace at which to train to develop your speed.

It is assumed that you will swim 200m at a faster pace than 400m. If this is not the case then some strange results occur. For this reason, the calculation has been tweaked for those results with a * to make sure a meaningful result is obtained.
 

LANE 1                              400m                                200m                              CSS pace
Claire                                   6:04                                  2:52                                1:36
Carolyn                                7:07                                  3:24                                1:51
Dawn                                   7:20                                  3:39                                1:50
Craig                                    7:57                                  3:56                                2:00

LANE 2                              400m                                200m                              CSS pace
Graham                               7:33                                  3:40                                1:57
Duncan                                7:14                                  3:39                                1:49 *
Theresa                               7:29                                  3:45                                1:52 *


LANE 3                              400m                                200m                              CSS pace
Alison                                    8:33                                  4:01                                2:16
Neil                                        8:52                                  4:28                                2:13
Stuart                                    8:33                                  4:22                                 2:08 *
Matthew                                8:27                                  4:16                                 2:07 *

Club swim survey

Please use the comment box for your responses. Please respond by Saturday 13 July. Thanks.

Swim training Sunday 12 May

Just like when you look at the sky and see dark clouds and know it is going to rain, so when then is only half a session on the board you know it's going to be tough. And so it was.

Key
FC=Front Crawl   KK=Kick (no float)   BS=Breast Stroke   CU=Catch-up   CF=Clenched fists   SA=Single arms   LA=Left arm   RA=Right arm   SP=Sprint   CR=Cruise pace   RP=Race Pace   EP=Easy pace   TT=Time trial   AO=Arms only with pull buoy

Warm-up
500m 2x(50FC/50KK/50SW/50AO/50FC)
Total 500m

Main set
Lane 1+2 5x200m 20s rest total 1000m
Lane 3     4x200m 20s rest total 800m
Lane 4     3x200m 20s rest total 600m
50m FC easy
100m sprint
Lanes 1,2 and 3 20x50m RP total 1000m 5s rest
Lane 4 18x50m RP total 900m 5s rest
Totals Lanes 1+2 2150m, Lane 3 1950m, Lane 4 1750m

Cool down
50m
Total 50m

Session total Lanes 1+2 2700m, Lane 3 2500m, Lane 4 2200m

Swim Training Tuesday 7 May

 For those not off the blocks bright and early, here is today's session. For convenience, here is the key which we will use from now on.

FC=Front Crawl   KK=Kick (no float)   BS=No, not B*** S*** but Breast Stroke   CU=Catch-up   CF=Clenched fists   SA=Single arms   LA=Left arm   RA=Right arm   SP=Sprint   CR=Cruise pace   RP=Race Pace   EP=Easy pace   TT=Time trial

Warm-up
100m (25FC/25KK/25BS/25SP)
Total 100m

Drills
200m (150CU/50FC)
200m (150CF/50FC)
200m (50LA/50RA/50FC/50SP)
Total 600m

Main set
400m (100CR/100RP/100SP/100CR)
400m (100RP/200SP/100RP)
400m (300RP/100SP)
400m (400TT)
50m SP
Total 1650m

Cool Down
50m
Total 50m

TOTAL session 2400m

Swim training Sunday 5 May

Here is Sunday's session in all its gory detail.


Warm-up
400m (100m swim, 100m kick (no boards), 100m drill ~ RA/swim/LA/swim, 100m swim)
Total 400m

Main set
50m x4 (25m race pace/25m cruising) 10 sec rest between
100m swim
100m x4 (25m race pace/75m cruising) 15 sec rest between
100m easy pace swim
200m  x3 (50m race ace/150m cruising) 30 sec rest between
50m x4 (kick 25m race pace/25m cruising) 10 sec rest between
Treading water exercise
50m x2 (25m sprint/25m recovery)
Total 1700m

Cool down
50m swim
Total 50m

Session total 2150m

Swim session Tuesday 26 April

By popular request a reprise of Dawn's post on Facebook. Apparently, it's not true that you needed a maths degree to work this out! Anyhow, a session for brain and body.

Warm-up

200m own choice  
Total 200m 
  
Main set

6 x 50m kick descending times on 1-3 and holding times on 4-6 all 15secs rest 
(Pick up pace from first to third and hold last three at that pace)
6 x 50m swim descend 1-3 and hold 4-6 all 10secs rest (as above)
2 x 50m Golf – 1x50m at 80% - 1x50m @ 100% record scores (Total Stroke Count + Time Taken)
4 x 50m Drill 25m/swim 25m where odd lengths 3 strokes one arm 3 strokes other, and even lengths Catch Up 2secs hold at front. 20secs rest between sets
4 x 75m Drill 50m/swim 25m odds 6 kick on side then rotate to other side, evens fists 25secs rest
2 x 100m Drill 75m/swim 25m odds single arm Left, single arm Right - 3 strokes one arm 3 strokes other, and evens Thumb 2 Thigh. 30secs rest
4 x 50m as swim 25m/drill 25m odds kick on back and evens dragging fingers. 20secs rest
4 x 75m as swim 50m/drill 25m odds kick on side and evens fists. 25secs rest
2 x 100m as swim 75m/drill 25m odds 3 single arm left, 3 single arm right, 3 strokes normal and evens thumb to thigh. 30secs rest
2 x 50m Golf both at 80% record scores. 
Total 2200m
 
Cool down 
200m front 200m back 
Total 400m

Grand total 2800m

Swim session Sunday 24th April

Here's today's session

Warm-up

200m  Continuous swimming made up of 50s breathing every 2-3-5-7 strokes
500m  The following set should be done twice (2x250m)
   * 50m    Pull-buoy arms only
   * 75m    Swim
   * 50m    Kick (arms front)
   * 75m    Swim 
Total 700m


Main set
4x400m @80% (rest 40s, 30s, 20s, 30s after each 400m set)
25m   Single arm (L)
25m   Single arm (R)
50m   Three strokes L, three strokes R
100m  Catch-up
100m Sprint
Total 1900m

Cool-down
200m  Of any other stroke but front crawl
Total 200m

Session total 2800m

Video analysis programme

 

OK so we're finally here, the week of the video filming. To refresh your memory, here are the names of those booked in. Please let me know immediately if you are unable top attend as there are a number of people who wanted places but didn't get into the first batch.

Go to training as normal and I will call you out individually during the session. Please be aware of the likely time when you will be required - each swimmer will be filmed for approximately 10 minutes. We will be using one of the end lanes. You will be swimming a broken 400-500m (depending upon your pace) and all you have to do is swim. There will be one static camera at the lane end and one moving camera to track movement - the latter will change positions a number of times to give us an all-round view of your stroke.

I hope to post short teasers on the Facebook page regularly over the next few weeks. Once the editing has been completed, you will receive a DVD with your footage and that of the other five swimmers in your session. You will be able to look at this yourself and/or use it with Chris to analyse your stroke. The target date for completion is the end of the month. The cost of the DVD is £10 and is payable to Martin on the day of your filming. If you have any questions, please leave a message below or on the club's Facebook page.


Sunday 7th April
Allan Manson
Dawn McDonald
Sandie Donald
Harold Paul
Norman Neilson
John Stitt

Tuesday 9th April
Alison Crooks
Andy Black
Theresa Lavert
Paula Voce 
Stuart Garner
Paula Neill

Sunday 14 April
Craig Stitt
Brian Johnson
Mhairi Duff
Chris Ross
Andy Fairgrieve
Andrew Webster 


I look forward to seeing to in your session.


 

Training schedule 2 April

 

 A schedule with 'a bit of a kick' today

Warm-up
Swim 150m

Drill 3x (50m front kick/50m back kick, 50m side (L) kick for 6 kicks then repeat for side (R) for distance, 50m swim @ 6 kick beats to 2 arm strokes)

Total 600m

Main set
Lane 1 and 2: 8x150m off 2:40 (25m kick, 125 swim)
Lane 3: 6x150m off 2:40 (25m kick, 125m swim)
Lane 4: 4x150m off 3:00 (25m kick, 125m swim)

5x50m sprint
6x25m sprint (racing in pairs)
Total 1600m/1300m/1000m

Cool down
Got anything left in the tank?

50m swim
Total 50m

Session total 2250/1950/1650


Unfortunately, we went too well in lane 3 and so ended up doing 8x150m for the main set, not 6x150m!

Swim training 31 March

A long hard session today - just what the Easter Bunny ordered!

Warm-up

200m swim

450m drills (Continuous sequence comprising:100m catch-up/100m closed fist/

25m L, 25m swim, 25m R, 25m swim/4x (12.5m kick/12.5m sprint)/25m kick, 25m sprint)

Total 650m

Main set
Timings according to lane as shown

                                 Lanes 1+2     Lanes 3+4     Lane 5
    
2x100m                     1:55              2:05               2:15
2x50m                       60 secs        65 secs         70 secs

4x100m                     1:50              2:00               2:10
4x50m                       50 secs        60 secs         60 secs

6x100m                     1:45              1:55               2:05
6x50m                       50 secs        60 secs         60 secs

Total 1800m


Cool down
You have to be joking! 

Total session 2450m


Out of interest, in lane 3 we kept surprisingly to time. For example 1:47 and 1:52 for the first two hundreds (far too fast); 1:58, 2:02, 2:04 and 1:54 for the second four hundreds (correct average); and 1:55, 1:54, 1:58, 2:02, 2:09 and 1:52 for the third six hundreds (getting weary).

Swim Training Sunday 24 March

Quite a tough session!

Warm-up
2x sets (set= 50 swim/50 arms/50swim/50 legs/50swim/50 drill continuously)

Total 600 m


Main set
50m Golf (count total strokes and note time in secs and add together to give a Golf score)

Depending upon lane follow instructions
Lanes 1+2 (10x200m 20 secs rest between sets)
Lanes 3+4 (8x200m 25 secs rest between sets)
Lane 5 (6x200m 30 secs rest between sets)
The last set in each case should be timed

50m Golf (aiming for 75% of previous Golf score)

Total 2000/1600/1200


Cool down
50 swim

Total 50m

Total training session 2650/2250/1900


For your info, in lane 2 we only managed 9 sets and the last was timed at approx 3:36

Swim training Sunday 17 March

 

Here is today's session

Warm-up
100m swim
100m swim/front scull (50/50)
100m kick
4x100m (25m swim/25m Right arm/25m Left arm/ 25m rear scull)
[TOTAL 700m]

Main set
3x(6x100m) Lanes 1 and 2 only (20secs rest between 100s and 30 secs rest between sets)
OR
3x(4x(100m) Lanes 3 and 4 only (30 secs rest between 100s and 40 secs rest between sets)
[TOTAL 1800m OR 1200m]

Cool down
50m
[TOTAL 50m]

Session total 2550m OR 1950m

Swim training Sunday 10 March

Here is today's session. 

Warm-up 
200m swim
200m drills (50 front scull, 50 front catch, 100 single arm [50L, 50R])
200m swim
 TOTAL 600m

Main set
6x50m (alternating 15 fast, 35 easy, 35 easy, 15 fast for 3 sets)
3x100m kick (yes, 300! 100m with float, 100m on back with float and 100m without float arms stretched out front)
2x300m (each 100 in each set getting progressively faster)
6x50m (alternating 25 hard, 25 easy, 25 easy, 25 hard for 3 sets)
100m cool down
TOTAL 1600m

Although superficially not as difficult as some recent sets, this was hard since much of the work was about switching pace.

Session total 2200m

Training session 24 February

For this session, lane 1 was working off 1:50, lanes 2 and 3 were working off 2:05 and lane 4 was working off 2:20. These are the lane paces referred to below.


Warm-up
100m easy swim
100m legs only
100m arms only
(total 300m)

Main set
4x25m (25m=12.5m kick+12.5m full stroke)
5x100m @ lane pace                                           15 secs rest between sets
4x25m (25m=12.5m kick+12.5m full stroke)

100m @ 10 secs above lane pace
100m @ 10 secs below lane pace
100m @ 10 secs above lane pace                        20 secs rest between sets
100m @ 10 secs below lane pace
 100m @ 10 secs above lane pace

 4x25m (25m=12.5m kick+12.5m full stroke)

3x100m @ lane pace                                            15 secs rest between sets

100m @ CSS pace (individual timings)
50m @ CSS pace (individual timings)

(total 1750m)

Cool down
100m
(total 100m)

Session total 2150m 



How does this work in practice?

If you are interested how this works in practice, I can give you my own timings courtesy of Garmin. Apologies for the non-geeks amongst you! I was in lane 2 and I believe that those in my lane would have completed the session in approximately these times as well. My CSS time is 1:54. Basically, we kept to the programme pretty well, if anything, we were generally faster than we were targeted to be.

Warm-up
100m in 1:59
100m legs only in 2:54
100m arms only in 2:10


Main set
4x25m (25m=12.5m kick+12.5m full stroke) in 2:30

5x100m as follows (should be 2:05):
100m in 1:53
100m in 1:58
100m in 1:59
100m in 1:58
100m in 1:58

4x25m (25m=12.5m kick+12.5m full stroke) in 2:22

5x100m as follows (should alternate between 2:15 and 1:55):
100m in 1:59
100m in 1:48
100m in 2:04
100m in 1:53
100m in 2:02
 4x25m (25m=12.5m kick+12.5m full stroke) in 2:45

3x100m as follows (should be 2:05):
100m in 1:57
100m in 2:01
100m in 2:02

100m in 1:49 (should be 1:54 for me)
50m in 0:52 (should be 0:57 for me)

Cool down
100min 2:06

Updated video schedule

Here is the schedule for the swim video analysis. Please contact me asap if there are any problems. There is one more slot left for the early morning session on Tuesday 9 April. If you are interested please let me know. If you're not on the list, we will be running this again, so you won't miss out.

 Sunday 7th April
Allan Manson
Dawn McDonald
Sandie Donald
Harold Paul
Norman Neilson
John Stitt

Tuesday 9th April
Alison Crooks
Andy Black
Theresa Lavert
Paula Voce 
Stuart Garner

Sunday 14 April
Craig Stitt
Brian Johnson
Mhairi Duff
Chris Ross
Andy Fairgrieve
Andrew Webster

Video analysis update

Thanks to all those who have booked a session. Here is the list so far. Please let me know if there are any any errors or omissions. If you still want to be included in this batch, please leave a message below or leave a message on the club Facebook page. I can take one more on each on the Sundays and four more on Tuesday (six more in total).

Sunday 7th April
Allan Manson
Dawn McDonald
Sandie Donald
Harold Paul
Norman Neilson

Tuesday 9th April
Alison Crooks
Andy Black

Sunday 14 April
Craig Stitt
Brian Johnson
Mhairi Duff
Chris Ross
Andy Fairgrieve

We will run this more than once, but it would be great to have as many as possible through in the first batch.

Training session 17 February 2013

For those of you who missed the swim session, here is the entire workout. For those of you who were there, here's your chance to relive the best moments! Although this base was completed by all lanes, different target times applied. The target times shown were for lane 1 and for lanes 2 and 3.

Warm-up set
100m warm up
50m catch-up
50m fists
100m kicking (arms by side)
100m (4x kicking arms extended 12.5m/full stroke sprint 12.5m)
Total 400m

Main set
6x50m @60secs/65secs
3x100m @1:50/2:05
2x150m @2:30/3:00
1x300m @5:00/6:00
2x150m @2:30/3:00
3x100m @1:50/2:05
6x50m @60secs/65secs
Total 2100m

The total distance covered was 2500m.

Video analysis

I can confirm three dates for video analysis during the regular training sessions. Just in case you missed my original post, we are going to film individual swimmers so that they have a better idea of what their stroke looks like, and Chris will also be able to offer his expert advice about how to develop or improve it.
   My intention is to have four camera angles: one poolside face on to see the arm movement over the water, the second tracking under the water face on to see the pulling action and body roll and the third and forth a side view (one above and one below the water level) to be able to see the arm pulling motion and tracking above the water.
   The three sessions are Sunday 7 April, Tuesday 9 April and Sunday 14 April during the regular training sessions. You will take part in the regular session until your time slot when you will switch to the filming lane and swim 500m (as continuously as possible).
   I can accommodate six members in each session. Please reply below to book your place in the session. Space will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis - although if we need extra sessions later I will endeavour to offer them.
   The cost of this will be £10 which will be payable on the day of the filming. For this you will receive a DVD with your own material (approximately 10 minutes) and other members' footage for comparison (approximately 50 minutes). It is our intention to have an evening session where we could analyse and discuss the material in more detail. You can also make an arrangement with Chris to talk this through more specifically to your own needs.
   So, sign up below. I will make occasional posts on the club Facebook page to confirm the booking status.
.