2/26/09 - SCY

JAM

400 ez
200 K IM on back
4 x 100 @1:30 (1:15, 1:10s) moderate
4 x 50 @1:00 faster

300 drill w/snorkel (100 fly, 150 br, 50 fr)

4 x 75 fly/bk/br @1:15
4 x 75 - 50 bk/25 br @1:15
4 x 75 bk/br/fr @1:15
(HR 140-160)

rest 1:00 (HR 110-120)

2 x 75 Br @2:00
1 - NT
2 - 58 s, 21 strokes
(HR 160)

100 ez

50 br fast - 36

4 x 100 ez @20 sec rest

DPS:
I almost always take 7 strokes per length for breaststroke when I'm working it. I kept counting during the 75s and every length of breast came out to 7. If I took 6, it meant I was gliding and taking it a bit easier. Without pullouts, that means my DPS is 3.57 yards (3.26m). However, my pullout takes me out past the flags, which are 5 yards, so I can estimate, say, 7 yards on that. Thus, I'm only actually swimming 18 yards per length. Using 7 yards per length for pullouts I swam that second 75 as 54 yards/21 strokes = 2.57yards (2.35m).

Stroke Rate (strokes/time in seconds x 60):
My stroke rate, again based on no pullouts, for the second 75 was 21 strokes/58 seconds x 60 = 21.72. However, my actual stroke rate is higher because I spend 1-2 seconds underwater off of the walls. An underestimate of 1 second underwater gives a stroke rate of (21 strokes/55 seconds) * 60 = 22.9. If I figure on 2 seconds off of the walls, I get a stroke rate of (21/52) * 60 = 24.2.

According to Salo, in "Complete Conditioning for Swimming", Appendix A the stroke rates for "Other elite US swimmers" (the "lowest" category for race analysis), the average DPS and Stroke rates are:
100 Br: SR - 50.85; DPS - 1.74m
200 Br: SR - 40.10; DPS - 2.03m

Now, the DPS that I figured above was close to that of Olympic top 8 swimmers (2.32m). Their stroke rate, however is 37.93, over 150% of mine based on loose turn estimates.

What's next for my breaststroke? I have to get my stroke rate up a lot higher. Maybe not 1.5 times higher, but higher, just the same. And hopefully I can do so without losing too much DPS.

One drill I know that I can use is the "Early Catch Hands" from GoSwim. Basically, I turn my hands out into my pull as soon as they recover in front of me. I'll have to work with this and try some 50s and 75s where I just force really fast turnover.