Sounds like you are not gliding well then 🙂 I would guess efficiency must increase with stroke rate then decrease. Otherwise you’d be best off whirling like mad..

Not at all. I have a relatively slow stroke rate of about 55spm.

I do 17 strokes per 25m without a push-off and my general pace is about 25s/length. So that’d be about what, 40 strokes/min..? Thereabouts.

Are you counting both arms, or only on a full cycle?

40 spm is very slow!!

http://www.swimsmooth.com/strokerate.html

Er I figured one stroke was with one arm.

Ahem !….

And back to the OP ?….
😉

Enjoying following this so far – Lucky the spring seems upon us in France now as the other week I was taking pictures of icy spray in Geneve.

Think this has given me the nudge to get into swimming again as I haven’t been since doing 2 miles as a young un – bit worried my kaput collar bone might hinder things but I’d love to do a tri in the near future.

bonne vitesse

I’m doing about 15 strokes per 25m, blokes beside me are taking more strokes but not going any faster. When I speed the stroke rate I slow down, if that makes sense. I have long arms and I push all the way back rather than just pulling.

The good news then Mol is that by upping your SR only slightly will see you drop well towards 1min/100m. Your catch and pull etc must be spot on.

Thinking about it.. probably faster than 40, but I reckon I’m appreciably less than 60spm usually – based on imagining a ticking clock. Maybe 45-50.

60-65 would be my sprinting rate I reckon.

The good news then Mol is that by upping your SR only slightly will see you drop well towards 1min/100m

Possibly but I get really tired when I up the rate 🙂 Not sure 1min/100m is likely any time soon but then I never thought I could run a mile in 6m30 comfortably, so we’ll see.

Nothing really makes sense with swimming iDave, except that having shovel like hands and clown feet would seem to have a distinct advantage.

As would extra toes and webbed digits.

As would extra toes and webbed digits.

You’re in luck then !.
😉

Solo – are you ok?

I have big hands, size 12 feet – just need to use them properly.

Solo – are you ok

😆

How would you know what Ok is ?.

Damn you! My tiny size 8’s are almost pointless for kicking.

Solo – I’m a little worried you’re having a meltdown.

I have big hands, size 12 feet – just need to use them properly

But, Damn it man.
Do you have a razor ?.

I only kick enough to keep a decent roll. Going with Terry Loughlin’s methods. Also want to keep some leggy energy for the 56 mile bike and half marathon. Been told they can hurt a bit.

It’s a fair point. My hands aren’t huge either. Was watching some of the British Trials the other day…. Mark Foster is a fricking giant!!

Solo – I’m a little worried you’re having a meltdown.

Oh, no.

better to rest longer and keep a good stroke than get tired and flail around like a windmill.

I could be the coach 😉

The thing with swim training, getting decent technique is a lot more important than just working on fitness. In general, reducing the number of strokes per length is a good way of improving efficiency. Though you can overdo it (it sounds possible that iDave is – I do more strokes per length, yet go faster), which means you’re gliding too much (bad, as when you’re gliding you’re slowing down, your body is dropping creating more drag, when you should be keeping constant power on) or that you’re over-reaching (bad, as it results in you doing a snake wiggle). What could be worth trying is doing a slightly faster stroke rate by dropping the exaggerated lengthening of the stroke and relaxing a bit more – rather than consciously upping the rate, which is when you start flailing and getting inefficient. You’re after efficiency rather than the ultimate longest stroke.

TSY – got a 910XT, or is there some other watch which does that?

Yes aracer… I think swimovate may do one as well though.

Well from what aracer says my stroke seems pretty good, and it feels it to me as well. I do focus a lot on feeling the drag of the water on my skin so I can minimise it.

Like iDave though I hardly kick – just enough to keep my legs up and a little wriggling seems to help shrug the water off and maybe reduce drag, I dunno. Crap for pure swimming though, if I were aiming to do pure swimming events I’d really work on getting more power from my kick.

Yes aracer.

I’m not the only one then – not tried mine for swimming yet (and didn’t buy it for that) as I’ve been ill pretty much since I got it.

I thought this was going to be about pensions again. 😆

Good stuff idave, best start planning your vanity ‘tri-tattoo’ now. 😀

It’s that time of the week again

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/03/15/12-into-70-3-will-go-2/

There will be no tattoo…..

Good blog iDave!!

Booked on to the 74m btw.

Nice one – have you got a silly low gear on your bike for Mow Cop? Sadly I haven’t.

Nope. Full on race gearing. You doing it on you new bike??

You have sportive rider compact cranks don’t you?

39/53… is that compact??

No, you are officially awesome.

Mow cop is a 1 in 4

We’ll be fine….. (possibly)

They don’t make hills like that around here!

Latest nonsense

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/03/23/12-into-70-3-will-go-part-four/

Tour of flanders? Nice, have wanted to do that for a while. Once again, interesting reading! 🙂

This one is maybe a bit dull…

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2012/03/29/12-in-70-3-will-go-part-six/

Good choice of vino.

Yeah, I keep defaulting back to Spanish reds.

Actually that one was provided by TSY

Yeah, I keep defaulting back to Spanish reds.

I seem to prefer New World reds, myself.
🙂