I was really pleased, and proud, of those of you who completed the CSS testing in May. For some of you it was the first time you had swum that far in one go and special mention must go to Jacquelin Sims who in October last year couldn’t kick a length without holding on to the side and whom through perseverance and perhaps an element of stubbornness made the CSS test swims!!! (big clap). The results are here:
What has been added to the usual results is greater analysis of your drop off over the 400 from the first 100 to the final 100 and what this tells you about pacing. This is thanks to the very clever chaps at Swim Smooth. Some people have phenomenal pacing, or are perhaps cleverly controlled, or have one pace. For many swimming 400m was a long way and not knowing how to pace for that distance resulted in the drop off in time. Along side each swimmer is a comment about your pacing. Your goal next time is to improve your pacing as well as lower your CSS.
On pacing ~If your first 100 was around 2 minutes, for example, and the remaining where an average of 2.05 or slower try going out really slow next time. I know it is counter intuitive, but give it a go and then bring it home hard. Going out too fast, even by a few seconds, can push you into a different energy system and the result is fatigue that hits you at the end. By swimming slower to start with you avoid that nasty heaviness and can keep powering.
Armed with your CSS and tempo trainer you are now powered up to work at the correct level to train for an endurance event and or you have a measure in the sand of what you can do now.