Swimming 400 m in 10 mins.

[amc717]

I am not really sure whether this is the right area for this question. Anyway, any suggestions would be apprieciated.

Part of my new training is to be able to swim 400 meters in 10 mins. I was wondering if anyone knows any site or link or information as to how this could be done.

I have been doing 300 meters in a little over 9 mins, but my 400 meters is usually in the area of 13 mins.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Far_X]

If you cannot improve your time, then you may have to change your technique. How often are you swimming and have you seen any marginal lowering of your time? Why don't you practice for 500m and after doing that for a few weeks, then see how it is when you go for the 400m timed?

A book which I have is "Fitness Swimming" by Emmett Hines. I have no idea how it compares to other books as this is the only one I have read. I have found it useful in making me a more efficient swimmer.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Technique is the key. I watched Big-t-2538 from here on the board do his 400m in just under 5 minutes. He didn't even look like he was working because his form is so good but then again when he was in college he was a swim team member. I believe he said he was 200 lbs heavier than his old swimming weight when I saw him do that 400m. Try sending a PM to him.

Personally I only had basic swimming lessons as a kid but managed to squeak my 400m in just under 10 min. I found that working with the hand paddles that swimmers use helped me a lot on my form and got me under the 10 minute mark.

Good luck!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[simbrooks]

Some ideas, get your speed and stamina up by swimming in a pyramid format - 50m, short break, 100m, short break, 150m, short break, 200m, short break and back down, keep increasing this until you are up to 400m or so, your stamina, fitness and speed should be better, then try just doing 400m and see how you are. As for technique, i assume you are doing freestyle/front crawl. Its common for that to be quite badly hindered by poor strokemanship; reach out in front of you, dont hit the water with your hand until you have gone that max reach; continue the pull from the second you hit the water to the time your hand leaves the water; on your breath stroke roll your upper torso to just allow your face to break the surface, this also rolls your shoulder down for a longer, harder, stronger stroke; the stroke should be somewhat like a shallow c shape, going from where your hand enters, coming inwards towards your body (for max forward thrust without sideways movement) and back out around your hip; enter the water with your hand pointing up (showing the base of your hand to the crowd) rather than palm down, turn it quickly to the show the palm when you get it in the water; concentrate on rythmn (sp?) and feel the movements through the water, all these things help.

My time is probably not as good at Big-T, but i can probably still do a 25min mile, which is about 6.25mins, maybe less if i was just doing 400m alone and not the rest of the distance. Just takes practice, work on technique and being energy efficient just as you might do to improve your diving skills.

 

[jfoutz]

If you’re looking for good books on technique and training, I have a couple of suggestions:

Dr. Phillip Whitten “The Complete Book of Swimming”

Terry Laughlin “Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier”

 

[simbrooks]

Some online references to get you started:
swiminfo, canuckrunner - although i have no idea if its Canadian specific , all swimming.

That should help, i might even hit some of these myself one day.

 

[SoB]

A quick win is to check what you're wearing for instance - if you are baggy shorts you can happily add a minute or more to the time you would do without them.

Good luck - and the references and advice the others have given look good and you'll make it.
Simon

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

- if you are baggy shorts you can happily add a minute or more to the time you would do without them.
Simon

'Course, expect a lot of screaming and running...

 

[archman]

Part of my new training is to be able to swim 400 meters in 10 mins. I was wondering if anyone knows any site or link or information as to how this could be done.

Is this for the DM or OWSI test? I remember having to do a similar 10 minute timed swim for lifeguarding, but that's old school now.

 

[simbrooks]

Is this for the DM or OWSI test? I remember having to do a similar 10 minute timed swim for lifeguarding, but that's old school now.

I should hope they pushed that time down to 8 mins for a lifeguard now! I know we had timed swims, swim and tows, just plain tows and swim, recover and tows with resus in water along with 1000 other things....