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Is CV just a measure to see if you’ve improved or can I use that info to inform/plan my training zone/pace for swim?
My CV was about what I thought it would be based on my estimated threshold. However, I am always faster when I wear my neoprene shorts versus traditional swim jammers.
Should I avoid using the neoprene shorts and just stick with regular trunks for training and estimating fitness levels?
my thoughts:
– the neoprene shorts are buoyancy and therefore improve you body position in the water which likely makes you faster.
– if making it perfect, you’d need two critical swim speeds, one with and one without these shortsI think these are a great training tool but I would not recommend to use them all the time. Almost like using a pull boy.
winoria
Curry, the primary purpose of the CV is to establish swim zones. The secondary purpose us to see if you have improved.
The CV test is a two-edged sword. If done right and consistently, it works well for experienced swimmers. If done inconsistently or incorrectly, it can lead you astray. At this point, I like the 1,000 meter/yard test better than the CV test.
winoria is exactly right: you need two sets of zones if you are going to use neoprene and jammers interchangeably. I’d just commit to the neoprene and use it consistently.
David
There is a difference between a triathlete and a swimmer. There also comes a point where every triathlete has to decide if they want to be a great swimmer or a great triathlete. Most triathletes will race 80% of their races in a wetsuit, and a neoprene suit will promote the type of swimming that’s best as a triathlete. The tradeoff is that your swimming will be better for the 80% of the events where you wear a wetsuit, and not as good for the 20% of events where you will compete in a pool. For some athletes, this might be a 50/50 split and it may be better to abandon the neoprene.
David
David
where can i find info on the 1000 meter test? I assume its just 1000 meters consecutive in approximate/low zone 3. Other details to it?
Thanks!
Curry, it’s in the Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon document at Intensity Guidelines for Triathlon but I’ve included the relevant section below:
Some swimmers therefore may have a difficult time with the CV test. An alternative test is the 1,000 yard time trial. Swim 1000 yards (or meters) as fast as you can. Your average pace per 100 is your lactate threshold swim pace.
David
Hmm, this is interesting!
CV test is hard, both physically and mentally.
I wonder if 1000 m/y trial will be more forgiving for the body/mind. Although in some ways this is counterintuitive (being 1000 m/y, almost double long).I am definitely a triathlon swimmer and not a swimmer swimmer. Yet, I still want to be able to improve my abilities as a swimmer without using the neoprene shorts. But David’s response also makes sense. I’ll still probably use both types and just adjust the workout times a bit when not using the neoprene shorts.
To put numbers to the difference for me. I tested my CV the week before my official plan started and then again during week 1 of plan. First time was in swim jammers and second time was in neoprene trunks.
The 2nd attempt in the neoprene was 6 meters better than my first CV. 400 was 45 seconds faster and 200 was almost 25 seconds faster. In fairness, I may have also tried a little harder on the 2nd attempt.
Pretty interesting/amusing thread I started over at Slowtwitch about whether to wear buoyancy pants all the time or not. Clearly I touched a nerve with some folks over there! LOL
Hilarious! People are easily set off over there about everything.
Follow up to this is that I was doing SMI1 the other day which has a few zone 3 100’s and zone 4 50’s in it.
I wore regular jammers and was faster than the listed/suggested time based on my neoprene trunks CV time. I could not figure out if it was cause i was going too hard or if my swimming has gotten better. It was not substantially better, but I should have in theory been a few seconds slower than the listed time and i was a few seconds faster or right on the faster part of the range.
Circling back to this and have some thoughts having reflected on it after my race in June. My race was wetsuit optional and I opted not to wear the wetsuit. I swam much slower than I anticipated and while there are multiple reasons for that, I think a part of it was constantly relying on the shorts as a crutch for my poor swim skills during training.
If I had to do it again, I would NEVER wear the buoyancy shorts during training. As a point of reference, I got to a point where I was wearing them every time I did swim training, mostly because I assumed that I’d be able to wear a wetsuit. I believe it wound up hurting me because I got lazy with my kick/legs.
I would however still practice a few times in open water with and without my wetsuit.
That would be my advice to any poor swimmer, unless they can be 100% certain that their swim will be wetsuit legal.
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