Training for a 70 Year Old

I swim in a very cold pool. Cold being relative. The pool is cold to me. This is my only available pool. The cold water combined with an excellent pool presented a solution based on how I really should train.

In the 1960s I coached a small parochial boys' high-school swim-team in Santa Monica, California. The City gave me access to their pool for one hour, five days a week. How do I coach a team of varying skills and speeds in such a short time. I called my high-school coach, Forbes Carlile, MBE, MS, in Sydney Australia and asked for a “solution.” As a kid growing up in Australia, I was a pupil of Forbes'. It was a period during which he was preparing for the 1952 Helsinki pentathlon. He was an amateur. To keep us informed, Forbes would stencil notes, on large legal-sized paper – with everything from tapering, shaving, diet, sleep, efforts, distance, recording workouts; weight, sleep, basal pulse, everything – to borrow from the WW1 lexicon; the whole 9 yards. Most of us trained alone and followed his approach. Many of his innovations, such as: tapering, shaving, etc. I took to the University of Michigan (1955-59) and they were at some point adopted by a UM coach. John Davies (1948-52) had previously transported to the UM Forbes' demand for even laps (effort distribution) and warming up with a hot shower.

Forbes wrote back and said to have the swimmers repeat quality 50s on the minute. Quality does not mean flat out. It meant about 85 percent effort per 50 – with focus on technique – head down, bum up, rotate around the axis, etc. We had a great season. 13 qualified for the Division III, CIF in Southern California. Many years later – Forbes wrote an article about Kieran Perkins' race pace 100s. Kieran was the breakthrough swimmer over the 400 and 1500 meters. He would swim a set – 30 times 100 meters on the 2 minutes at 58 (w.r. Pace for the 1500) and would see that his pulse never rose about minus 20 (maybe 30? - I am not sure ask forbes@carlile.com.au ) from maximum. When he could balance these two variable, he knew he was in shape. This approach was consistent with what Forbes taught from the late 40s and what he told me to do in 1967. Forbes was totally against flat out training.

At 70 – I have a number of sets that I believe are based on the “perfect approach” as developed in the 1940s. I had a physical from my MD prior to embarking on this program and received a medical clearance. This medical “clearance” is a must.

30 times 100 meters on the 2 minutes holding about 1.35 or better.

5 times 400 meters broken up as follows: -- 5 * (4*50 + 2 [75+25 basic])

4 * 50 on the minutes at 41 seconds

2 times 75 meters plus one lap basic (about 80% effort) – leaving on the 2 minute or 2.30 – recovery is a must as is technique maintenance

13 times 150 meters on the 3 minutes at about 2.15 to 2.20 pace

A good workout is what my colleagues and I did on my 70^th birthday --

70 times 50 meters on the minute – 80-85 percent effort – focus on turns and stroke.

No flat out or really hard swimming. That is an axiom I do not override. Even when the competitive juices surge.

Pool times for those wishing to workout with me are:

Saturday 0500

Sunday 0715

Tuesday 0700

Thursday 0700

On MWF I use the bands and run the stairs. A tape is available.

Three excellent people have joined me. All in their 50s and without a serious competitive swimming background. While sometimes using an assortment of toys – they are doing these workouts and improving daily. Two are women and one is a chap who wears one fin. The training horizon for them has seriously been changed. Thanks Forbes.