How do you swim a 200 yard free?

How do you swim a 200 yard free? Honestly...it's basically an all out adventure. BUT this is more of a controlled sprint. You HAVE TO BREATHE!!! Don't try to go without air on this race or it will bite you hard!!! I go fast but start breathing every stroke (always to the right) after the initial 25 (which I breathe every 4 or 2 strokes). 3rd 50 is where you've got to give it everything...that's the 50 that will win the race, when most people want to give in to the pain and back off a little. Continue breathing though all the way to the end...it's okay to put your head down for those final 4-5 strokes to the finish. Your training background is key though. You can't just do a bunch of shorter stuff with lots of rest. You need to train for pain, with shorter rest between your reps of 50s, 100s, etc. I like doing lots of 125s and 150s as well, because I can put more speed into them and get a little more yardage per rep, but I still try to set an interval that gives me ~10-15 seconds of rest or so (depending on the distance being covered). For example, yesterday I did 10 x 150s @ 2:00 (holding between 1:45-1:50s on each one). Find an interval that works well for you and try doing multiple fast paced (80-85%) repeats while having about :10-:15 seconds rest. This will build your endurance a lot more for the 200 Free. It's gonna take hard work, but you'll be happy with yourself, even with a 10-15 second drop will be great!!! Depending on how much you can train...Go get that record!!

First 100 is relaxed, breathing as I want. 3rd 50 is a build to a sprint, breathing as I can. 4th 50 is all out sprint, breathing every 3 usually. This is how my coach has taught us and it's done well for me.

I believe my next strategy is going to be 1st 25 - go 99% breathing every 4 75 - 500 pace breathing every 2 50 - going 100% breathing every 6 50 - anything I got left The intentions are great, but this is definitely a recipe for crash and burn. It's better to build in to the race rather than giving it all you've got right up front. Some people try going with easy speed on the first 3 or 4 laps, and then they hang on for the back half. Maybe try going out with less effort on your next attempt, and really work the last three laps. I like your last 50 startegy. That's perfect. And why are you so intent on breathing every six? There's much to be said about getting air! Breathing less on the back half is going to deplete every muscle of much needed oxygen. If you try taking more breaths as an experiment next time, you may see a noticeable improvement. Good luck.

Thanks for all your help!

As is somewhat obvious, a 200 is about stringing 4 - 50s together. I think most swimmers and coaches will tell you that it's often won and lost in the 3rd 50, and like others have said it may be one of the toughest events to train for (the 400 IM is in a league of its own), because it's not a sprint or a long distance event. As jaadams1 and others have said, sets of 50s, 100s, 125s, and 150 repeats get you there. Swimming some sets of repeats as "builds" (build your speed during each repeat) seems helpful to me and also swimming some negative split sets (each repeat in the set faster than the other) seems to help too. The builds will help you learn to pace so that you have gas left for that 3rd 50. The negative splits will help you learn to swim faster when you are getting tired in the 200. My :2cents:

200 is debatably the hardest race in swimming. If you've ever run a 400 (1 lap) in track I think they are very similar. I'm not a runner, but wouldn't it be more similar to an 800 in track? The 400 in track should be more analogous to a 100 meter swim. The WR in the 400 meter run in 43 seconds and for a 100 meter swim (LC) it's a hair under 47 seconds.

OK, so you are 26.56 for the 50 and 2:12 for the 200. You want to get to 1:55 for the 200. I like to do this kind of analysis so here goes: Based on a statistical analysis of NCAA swims, this source compiled ideal split fractions: www.baymasters.org/pacing.html For men's 200 free they are: 0.2339 + 0.2543 + 0.2562 + 0.2556 You want to swim a 1:55 = 115s, so your target splits are: 26.90 + 29.24 + 29.46 + 29.39 In principle you have the raw speed to accomplish this, but as a practical matter you will need a little more high-end speed. According to: "Swim to Win: Train Like a Champion, By Ed Nessel" The racing formula for a 200 free is: Let X = (best 50 time + 2s) 1st 50 = X 2nd 50 = X + 1.8 3rd 50 = X + 2 4th 50 = X+2.4 In your case, X = 28.56, so your current "ideal" 200 is: 28.56 + 30.36 + 30.56 + 30.96 = 2:00.44 (Note that this doesn't correspond exactly to the ideal split fractions based on the analysis of NCAA swims, but it is very close.) So the good news is that through proper splitting and working on your endurance, you should be capable of 2:00.44 with your current high-end speed limit. That's a 12s drop, and that would be really sweet. Now you need to find another 5s in the 200. Given your target of 1:55 = 115s, according to Nessel's racing formula, 4X + 6.2 = 115 => X=27.2, so you need a 25.2 for your best-effort 50. We haven't seen you swim, but I'd mention that a lot of HS swimmers focus too much on propulsion (trying to go faster) and not enough on drag (not doing things that slow you down). If breathing is slowing you down, instead of breathing less, learn how to breathe so it does not slow you down. Watch this video: Michael Phelps freestyle multi angle camera - YouTube from about :02 - :08 and again from :20 - :25 and again from :45 - :58. Drill that streamline into your head. I hope you get your name on the record board. Post a pic if you do.

Just most coaches have taught me less breathes = more aerodynamic = less time. If this statement is true at all it is true only for races lasting less than about 45 seconds. Someone who can swim :57 for the 100 should be able to go under 2:10 in the 200 and under 5:45 in the 500, but not without breathing.

Ande has good advice here for even/negative splitting: U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Ande's Swimming Tips: Swimming Faster Faster I think of the race as 4 50's, with the third as your all out like many here say. You need to be strong in the first half, but conserve a bit to power through the last 100. Resist the temptation to go out like a jack rabbit; contrary to Steven Tyler, they do die. You don't want to.

Here's workout (by Mr. Thornton)::) U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums - View Single Post - How much time on a broken 200?