I guess some background information may help you in answering my question. Hello, my name is Alex and I am quickly approaching my last year of high school swimming. Last high school season I finished my 200 yard free with my best time of 2:12.17 (not that stellar I know :cry: ) However I did end up getting second place overall. Now next high school season I'm ranked first in the 200 yard free, but there's always room for improvement. I would LOVE to get the school record (1:55.45) by may 2012 but that's pushing it I think. So how do you swim a 200 free?
Last 200 yard free I swam I got a time of 2:17.09 I tried breathing every 4 the whole race and it really tired me out.
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
I'll concur with Kirk on breathing. Watch videos of Phelps and Lochte swimming this and I think you'll see them breathe every 2 practically the entire race. The key place where you gotta train yourself NOT to breathe is the first stroke off the turn; breathing right off the wall can really disrupt the flow and the speed created by a strong pushoff and streamline. As far as pacing the 200, I particularly like to think about building my legs/kick gradually throughout the race, about keeping my stroke length as long as possible for the first 100 and then build the stroke rate over the last 100. If you are a good dolphin kicker, learn to build that in as part of each underwater pushoff.
I'll concur with Kirk on breathing. Watch videos of Phelps and Lochte swimming this and I think you'll see them breathe every 2 practically the entire race. The key place where you gotta train yourself NOT to breathe is the first stroke off the turn; breathing right off the wall can really disrupt the flow and the speed created by a strong pushoff and streamline. As far as pacing the 200, I particularly like to think about building my legs/kick gradually throughout the race, about keeping my stroke length as long as possible for the first 100 and then build the stroke rate over the last 100. If you are a good dolphin kicker, learn to build that in as part of each underwater pushoff.
