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
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:
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:
