Hi, everyone!
I'm going to be focusing on middle-distance for at least the rest of the year. Splitting is one of the first areas I'm looking at to improve. During my first attempt at writing out some ideal splits for a 500, I realized I don't know exactly how much a time an average dive subtracts. Is it 2 seconds? 3? More? Less?
These are 50 splits from my 500 freestyle PB, a 5:24.50:
29.11
31.33
32.37
32.49
32.95
33.03
33.74
33.50
33.59
32.39
To me, it appears there are three important time additions: 1.) at the 100, adding 1 second per 50, 2.) at the 200, adding half a second per 50, and 3.) at the 300, adding 3/4 of a second per 50. From this, I have two big questions:
1.) should I have gone easier on the first 100?
2.) should those four 33.xx splits in the back half switch places with the 31 and 32.xx splits from the first half, opening the possibility that a completed 500 in this alternate timeline might have more 31.xx splits in the back half, and thus, a faster time?
What does everyone think? I apologize if my second question was needlessly complex. I suppose I meant to ask: should I have gone easier on the first half?
There are some other pertinent questions to be asked. Do you typically see yourself as a sprinter, middle distance or distance swimmer? Your splits look like those of a sprinter. If that is so, I recommend a negative split swim, seeking a lot of control in the first half, using your speed to roll up the second. Real distance swimmers are very uncomfortable with changing speeds while sprinters are quite accustomed to it.
Imagine your last 50 being the fastest, including your dive 50. That has terrific psychological benefits for you and crumbling morale for your heat mates. Make it an easy, relaxed first 100 and build the rest. Confidence is highly recommended with this strategy, as you will see several people in the heat swim away to large leads. Knowing that they will be watching you eat up their lead will help you and possibly put them in a panic. The last 50 will be very painful but made bearable by the knowledge and training of the sprinter.
Train with lots of 50s on :45, broken swims and occasional full 500 with an eye on the clock to descend the swim totally. And keep up your speed work, it is what carries you the last 150.
There are some other pertinent questions to be asked. Do you typically see yourself as a sprinter, middle distance or distance swimmer? Your splits look like those of a sprinter. If that is so, I recommend a negative split swim, seeking a lot of control in the first half, using your speed to roll up the second. Real distance swimmers are very uncomfortable with changing speeds while sprinters are quite accustomed to it.
Imagine your last 50 being the fastest, including your dive 50. That has terrific psychological benefits for you and crumbling morale for your heat mates. Make it an easy, relaxed first 100 and build the rest. Confidence is highly recommended with this strategy, as you will see several people in the heat swim away to large leads. Knowing that they will be watching you eat up their lead will help you and possibly put them in a panic. The last 50 will be very painful but made bearable by the knowledge and training of the sprinter.
Train with lots of 50s on :45, broken swims and occasional full 500 with an eye on the clock to descend the swim totally. And keep up your speed work, it is what carries you the last 150.
