There's a swim meet coming up in one and a half month's time, and i am planning to take on the 200m freestyle.
Can anyone help me specific on what drills and sets should i be focusing on?
And by the way i am training with weights too, following this program by jason lezak
www.bodybuilding.com/.../jasonlezak1.htm
I am on the speed training phrase now though.
I am also doing the 3-3-3 drill swimspire recommended me and some finger drag catch up, but hope for some sets and other drills
The weird part is I'd rather be doing a 200 Fly than a 200 Free in a meet! I have been known to enter the 200 Free event with my 200 Fly time, and have fun racing. :)well, the 200 fly is an exquisite event of subtle and sublime beauty, with nuances and complexities that simultaneously can be enjoyed in a single race and yet take a lifetime to learn.
I swim in events that have rhyme and reason ... the 200 free has neither ... so I don't do it anymore.Call me what you will, but I agree with this. The weird part is I'd rather be doing a 200 Fly than a 200 Free in a meet! I have been known to enter the 200 Free event with my 200 Fly time, and have fun racing. :)
When I have a good swim (which generally means "when I don't take it out too fast") then the 200 fly can be sublime.
But a bad 200 fly...that's the only event where I can seriously doubt my ability to finish the race.
It is a little fun, in a morbidly fascinating kind of way, watching OTHERS implode on the last length of a 200 LCM fly, though.
But I digress: the 200 free is a fun race, I don't know what you haters are talking about. The advice about using broken 200s is a good one. One type of broken 200 that can reproduce the feel of the actual race is to decrease the amount of rest between 50s as you progress (eg, take 10/8/6 sec between 50s) while trying to hold close to race pace. Another option is to break it as 75/75/50, instead of at the 50s, taking first 15 then 10 sec rest at the breaks.
I was going to stay out of this but I can't resist. As much as I detest swimming and training for the 200 due to the pain you go through its an awesome event when swum right. I find it to be the easiest race to screw up, either going out too hard or not hard enough and either way you end up hurting like no other event. It's just far enough it's impossible to sprint and just short enough you can't get into a rhythm.
That all said its one of my favorite events. I like to do the broken 200s at 50s as others have suggested but also train 225 or 250s trying to get the endurance you need to finish the 200. In your case you are probably too close to the meet to build endurance with this kind of set. I would personally work on pacing the race by doing 150s where the middle 100 you hold your desired 200 pace. Or even 75s with 25 easy, 50 at your 200 pace. I think finding a pace you feel good at is important. Also don't underestimate the value of working on your streamline off the walls on these pace sets.
SpeedoRocks, I wanted to add that I agree with Arthur in regards to the weight training - don't overdo it, especially since you mentioned that you are having some pain in your right shoulder. Its wonderful to see how eager and willing you are to improve your swimming, but just work on steadily improving your endurance and your technique so that you can be pain-free. Looking forward to hearing about how the race goes!
Good grief...... the 200 fly?! Surely you are kidding. That event is a nuclear bomb waiting to happen. Either you are born a 200 flyer or you avoid it like the plague.
Or, neither. :D I may "race" 200 fly like a tortoise, but I enjoy it. Call me a maniac (or Elaine-iaK), but I enjoyed swimming my 2,000 fly (and 900... and 1,000) last year. :bliss:
Good grief...... the 200 fly?! Surely you are kidding. That event is a nuclear bomb waiting to happen. Either you are born a 200 flyer or you avoid it like the plague.
I swim on ego and memory...... the 200 free actually requires yardage and training...... so I don't it anymore.I swim in events that have rhyme and reason ... the 200 free has neither ... so I don't do it anymore.
I will treat this as if it is a big meet. Quit weights a month in advance. Do broken 200s with various rest intervals, you will find one you like and one that is really tough. They both may be the same. Make sure someone is watching your stroke technique, you don't want to make any big changes. Get a lot of rest out of the pool. Don't overtrain and don't worry about low yardage workouts. Tapers are very nerve wracking for those who don't understand them and/or have never been given a good one.
Before the race get a good warm up, finishing with a couple of hard build 50 or 100s. Feel the speed within 20 minutes of your race.
