So... I've incorporated butterfly sprints into my workout. When I first started, about 3 months ago, I could do one 25yd fly sprint about every 3 minutes (because it took me that long to recover). Later on, I was able to do five intervals of 25yd of fly sprint + 25yd back kick (relaxed), with a 60 second rest in between each interval. Now, I can do ten intervals of 25yd fly sprint + 25yd back kick (relaxed) without resting in between each interval. My long-term goal is to increase my fly sprint distance to 100yd per interval (I haven't decided on how many intervals yet). My short-term goal is to increase it to 50yd per interval. My problem is that I still can't break 25yd. Twenty-five yards of fly sprint kills me every time. The only difference seems to be in the amount of time it takes me to recover from each interval and begin the next.
Anyone have any suggestions? I would greatly appreciate them. I know I'm doing something right because I can do more intervals without resting than I could before but I just can't figure out why I'm still near death at the end of each 25yd sprint.
I'll echo the advice here with some workout ideas. I have two different flys... one is 25 sprint, which I can sometimes maintain for 50 with a good push-off in short course. The other is for everything over 50. I taught myself fly with the help of my swim buddies at the YMCA a little more than a year ago, and I love it, great cardio and muscle burn! When I'm training fly, I really focus on holding form and pace for the 200, because my sprint speed is never going to be that great, but very rarely swim the full 200 fly all at once...
To work on the sprint speed, my swim partners and I like 20 x 25 on :45. 500-worth of fly in 15:00. Nice round numbers. Then to work on the longer stuff (which is what I like to do personally): 10-20 x 50 on 1:10... but you have to do these in 200 pace. At my 200 pace this interval gives me a little more than 20 secs rest, which doesn't sound like much, but I'm not sprinting all out, obviously, and I'm really slow which keeps the intensity lower. Another set I like, to get used to 200 race pace, is 4 x 50 on 1:00 (shorter rests, so I really feel the burn at the end of the last couple of 50s); follow with 100-200 recovery swims and you can repeat the set as many times as you want.
I do sets with 100s too, but really only counting strokes, not paying attention to time, after push I go 5-6 strokes in the first 25, then try to hold 7 strokes for the next 3 lengths. These will be slower than 200 pace, but it helps stretch things out which you really have to do for 200.
And, yes, long course really helps to stretch it out. Today I did my first LCM workout since last summer and did a couple 200 IMs... painful without the turn. I counted strokes on the fly and was at 14-15 for the length, but really stretching... it's tough when you get used to going no more than 6-7 strokes without a turn and push.
I'll echo the advice here with some workout ideas. I have two different flys... one is 25 sprint, which I can sometimes maintain for 50 with a good push-off in short course. The other is for everything over 50. I taught myself fly with the help of my swim buddies at the YMCA a little more than a year ago, and I love it, great cardio and muscle burn! When I'm training fly, I really focus on holding form and pace for the 200, because my sprint speed is never going to be that great, but very rarely swim the full 200 fly all at once...
To work on the sprint speed, my swim partners and I like 20 x 25 on :45. 500-worth of fly in 15:00. Nice round numbers. Then to work on the longer stuff (which is what I like to do personally): 10-20 x 50 on 1:10... but you have to do these in 200 pace. At my 200 pace this interval gives me a little more than 20 secs rest, which doesn't sound like much, but I'm not sprinting all out, obviously, and I'm really slow which keeps the intensity lower. Another set I like, to get used to 200 race pace, is 4 x 50 on 1:00 (shorter rests, so I really feel the burn at the end of the last couple of 50s); follow with 100-200 recovery swims and you can repeat the set as many times as you want.
I do sets with 100s too, but really only counting strokes, not paying attention to time, after push I go 5-6 strokes in the first 25, then try to hold 7 strokes for the next 3 lengths. These will be slower than 200 pace, but it helps stretch things out which you really have to do for 200.
And, yes, long course really helps to stretch it out. Today I did my first LCM workout since last summer and did a couple 200 IMs... painful without the turn. I counted strokes on the fly and was at 14-15 for the length, but really stretching... it's tough when you get used to going no more than 6-7 strokes without a turn and push.
