For those of you that do IM, do you focus on doing IM only in your main sets or do you focus on one or two strokes each time? I have recently started swimming the IM and love it but want to get much faster. I know my backstroke and breaststroke are slowing me down. I am not sure if I should focus on those once a week or something or just keep swimming IMs since that is what I want to race.
The 400 and/or 200 IM are among my focus races at most bigger meets I attend. I very rarely do complete 200 reps in training, and never 400s, except for tests. I both train each stroke separately, and do what I call 'IM fractions', to practice the transitional turns and the muscular/nevrological challenge of switching strokes. Early in the season, I do sets like 4-8x200 IM, but that's more for general conditioning than specific IM training.
Even though the legs of each stroke are equal in distance, they all have their own nature because of their place in the race. Fly is the opener; you need easy speed and good technique. Back and *** are the workhorses, at least in the 400; you need endurance in addition to speed. Free is the finish, you need sprinting abilities, a finishing speed.
So when I train the strokes separately to train for the 400 IM, I train as I would for the 100 fly; the 200 back; the 200 *** and the 100 free, with elements of 200 free training.
The IM fractions can be for instance:
4-8x150, as 25 fly/50 back/50 ***/25 free.
4-8x150, as 50 fly/100 back, or 100 ***/50 free. Can also be done as 75s, same principle
4-8x250, as 50 fly/100 back/100 ***, or 100 back/100 ***/50 free. Can also be done as 125s, same principle
For the 200 IM, I like to do 50s
12x50 as 25 fly/25back, or as 25 back/25 ***, or 25 ***/25 free. I usually do just one combo in any one training session.
Both for training and for the ‘feel’ of the race, it makes sense to me to consider the 100 IM as a 50; the 200 IM as a 100, and the 400 IM as a 200. Your training for the 200 *** is very useful for the 400 IM, but for the 200 IM you need more ‘attack’ or ‘snap’. Or simply power and speed.
IM events and IM training is great fun and formidable exercise! Good luck!
The 400 and/or 200 IM are among my focus races at most bigger meets I attend. I very rarely do complete 200 reps in training, and never 400s, except for tests. I both train each stroke separately, and do what I call 'IM fractions', to practice the transitional turns and the muscular/nevrological challenge of switching strokes. Early in the season, I do sets like 4-8x200 IM, but that's more for general conditioning than specific IM training.
Even though the legs of each stroke are equal in distance, they all have their own nature because of their place in the race. Fly is the opener; you need easy speed and good technique. Back and *** are the workhorses, at least in the 400; you need endurance in addition to speed. Free is the finish, you need sprinting abilities, a finishing speed.
So when I train the strokes separately to train for the 400 IM, I train as I would for the 100 fly; the 200 back; the 200 *** and the 100 free, with elements of 200 free training.
The IM fractions can be for instance:
4-8x150, as 25 fly/50 back/50 ***/25 free.
4-8x150, as 50 fly/100 back, or 100 ***/50 free. Can also be done as 75s, same principle
4-8x250, as 50 fly/100 back/100 ***, or 100 back/100 ***/50 free. Can also be done as 125s, same principle
For the 200 IM, I like to do 50s
12x50 as 25 fly/25back, or as 25 back/25 ***, or 25 ***/25 free. I usually do just one combo in any one training session.
Both for training and for the ‘feel’ of the race, it makes sense to me to consider the 100 IM as a 50; the 200 IM as a 100, and the 400 IM as a 200. Your training for the 200 *** is very useful for the 400 IM, but for the 200 IM you need more ‘attack’ or ‘snap’. Or simply power and speed.
IM events and IM training is great fun and formidable exercise! Good luck!
