Training intervals

What's the best way to build endurance for 200 stroke events or mid to distance free? some people at my pool tell me to do tons of repeats with only 5 sec rest if 25s, and only 10 sec rest if 50s or 100s. this doesn't work for me if I'm doing stroke or IM. My form breaks down after not that many repeats and I have to add more and more effort only to get slower and slower. ( and get less and less rest - double whammy!) i know some people will do 20-40 repeats of 25 at race pace to develop a 200 but what should be the work to rest ratio? i also know there is a science behind all this. Different intervals to train creatine phosphate energy system (ultra short) anaerobic energy system, and aerobic. Sometimes I think it might be better to give myself longer rest, like 20 sec on a 50 stroke so that I have time to clear lactate and each 50 is cleaner. But how do I train my body to clear lactate more quickly so I can actually complete a 200 stroke with quality. People say do lactate threshold sets, but again I don't know what that really means for me in terms of work to rest ratio, and what intensity of effort in the work part? i just did a 200 fly as 3.46 even though I was able to pull off a total swim time of 3.28 as a broken swim in practice coming in under 52 per 50 @ 1:00. I didn't think that was much rest to make that much difference but apparently 8 seconds is too much to be realistic i think i am I am beating myself up thinking I have to workout more and more to gain endurance but maybe I am just overtraining because I'm not making the improvements I'd like to see for how often I practice. any suggestions for me? thanks in advance!
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Good advice; will do. :agree: On fly, I can't believe what I have been able to do in just a couple of tries doing your recommended USRPT set (for 200 fly)! I decided to set my goal time at 1:00 :cane:, because I hadn't broken 4:00 on 200 fly since a year ago. (Now, in all honesty, I had also only put in a few hundred yards of fly in each workout, and I haven't tried to increase my speed.) Still, in my first USRPT fly set, I was able to swim 650 yards of fly following a practice 200 race (4:10). Today, I was able to hit 11x50's ranging from :56-:59, before I thought I should give my shoulders a break and sit out a send-off. I then did 5x50's at :57-:58 before another self-imposed sit out. Finally, I did 4 more at :55-:58. I ended up doing a full 20x50's of fly at 1:15 with just those two breaks. The first ones were the hardest, and I felt better later in the set. Yeah, it was very slow swimming, but I haven't done 1,000 yards of fly since my last Butternut challenge a few years ago. Before attempting these sets just last week, I would only do 4x50 fly sets before moving on to do the same for the other three strokes. I realize that never pushing past 4x50's at any one time was doing me no favors. USRPT sets give me the opportunity to regroup after sitting out a send-off, and start fresh again. After my second sit-out, I had my fastest time at :55, after having already swum 16x50's! Since I never had a "failure" and completed 20x50 of fly with most being under my goal, I now have the confidence to drop my goal to :59. Next, I'll drop it to :58, and so on. For me, having a good, solid foundation of fly endurance will make it easier to drop speed. (Of course, with my style of fly where my arms are diving down on recovery, I will never be fast; but, I am unable to sustain swimming fly with keeping my arms close to the surface.) Anyway, if nothing else, I am gaining confidence and stamina with these sets! :banana: Thanks, King Frog, for your inspiration and advice. I always look to the king of the pond to show me the way! See above. Good for you Elaine, I don't go under 1:00 that much in fly in practice a couple of time trials with rest at 64. I did near 1:00 in it and breaststroke today and around 1:05 in backstroke. Backstroke I have a terrible flip turn and usually do open turns. The only stroke I can go 55 and lower at in practice in a set is freestyle.
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  • Former Member
    Former Member
    Good advice; will do. :agree: On fly, I can't believe what I have been able to do in just a couple of tries doing your recommended USRPT set (for 200 fly)! I decided to set my goal time at 1:00 :cane:, because I hadn't broken 4:00 on 200 fly since a year ago. (Now, in all honesty, I had also only put in a few hundred yards of fly in each workout, and I haven't tried to increase my speed.) Still, in my first USRPT fly set, I was able to swim 650 yards of fly following a practice 200 race (4:10). Today, I was able to hit 11x50's ranging from :56-:59, before I thought I should give my shoulders a break and sit out a send-off. I then did 5x50's at :57-:58 before another self-imposed sit out. Finally, I did 4 more at :55-:58. I ended up doing a full 20x50's of fly at 1:15 with just those two breaks. The first ones were the hardest, and I felt better later in the set. Yeah, it was very slow swimming, but I haven't done 1,000 yards of fly since my last Butternut challenge a few years ago. Before attempting these sets just last week, I would only do 4x50 fly sets before moving on to do the same for the other three strokes. I realize that never pushing past 4x50's at any one time was doing me no favors. USRPT sets give me the opportunity to regroup after sitting out a send-off, and start fresh again. After my second sit-out, I had my fastest time at :55, after having already swum 16x50's! Since I never had a "failure" and completed 20x50 of fly with most being under my goal, I now have the confidence to drop my goal to :59. Next, I'll drop it to :58, and so on. For me, having a good, solid foundation of fly endurance will make it easier to drop speed. (Of course, with my style of fly where my arms are diving down on recovery, I will never be fast; but, I am unable to sustain swimming fly with keeping my arms close to the surface.) Anyway, if nothing else, I am gaining confidence and stamina with these sets! :banana: Thanks, King Frog, for your inspiration and advice. I always look to the king of the pond to show me the way! See above. Good for you Elaine, I don't go under 1:00 that much in fly in practice a couple of time trials with rest at 64. I did near 1:00 in it and breaststroke today and around 1:05 in backstroke. Backstroke I have a terrible flip turn and usually do open turns. The only stroke I can go 55 and lower at in practice in a set is freestyle.
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