Over the last weekend I competed in 50m and 100m LCM butterfly.
I can swim the events, but I am just not able to keep my stroke together and remain at a reasonable speed (I would say fast, but even when sprinting it takes me about 36 secs per 50m SCM). I then deteriorate into 'survival' fly, where my hips drop and the priority is breathing on each stroke.
On the 50m, I started to struggle over the last 10m, which lost me a few seconds. On the 100m, I went out a bit slower, but by the time I got to the second 50m I was really struggling. This meant it took me around 55 secs to do the second 50m.
I've done a lot of fly in training recently, so I didn't expect it to be so tough.
In contrast, I did the 100m freestyle, and kept my intensity near maximum throughout, so I'm not sure why fly would be so different?
I do all of my training in a 25m pool, so do I really need to get to a 50m pool to get used to longcourse?
Is part of the problem oxygen debt? I seem to have trouble breathing properly on fly, as I am normally rushing to get my head back down after a very short breath.
I saw in the archives a topic about fly endurance. It suggested working on sets of 25m, then 50m, then 75m until doing 6x75m at a good pace. Another suggestion is doing 8x25m fly and decreasing the rest with each workout. My coach suggested doing 20x25m of 6 stroke fly followed by easy freestyle into the wall. That doesn't seem to be working for me, because it seems to be teaching me to swim 6 strokes then relax.
Would you recommend one of the above training methods or another one?
Is land training essential for conditioning to the level required, as most of my training is pool based right now?
Sorry for the long topic, with lots of questions. Hopefully, I will find some help here or just pointed towards some articles/training methods that work.
It was my goal to race my first 200 fly last year. I started training in September and raced in March. I started out doing sets like 100m of 25 free, 50 fly, 25 free. I increased it up to 50 free, 100 fly, 50 free.
Short sets of 25’s or 50’s will help, but you want to replicate the fatigue you will feel when doing a 200, or long course 100fly.
Once a week in practice, i would do a 100 fly. We increased that to twice a week. Over the year, that distance was increased to 150, then 200. When we increased the distance, i would use fins until i could maintain technique, then went without.
I would also do im sets. 300/400/500. For the 300, it would be 25 stroke, 25 free, 25 stroke, for all strokes (continous). The 400 would be 50 stroke, 25 free, 25 stroke, and the 500 would be 50 stroke 25 free, 50 stroke. You could also do them reverse im to be tired when it comes time for fly.
By the end of the year, i was doing 500-650 m of fly spread out over a 2500-3000m practice.
Good luck!
It was my goal to race my first 200 fly last year. I started training in September and raced in March. I started out doing sets like 100m of 25 free, 50 fly, 25 free. I increased it up to 50 free, 100 fly, 50 free.
Short sets of 25’s or 50’s will help, but you want to replicate the fatigue you will feel when doing a 200, or long course 100fly.
Once a week in practice, i would do a 100 fly. We increased that to twice a week. Over the year, that distance was increased to 150, then 200. When we increased the distance, i would use fins until i could maintain technique, then went without.
I would also do im sets. 300/400/500. For the 300, it would be 25 stroke, 25 free, 25 stroke, for all strokes (continous). The 400 would be 50 stroke, 25 free, 25 stroke, and the 500 would be 50 stroke 25 free, 50 stroke. You could also do them reverse im to be tired when it comes time for fly.
By the end of the year, i was doing 500-650 m of fly spread out over a 2500-3000m practice.
Good luck!
