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.
Come on, don't leave us hangin'! You can tell us with the "don't try this at home" caveat. :)
i dont know what year it was started, but when i went to MVN in 1983 head coach Mark Schubert not only had a special set but a special hat he wore for it (bright green with yellow FIRESTONE)
the set is called the FIRESTONE 500
back then it was all or none. meaning either we all made it or none did and we started over.
on the top (00) you kick against the wall for 40secs all out
then its 25 underwater no breath and the intervaul is 40
when you get to the wall you start kicking again all out
then its 25 swim no breath and kick all out at the wall
you have done a single 50 now and only breathing at the wall when kicking all out...repeat 10 times
there was 1 time a girl (i wont say her name) didnt make it and Mark caught her. we were about 300ish in
he stopped us and we started over. she cried the entire time but made it. she was a top 8 in the USA level elite.
this may come across as a brag or boast, but the fact is in 1983 i was the elite National Age Group Champion
in both the 200yd butterfly and the 200m butterfly. as i was the year before that and the year before that.
sometimes on fridays - as recently as 2 weeks ago - i did this set again.
nowadays not only does USA-S but even more so USMS does not condone this type of activity.
Come on, don't leave us hangin'! You can tell us with the "don't try this at home" caveat. :)
i dont know what year it was started, but when i went to MVN in 1983 head coach Mark Schubert not only had a special set but a special hat he wore for it (bright green with yellow FIRESTONE)
the set is called the FIRESTONE 500
back then it was all or none. meaning either we all made it or none did and we started over.
on the top (00) you kick against the wall for 40secs all out
then its 25 underwater no breath and the intervaul is 40
when you get to the wall you start kicking again all out
then its 25 swim no breath and kick all out at the wall
you have done a single 50 now and only breathing at the wall when kicking all out...repeat 10 times
there was 1 time a girl (i wont say her name) didnt make it and Mark caught her. we were about 300ish in
he stopped us and we started over. she cried the entire time but made it. she was a top 8 in the USA level elite.
this may come across as a brag or boast, but the fact is in 1983 i was the elite National Age Group Champion
in both the 200yd butterfly and the 200m butterfly. as i was the year before that and the year before that.
sometimes on fridays - as recently as 2 weeks ago - i did this set again.
nowadays not only does USA-S but even more so USMS does not condone this type of activity.
