I entered the 200 IM at the 2005 Short course American Championships in Austin

I'm sorry you didn't break 2:00 Ande....but you did come very close!! I agree from your splits that you probably would have gone under 2:00 if you went out a tad slower (or maybe just a tad more relaxed) and saved more for the end.....The 200 IM is a tricky event (as you and others have pointed out in another thread here).....I've heard some say that it is an all out sprint....but I don't think it is (unless your someone like Ryan Lochte sp?? or Micheal Phelps)......I think the secret is to try and get out fast during the butterfly and backstroke while still conserving enough energy for the *** and free.....The key IMHO, is staying loose and somewhat fresh during these first two legs while still swimming at a pretty fast rate......Do you think that you may have expended too much energy with the underwater dolphin kicks on backstroke??.....Maybe that extra exertion while holding your breath a little longer took something out of you?? I am swimming a 200 IM (for time at a swim meet) for the first time in 18 years on April 9th (or 10th)....I will let you know what my splits are afterwards......I do think that the 100 IM is more of an all out sprint though.....I am swimming a 100 IM time trial tonite as well as a 100 butterfly time trial tonite (short course meters).....I want to get as close to 1:00 as possible (or hopefully maybe even below 1:00??) in either one or both of them (thinking that about a 5 second conversion from meters to yards would then make a 1:00 convert to a 55 in yards?). I'll let you know the outcome after it is over. newmastersswimmer

I'm sorry you didn't break 2:00 Ande....but you did come very close!! I agree from your splits that you probably would have gone under 2:00 if you went out a tad slower (or maybe just a tad more relaxed) and saved more for the end.....The 200 IM is a tricky event (as you and others have pointed out in another thread here).....I've heard some say that it is an all out sprint....but I don't think it is (unless your someone like Ryan Lochte sp?? or Micheal Phelps)......I think the secret is to try and get out fast during the butterfly and backstroke while still conserving enough energy for the *** and free.....The key IMHO, is staying loose and somewhat fresh during these first two legs while still swimming at a pretty fast rate......Do you think that you may have expended too much energy with the underwater dolphin kicks on backstroke??.....Maybe that extra exertion while holding your breath a little longer took something out of you?? I am swimming a 200 IM (for time at a swim meet) for the first time in 18 years on April 9th (or 10th)....I will let you know what my splits are afterwards......I do think that the 100 IM is more of an all out sprint though.....I am swimming a 100 IM time trial tonite as well as a 100 butterfly time trial tonite (short course meters).....I want to get as close to 1:00 as possible (or hopefully maybe even below 1:00??) in either one or both of them (thinking that about a 5 second conversion from meters to yards would then make a 1:00 convert to a 55 in yards?). I'll let you know the outcome after it is over. newmastersswimmer