200m Freestyle

Sandu -- If you can do repeats of 200Y at 2:45 in practice, then you can probably get a little under 2:20 in a one-shot, give-it-your-all 200Y fully rested. (This, of course, is just my guess based on how it translates for me. Your mileage will vary!) But that's still yards, not meters, so you'll have to add approximately 10% to a yards time to get a meters time. That would put you under 2:40 or so for meters. So you're close if everything goes its very best. You still have more work to do to break 2:30. There is a thread in here about the advantages of a block start. If you have never done it before, I wouldn't recommend that you count on any advantage from a block start. It can give you an advantage, but it can also cost you if you do a lousy start. Coaching will help you get the basics pretty quickly. I wouldn't count on much help from the fastskin. It makes a difference at the elite levels, but that's not where you are. If you are proficient at flip turns, you can pick up time on each turn with a flip. But if you are not proficient, you will hurt your time trying. A good open turn will be your best bet. Besides, if you are doing this in a 50M pool, there will only be 3 turns, so I wouldn't put a whole lot of time into improving the turn. Just use a good open turn. (You mentioned "not pushing off the wall too hard". There is no such thing as too hard! This is a part of the swim where you momentarily are moving faster than at any other part of your swim. Get the most out of that. Learn to get the best glide. Push hard off the wall! Coaching will help you pick up the basics of a good glide pretty quickly. I'll recommend this -- keep your hands together, one palm over the top of the other hand, when you push off, and squeeze your ears with your biceps. It gives you a better streamline and you'll glide farther. Don't emulate Supeman with your hands apart and your head up!) The difference between a turbulent and smooth pool can be significant. This may be your ace in the hole. There are several threads on this board about pacing a 200. My philosophy is to go about 90+% on the first 50. Go all out on the middle 100, and then do whatever it takes to survive and bring it home on the last 50. If you are not in pain when you touch at the end, you didn't give it your all. Others have pointed out here that the 3rd 50 is key. It's where more people win or lose the 200. I can see the point. But keep in mind that this is all new ground for you. You've never raced a 200, I presume. You won't really know what it's like until you get there. So see if you can get yourself into some simulated 200 races with someone racing against you in the next lane. Know what the oxygen debt of that 3rd and 4th 50 feels like. Be ready for it! Having a coach and working out with a Masters team will help facilitate this. There are several large ones in the Denver area. Ditto Colorado Springs. PS: Where are they doing the test? Denver University? Olympic Training Center?

Sandu -- If you can do repeats of 200Y at 2:45 in practice, then you can probably get a little under 2:20 in a one-shot, give-it-your-all 200Y fully rested. (This, of course, is just my guess based on how it translates for me. Your mileage will vary!) But that's still yards, not meters, so you'll have to add approximately 10% to a yards time to get a meters time. That would put you under 2:40 or so for meters. So you're close if everything goes its very best. You still have more work to do to break 2:30. There is a thread in here about the advantages of a block start. If you have never done it before, I wouldn't recommend that you count on any advantage from a block start. It can give you an advantage, but it can also cost you if you do a lousy start. Coaching will help you get the basics pretty quickly. I wouldn't count on much help from the fastskin. It makes a difference at the elite levels, but that's not where you are. If you are proficient at flip turns, you can pick up time on each turn with a flip. But if you are not proficient, you will hurt your time trying. A good open turn will be your best bet. Besides, if you are doing this in a 50M pool, there will only be 3 turns, so I wouldn't put a whole lot of time into improving the turn. Just use a good open turn. (You mentioned "not pushing off the wall too hard". There is no such thing as too hard! This is a part of the swim where you momentarily are moving faster than at any other part of your swim. Get the most out of that. Learn to get the best glide. Push hard off the wall! Coaching will help you pick up the basics of a good glide pretty quickly. I'll recommend this -- keep your hands together, one palm over the top of the other hand, when you push off, and squeeze your ears with your biceps. It gives you a better streamline and you'll glide farther. Don't emulate Supeman with your hands apart and your head up!) The difference between a turbulent and smooth pool can be significant. This may be your ace in the hole. There are several threads on this board about pacing a 200. My philosophy is to go about 90+% on the first 50. Go all out on the middle 100, and then do whatever it takes to survive and bring it home on the last 50. If you are not in pain when you touch at the end, you didn't give it your all. Others have pointed out here that the 3rd 50 is key. It's where more people win or lose the 200. I can see the point. But keep in mind that this is all new ground for you. You've never raced a 200, I presume. You won't really know what it's like until you get there. So see if you can get yourself into some simulated 200 races with someone racing against you in the next lane. Know what the oxygen debt of that 3rd and 4th 50 feels like. Be ready for it! Having a coach and working out with a Masters team will help facilitate this. There are several large ones in the Denver area. Ditto Colorado Springs. PS: Where are they doing the test? Denver University? Olympic Training Center?