Wanna do 100IM Tips gladly accepted please.

Former Member
Former Member
I'm not too worried about the turning aspects...just a little unsure of what to do at the backstroke to *** turn. Also any good workouts for this? I'm doing 900 free for warm up (0-1650 in 6 weeks) then trey to do another 1500 per workout. I've obviously been hitting *** but want to get some fly and back work in as well as turns--obviously I can always go to the wall and touch then turn but that's inefficient. Is doing a 100 IM then hitting sets of 50 of fly and back or what? I've ordered a couple of books for reference and they should get here shortly. Any thoughts or articles?
  • OK Fort....how about this: "Those that can't swim dive....those that can't dive swim breastroke"? :joker: Truth be told....I'm a little touchy about the 100IM as its th only event I've never beaten my nemesis at! If he was a real man he'd swim the 200IM now that he's aged up this year! Men 40-44 100 Yard IM =============================================================================== 40-44 NATL: * 52.59 5/18/2003 JOHN SMITH Name Age Team Finals =============================================================================== 1 Smith, John C 42 RMM 53.23 24.09 53.23 2 Smith, Paul L 44 RMM 53.38 25.12 53.38
  • save a little on the front end to bring it home I have to agree with Ande on this... I'm not a great breastroker either and for years I thought just kill the fly and back and the rest will have to do... Later (older and wiser) in life I have learned that all four strokes need to be worked, and you can't be successfull in the 100 or 200 if you ignore the second half. Executed technique (as good as you have regardless of stroke) is essential between the walls. You need control and strength for all four, so you have to balance your swim.
  • Actually, Paul, I remember the announcer (was it Mark Gill?) at SCY Nats last spring making some caustic remark about "and now Paul Smith is attempting to swim breaststroke in lane 4" during your IM. Can't remember if it was a 100 or 200. It was pretty funny for us mere mortals to hear, after watching you annihilate records all weekend. Of course, your time was awesome. :) Rich, I agree with all these non-breaststrokers about IM strategy (with the exception of Ande's comment implying that you're not normal if *** isn't your worst stroke in the IM). Take it out as hard as possible. Try to stay as close as possible to everyone on the first two laps. Then pray that your strong stroke will help you survive the evil 3rd lap (in any 100, the 3rd lap is the most evil... with the exception of the 100 fly which just gets worse with each lap).
  • Peter.....you must have taken that photo at that meet.....when I was actually at my fighting weight! Being serious for just a minute...so as not to take fire from the Geek...all the workouts/sets are fine....but sprints take race pace practice and none more so then the 100IM....with 3 different turns to be prepared for the loss of tenths adds up quickly...get on the blocks and do race pace work and swim the event at several meets prior to a nationals if you can.
  • OK Fort....how about this: "Those that can't swim dive....those that can't dive swim breastroke"? :joker: Truth be told....I'm a little touchy about the 100IM as its th only event I've never beaten my nemesis at! If he was a real man he'd swim the 200IM now that he's aged up this year! Men 40-44 100 Yard IM =============================================================================== 40-44 NATL: * 52.59 5/18/2003 JOHN SMITH Name Age Team Finals =============================================================================== 1 Smith, John C 42 RMM 53.23 24.09 53.23 2 Smith, Paul L 44 RMM 53.38 25.12 53.38 Big improvement! Especially since I used to dive and switched to swimming. Peter -- that doesn't look like Paul. I think Paul is a bit taller, has better technique and bigger paws than that. Please, do not attempt to pass yourself off as Paul. That's very uncivil. Hey, it looks like EvilSmith is using my strategy in the 100 IM (except I'm much slower of course). Hmmm.... Were you SDK-ing enough on that length of backstroke Paul? We know John wasn't gaining on you in breaststroke ... I have to respectfully disagree that one can't be successful at a 100 IM without being good at ***. Look at the two Smiths -- both alleged non-breaststrokers. It's backstroke in the 100, baby. Doesn't mean we're ignoring "the second half." Just trying to muscle through the offensive part of the second half.
  • Evil One, I swam the 200 IM very recently if you will remember. It was Long Course meters and it sucked ! I have no interest in doing that again, and if you remember, I almost didn't get on the blocks the day I did swim it. The 100IM is NOT a build race by any means. It is 4 nuclear war head blast 25s put end-on-end. There is no time to think......no time for strategy and perfect stroke technique. You are either in the race after fly or you are out of the race.... period. Rule 1.).... you MUST be in the lead after backstroke ! Note, the beauty of the 100IM is that breastrokers don't have as much time to catch up given the actual number of strokes taken after the pull out.... and note, breastrokers CAN be beaten on pull-outs by non breastrokers. Rule 2.) The secret to a great 100 IM is ......... The Fly-to-Back turn. You have to nail it! Stay super tight.... put one foot over the other foot when bringing your legs up under your body to create less drag.....drop down on your side deep and quick..... push off rotating on your back with super strong and fast underwater dolphins to crush your 7 foot sasquatch opponents in the lane next to you. Think "controlled bizerk". Never lose the lead and swim it like 4 X 25s... not a 100. John Smith Couldn't agree more. If you're not in the lead after backstroke, it's all over but the cryin.' John: You forgot the caffeine part ... as long as we're discussing un-Mindful bizerk races. But I think I might need to work on my fly/back turn some more after reading that.
  • Fort.....if I had 3 more inches I would have blown by him...he died so bad with his "nuclear" attack the first 40 yards that it was like a dead fish getting pulled in from the swamp on a string.....my mistake for not attacking on the first lap! Oh and by the way JS.....what has all that "controlled bizerk" training done for your shoulders the last year?!
  • I have to respectfully disagree that one can't be successful at a 100 IM without being good at ***. Look at the two Smiths -- both alleged non-breaststrokers. Doesn't mean we're ignoring "the second half." Just trying to muscle through the offensive part of the second half. Fortress - Not suggesting someone has to be good... I am most certainly not. Just saying you need to have good technique to keep the *** moving forward as efficiently and quickly as possible. Sometimes burning everything up in the fly and back leaves one too exhausted to pay attention to their weaker stroke.
  • Fort.....if I had 3 more inches I would have blown by him...he died so bad with his "nuclear" attack the first 40 yards that it was like a dead fish getting pulled in from the swamp on a string.....my mistake for not attacking on the first lap! Oh and by the way JS.....what has all that "controlled bizerk" training done for your shoulders the last year?! Height is no excuse, Mr. Smith. My nemesis is 6 feet and I'm a mere 5'4". No laying around the first 50. When the knees are all better, I'm sure you'll be formidable than usual, if that's possible. Maybe it's not that race pace training, but that lope in the stroke for EvilSmith that's caused the shoulder woes? Aren't all such injuries due to poor technique? ;) I doubt it's caused by excessive breaststroke. Redbird: Of course you are right. I was just sort of joshing with you. Although this is why I have heretofore as a master avoided the 200 IM. Tough to get too chewed up on a 100 IM.
  • Jeff Commings is going to LOVE this discussion! Oh Jeff.....where are you hiding? Redbird.....right on brother!
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