And now how do I fall in love with the 400IM?

Now that I am friends with the 1000, how do I embrace the 400IM? Any training tricks? The interval suggestions for the 1000 free (my pace plus 15 seconds rest) has nicely upped my about-to-throw-up threshold. Now I need some speed for the back/*** legs of the 400. Please advise. If you must swim this event ... blech ... then you need to work on each stroke intensely. (DUH) Your fly needs to get to the point where it is completely comfortable and relaxed. You want to try and negative split each 100 (after the fly) by about a second. To do that you need to build the first 50 and go for it on the second 50. You'll want to do a lot of stroke sets, not necessarily IM sets, at least initially. Try and do 200s of each stroke where you attempt to cruise the 1st 100 then hit your target time for that 100 in the 400IM on the second 100. Does that make sense? Work on doing 200s where you go 100 fly/100 back and 100 back/100 *** and 100 ***/100 free. Free needs to be your money stroke, and if you are a good distance freestyler you will probably have enough in the tank to bring it home strong on the 100 free leg. I would devote a practice if possible a week to each stroke and one to IM. Try to do at least some fly every practice - drill, kick, swim, whatever. For the 400IM your breaststroke should be lower and flatter than it would be in a 100 ***. A few good sets include doing 5 x 200 rotate through 1 of each stroke and 1 IM - change the order up on this so you aren't always doing IM order. 5 x 200 stroke (pick one stroke) and try to negative split You will want to be comfortable swimming strong tired and not having your stroke fall apart so lots of drills especially at the end of practice will be helpful, too. This the toughest event out there in my mind and it takes a lot of work and there is a good amount of strategy involved, too. Every time I swam it (all three times) I dropped huge time just from learning how to take it out and when to push. GOOD LUCK!

Now that I am friends with the 1000, how do I embrace the 400IM? Any training tricks? The interval suggestions for the 1000 free (my pace plus 15 seconds rest) has nicely upped my about-to-throw-up threshold. Now I need some speed for the back/*** legs of the 400. Please advise. If you must swim this event ... blech ... then you need to work on each stroke intensely. (DUH) Your fly needs to get to the point where it is completely comfortable and relaxed. You want to try and negative split each 100 (after the fly) by about a second. To do that you need to build the first 50 and go for it on the second 50. You'll want to do a lot of stroke sets, not necessarily IM sets, at least initially. Try and do 200s of each stroke where you attempt to cruise the 1st 100 then hit your target time for that 100 in the 400IM on the second 100. Does that make sense? Work on doing 200s where you go 100 fly/100 back and 100 back/100 *** and 100 ***/100 free. Free needs to be your money stroke, and if you are a good distance freestyler you will probably have enough in the tank to bring it home strong on the 100 free leg. I would devote a practice if possible a week to each stroke and one to IM. Try to do at least some fly every practice - drill, kick, swim, whatever. For the 400IM your breaststroke should be lower and flatter than it would be in a 100 ***. A few good sets include doing 5 x 200 rotate through 1 of each stroke and 1 IM - change the order up on this so you aren't always doing IM order. 5 x 200 stroke (pick one stroke) and try to negative split You will want to be comfortable swimming strong tired and not having your stroke fall apart so lots of drills especially at the end of practice will be helpful, too. This the toughest event out there in my mind and it takes a lot of work and there is a good amount of strategy involved, too. Every time I swam it (all three times) I dropped huge time just from learning how to take it out and when to push. GOOD LUCK!