Oh Breaststroker Gurus

SwimStud, I wouldn't panic at this point -- your splits show that you aren't burning yourself out by taking our your race frantically, which is great considering that you only have a few meets under your belt. They also do suggest that you may still feel a little bit intimidated by the 200 distance. Remember, it's still a pretty short time (less than 3 minutes) to be pushing hard. It may help to do some 200s in practice where you take it out fast and just try to hang on. See what happens. You may find that you don't need to slow down in the middle to go fast at the end. And even if you fade a little, you may still end up faster. For example, a 41-42-43-44 would still get you your 2:50. If you try this in practice, you can gain some confidence as to what speed you can maintain. Then, by the next time you race, you may be able to have splits that make you happy (like 41-42-42-41 for a 2:46!) Good luck, and don't worry. You're thinking, improving, and doing well. Chlorini

SwimStud, I wouldn't panic at this point -- your splits show that you aren't burning yourself out by taking our your race frantically, which is great considering that you only have a few meets under your belt. They also do suggest that you may still feel a little bit intimidated by the 200 distance. Remember, it's still a pretty short time (less than 3 minutes) to be pushing hard. It may help to do some 200s in practice where you take it out fast and just try to hang on. See what happens. You may find that you don't need to slow down in the middle to go fast at the end. And even if you fade a little, you may still end up faster. For example, a 41-42-43-44 would still get you your 2:50. If you try this in practice, you can gain some confidence as to what speed you can maintain. Then, by the next time you race, you may be able to have splits that make you happy (like 41-42-42-41 for a 2:46!) Good luck, and don't worry. You're thinking, improving, and doing well. Chlorini