I had a swimming experience that makes me rethink my approach to the 200 BR.2006 I swam a 2:48.34 200 SCM BR in a very well paced swim and was happy with it(it was the AA time.) At the SPMA meet I went out way too slow and swam a 2:52.40 and was not happy with it.Jim Clemmons went 2:46.33 at that meet.The next week I had the opportunity to swim another 200 BR and was determined to"redeem" myself.I didn't think I could match Jim's time,but I knew I could do better than the prior meet.My plan was to go out somewhere between fast and too fast because there was no way I was taking it out too slow again.My splits were
37.14,41.49,42.56,45.17 for a 2:46.36.OK Jim beat me by .03 sec(in the probable AA time) and it hurt like hell the last 50,but that was my fastest time in about 5 years. I can't explain it.Ideas?
Parents
Former Member
With all due respect to Allen and Paul (whose comments may have been made tongue-in-cheek), I have to disagree. I think that more often than not the average Masters swimmer will get burned in events 200 and up if he or she does not pace it properly. Unlike the two of you, most of the people reading these posts are not "elite" Masters swimmers and have neither the technique nor the conditioning to do what you suggest and still finish strong. Maglischo, in Swimming Fastest, has an excellent discussion on pacing strategies, with data from several Olympic performances. When we mortals take out a race too fast, we pay dearly for it at the end, and it is not pretty.
With all due respect to Allen and Paul (whose comments may have been made tongue-in-cheek), I have to disagree. I think that more often than not the average Masters swimmer will get burned in events 200 and up if he or she does not pace it properly. Unlike the two of you, most of the people reading these posts are not "elite" Masters swimmers and have neither the technique nor the conditioning to do what you suggest and still finish strong. Maglischo, in Swimming Fastest, has an excellent discussion on pacing strategies, with data from several Olympic performances. When we mortals take out a race too fast, we pay dearly for it at the end, and it is not pretty.
