Pacing,we don't need no stinking pacing

I agree, is impossible to swim the 200 at 100%! For example, look at the 200 Breaststroke World record, set in 2006. Hansen vs Kitajima. www.youtube.com/watch Watch the rhythm during the first 100 (less strokes more power from kicking), and then the second part (more power from arms with faster strokes) You have to save energy for the second half, that's why coaches get mad when breastrokers save too much for the second half and don't make their times. I always hear about that.

Fast...your correct...the 200 is no longer a "paced" event its 100% all out the entire way....and really so is the 400/500 anymore. It's a differant world for us old-schoolers!! Can't agree with that, at least not on a 200BR, while there may be no loafing and planning of reserved energy for a negative split...there is still "a pacing" that goes on. Take it out "long" and work the glide for the first 100 then start cranking. Admittedly for a top level swimmer the strategic approach vs a gut buster effort from the dive may only yield in a second or two difference but that's big news in swimming as we all know. To a good masters swimmer I think the the difference will be amplified.

Gull,I was not recommending this way.My preference is to go 4 sec faster the first 50 than the others and keep the last 3 50s even or slightly negatively split.I do almost all my breaststroke training at race pace and that is the 200 pace I try to hold(for 100 or in a broken 200.) That is why this race was so strange,I did it "wrong" based on my preconceived notions and swam faster than I anticipated. Note my first 50 was out in 37. I went 33.73 the week before in the 50 so even"too fast" was not all out.

No one can TRULY sprint a 200 all out, but one can attack the first half aggressively or conservatively. I've had success and failures with both strategies. The advantage of being aggressive is that you can be pretty sure you've held nothing back by the end of the race. The problem is that we tend to become more inefficient as we tire (I find this to be particularly true in butterfly). Plus the memory of over-aggressive failures tends to be particularly acute: muscles screaming, lungs starved for oxygen while watching someone motor past and feeling helpless to do anything about it. And physical recovery from (over-)agressive races can sometimes takes longer, which is a consideration if you are swimming many events in one day. Conservative races require a little different mindset. You go for "easy speed" the first half. The entire race, you are gearing up mentally for the last 75 yards (or whatever). When you reach that point, you accelerate into those turns and explode off them, sprinting your way past your competitors. It can be a great feeling when it works. BUT it doesn't always work, because sometimes "easy speed" seems to tire one more than it should and you're left with the unsatisfied feeling that you didn't give it your best shot. Personally, I really really hate that feeling. As I said, both strategies can work. My own advice is that you should race like you train. Do you attack sets and then hang on for dear life at the end? Or do you naturally tend to build into them, doing your best repeats at the end of the set? If you tend to swim agressively, then you need to train yourself to swim efficiently and fast even when you are dog tired. If you tend to negative-split, you need to train your "easy speed" and make sure you can bump the intensity up a notch smoothly and on demand. You should also practice your strategy at or near race-pace speed and intensities. Don't just wait for the meets. Chris

Hi Bob, Welcome to the USMS forum! Glad you found us. See you at the pool. Glenn BTW, my 2 cents - as a second half swimmer I have tried to go under 2:00 for the 200 free getting as close as 2:00.64. I haven't been able to break 2:00 by going out in 57 or in 58 or 59. Given my splits in the 100 at Federal Way (27.12 and 27.19) I think I need to take the 200 out in 1:01 and bring it back in 58. But that's me, I'd rather come from behind and run the leaders down than to tie up and be helpless the last 50.

I like the 75 50 75 pacing... first 75 long and strong, 50 build to a 75 all out sprint. I'm gonna try that out on Monday at our next dual meet. We'll see how much better that works/feels. Morgan - Please let us know how this turned out.

If I remember my education from the old college days, 100% energy expenditure lasts about six seconds. Then you slow down. All sprints are paced, the 100 meter dash, or the 50 free. The 200 is just a bit more vomit inducing. Sorry to bring up vomit again.

The more I think abou this statement of pacing the more I believe that pacing is only a what to measure and plan how you swim a race. It gives us ideas and anaylsis of how we can train and try to race. When I really think about the truely great races I've seen or raced myself something happened that made the race better. Maybe it was an outside influence of a better swimmer you stayed with or you felt great and worked the 3rd 50 harder. Maybe like this thread has stated that you were mad (highly motivated) to swim faster...... I always love the race where someone misses a turn and then has to work their ass off to catch up and they actually swim faster.... I really think sticking to your pacing plan limits you and keeps you inside the box - sometimes something has to happen to take you out of the box. That is when you have the break out swims... As for swimming 100%... isn't this relative? I mean you have 100 % sprint, 100% mid-distance, and 100% distance. It all about effort and figuring out what your best swim is in whatever event you are in. Now if you want to talk 100% maximum velocity, then a 200 is no where near your 50 max velocity...:confused:

I think a great swimmer can take out a 200 like a 100. Anyone olympians included who take out a 200 like a 50 is going to pay for it. My opinion.

As a competitive swimmer is it Pacing when in a final to try and be with the leader. Match him/her nose to nose, letting the other person set the tone of the race. It could be it is faster than you normally would swim. Then it will be a duel at the end. I hated races where the fastest time won the race and there was no matchup of the top 8 finalists. I would rather win in a final. Even if my last 50 was very slow.