Last meet I swam the 100 and 200 IM, the latter for the first time ever. My best strokes are free and fly. My backstroke is quite lame. My breaststroke is slowly getting better. I have no illusions that I will ever get anywhere near a top ten in anything, least of all an IM event. But I would like to improve, and it give me a sense of accomplishment to swim all four strokes in a race and not drown (though the 200 introduced doubt on that front!)
I went 1:16.80 in the 100 (out in 35.83; back in 40.97)
In the 200, I went 2:51.82
fly 34.65
back 46.81
*** (falling piano) 53.83
free 36.53
The 200 was really a mixed bag--it felt absolutely horrible in the middle (why, oh why did I enter this event??? I am thinking about 20 yards into the breaststroke leg) but exciting to complete.
Any suggestions about IM sets for workouts (I swim alone, for the most part) or ways to think about the 200 race? Split goals, etc?? I'm sort of plateaued elsewhere, so this seems like a good thing to work on for awhile. My zone meet is at the end of this month, and I'd like to get the 200 down around 2:45 if possible.
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Wow, this has been a really helpful thread. Thanks for the input and experience. Fascinating to hear everyone's ideas.
George, thanks on the fly thing. I tend to agree with you. My 50 fly is 32.0, so 34+ seems like a good start. Feisty's point about breathing may be important--I tend to swim fly with a minimum of breathing just because it slows me down.
Feisty, your splits are quite helpful. Today I worked by breastroke kick again, and am concentrating on getting more out of it, also thinkin about Ande's point about legs. Today I kicked 50s faster than I swam the breaststroke leg in the 200, so that may say something right there. I will work on that.
Backstroke. Arrgh.
The variety of sets is really great. It's easier to swim a variety of strokes in a workout, just to avoid boredom. I clearly need to put in more yards at faster intervals, because many of these sets I could not manage now. Conditioning, conditioning....
Netho, welcome to the forum. I still feel like a newbie, but have gotten a ton from this format and from these folks.
Thanks also to ArtZ, Bill, James, Lizzie..
Wow, this has been a really helpful thread. Thanks for the input and experience. Fascinating to hear everyone's ideas.
George, thanks on the fly thing. I tend to agree with you. My 50 fly is 32.0, so 34+ seems like a good start. Feisty's point about breathing may be important--I tend to swim fly with a minimum of breathing just because it slows me down.
Feisty, your splits are quite helpful. Today I worked by breastroke kick again, and am concentrating on getting more out of it, also thinkin about Ande's point about legs. Today I kicked 50s faster than I swam the breaststroke leg in the 200, so that may say something right there. I will work on that.
Backstroke. Arrgh.
The variety of sets is really great. It's easier to swim a variety of strokes in a workout, just to avoid boredom. I clearly need to put in more yards at faster intervals, because many of these sets I could not manage now. Conditioning, conditioning....
Netho, welcome to the forum. I still feel like a newbie, but have gotten a ton from this format and from these folks.
Thanks also to ArtZ, Bill, James, Lizzie..
