Any of you 400 IMers out there, any ideas or thoughts on racing strategy?
I'm in decent shape but was sure as heck never a 400 IMer (never did it as a kid and have done it twice as a masters). Did a 4:56 during winter training season and not killing myself. Just swam it smooth. Plan on possibly swimming it in a few weeks (also unrested/ untapered.) Just want to swim the darn thing. I may even just wear my practice suit. Am a flyer and freestyler. Been working on back and *** (not too much.)
Ideas? Negative split each 100 of each stroke? Is that a bad race strategy? I'm just so clueless on this event.
Thanks!
Former Member
I have a strategy for the 400 IM, which is the same one I use on the 200 fly. Don't enter.
hahahaha:lolup:
question for all-what about breathing to the side like mel stewart? who does it?
Well, my wife does...and always was amused that Melvin got credit for "inventing" it when she had been doing it for a decade at least. (Just a slightly different level of competition, however!)
She reports that she does it because it is much easier for her to lift her head to take a breath. Sounds reasonable. I don't know who else does it.
I do remember when my coach used to yell at me if I didn't breath every other stroke (in practices or races). I should find him and make HIM do all the penalty fly that resulted from that!
Back off the legs for fly & back ... keep your *** lower and a bit wider ... free is free. The goal should be to negative split the back, *** and free legs. It's been a VERY HAPPY two years since I've swum it. I am happy to say that I will probably never swim it again but who knows ...
carlos, you are right.... richard quick told me the same thing about summers... i wish i could find an old video... question for all-
what about breathing to the side like mel stewart? who does it? and who does it on R,L. S drills? btw, not going to mess with side breathing right before a big meet.
Swimcat - I used to (USED to) swim IM and 100/200 lfy like it was my job! Never SUPER fast, about a 1 min 100. For a long time I breathed to my R side - it just felt more natural to me. Coaches absolutely hated it. I would play around with it and see what you feel like - it's really wierd at first, but even now (I can do about 2 25's fly :lmao:) I find myself doing it
I also agree about the IM - easy, loose fly (I suck at back so it's always work for me), kill the *** and give the free whatever you've got left.
:cheerleader:
Good luck!!
I breathe 2 up, 1 down on the fly. You definitely want it to feel smooth, but don't loaf it by any means. Maybe somewhere around 4 seconds slower than what you can swim a 100 fly is a good starting point.
I breathe 2 up, 1 down on the fly. You definitely want it to feel smooth, but don't loaf it by any means. Maybe somewhere around 4 seconds slower than what you can swim a 100 fly is a good starting point.
Arrgh, "4 seconds" doesn't scale to different swimmers' speeds.
Swim the first 100 of the 400 IM exactly the way you would the first 100 of a 200 fly.
I'm off to swim the 400 IM today in a meet for the 4th time . The negative split, according to my coach, within each 100 comes from your muscles adjusting the first 25 of each to the change in stroke. So expect a negative split, except the fly which gets you the start.
Take it loose on the fly, and then you'll do fine. My stroke is *** so I save a lot for that and then go all out on the free.
Good luck.
I agree with my coach, too but did hte 400 IM yesterday and positive split my ***. The fatigue caught up with me then. I need to work on that. Sadly, I'm a *** stroker so to pos. split that one :dunno:
