Sounds like I need to get the 100 splits closer, and get the back and *** time down, even if that means taking fly out a bit slower. Since it was the first time perhaps I was a bit chicken of gassing out and I did not attack the middle of the race.
Let me ask another question, what should your 200 IM be in relation to your 200 free time?
My 200m free is 2:50. What percentage slower should your IM be? Mine is about 10%.
What can be inferred there?
Well, my opinion is that if you're 200m Free is 2:50 then a 3:06 200m IM is not out of whack. But I think you can swim both faster. 2:50 for the 2Free is averaging 42.5 seconds per 50 or 1:25 per 100. I would be also interested in seeing your 2Free splits.
Given that info, I think that you took the Fly out too fast and used up your legs. Splitting the back 13 seconds higher than the Fly means that you were really gassed. That should be more like 5-7 seconds. I would try to split a 38-39 front Fly and get your Back split down to a 44 or so.
It would really helpful if you could post your best 50 times for all 4 strokes that way we could evaluate the difference in times between the 2IM splits and each strokes 50.
Paul
I did feel a bit gassed in the back and I don't know how to swim *** tired. I think my stroke falls apart.
The 200m free splits were:
36.85
41.70
45.61
45.85
My 50 yd. *** is a 41.25 and 50m free is a 26.60.
Never did a 50 fly or back.
There's a reason the IM is referred to as "The 5th Stroke"
Bottom line is you need to be strong in all 4 strokes, highly conditioned and have exceptional turns (at least for short course).
Question...how many practice sessions a week to spend focused on IM turns? I see most master swimmers using them as "rest" time vs. attack time.
My own preference in a 200IM is to build withing each "stroke" and attack turns...if you don't spend time in practice doing broken/race pace IM work you'll blow a gasket somewhere in this race at a meet because you have no sense of the pace needed to nail the splits/overall swim.
PS: it also historically has been the domain of "evil (***) strokers"...kinda like a triathalon being the same for runners.
Ande says it is hard for Masters to sprint an entire 200 IM
Ha ha! That is very funny.....
Damn right it is hard.....
So Al is a flyer. Nice swim.....I swam my fly way too fast, and by breaststroke - where I should have moved up - my arms were lead and I just swam to hang on.
My 50 yd. *** is a 41.25 and 50m free is a 26.60.
26.6 is a pretty fast 50 meter free. Do you consider yourself a sprinter? If not, I would think you should be much faster on both your 200 free and IM. Maybe you need more aerobic training? Just to put it in perspective, I bet there are lots of swimmers (esp. female) who can go under 2:00 in a 200 yard free that you could beat in a 50.
need more info
I think you can improve a great deal
work on your breastroke and back
you spent the greatest percentage of your race swimming those strokes
improve your speed and overall conditioning
Did my first 200m IM.
What can be concluded by the splits?
36.74
49.72
57.57
42.83
3:06.86
I do not do many fast 200's. Maybe fast 100's, but rarely fast 200's.
I think two things could be causing my middle distance and distance problem. One is conditioning and the other is poor technique which shows up in longer swims due to premature fatigue.
That sounds reasonable. You can muscle out the shorter races, but inefficiency starts to show in anything longer. If this is the case you obviously need to be working on better technique whenever possible. That should be your number one priority.
I don't think you need to do a lot of fast 200s. Just get that technique down, work on your aerobic base and your 200 speed will improve drastically.
I did feel a bit gassed in the back and I don't know how to swim *** tired. I think my stroke falls apart.
The 200m free splits were:
36.85
41.70
45.61
45.85
My 50 yd. *** is a 41.25 and 50m free is a 26.60.
Never did a 50 fly or back.
Is that 50 free time meters? If so you're pretty dang fast and should not be going 36 high front 50 in a 200. I would expect more like 29-30 and then hold 32-33s for the next three 50s.
Even if that time is yards (which should put you at around 30 for 50m free), you should be targeting around 34 front 50, and then hold 38-39s for the rest of the swim which should put you in the 2:30 range for 200m Free. How much time do you spend doing fast 200s or longer in your sessions? Seeing those splits really makes me think that you have no endurance for middle distance.
Sorry, did I say that?
26.6 for 50yds free, 29.47 for 50m free. Does that make the 200IM splits more reasonable?
I agree about the edurance part. I see it in my 200's. My best 200 yard free is 2:29. Based on my 50, I think I should be faster in 200's, but I'm not. My best 500 yd free is 6:49.
I do not do many fast 200's. Maybe fast 100's, but rarely fast 200's.
I think two things could be causing my middle distance and distance problem. One is conditioning and the other is poor technique which shows up in longer swims due to premature fatigue.
