The 200 free is a new event to me. I never raced it before last year, but I have to say I am hooked on the distance.
There is something immensely satisfying about completing a good 200. Perhaps it is because I have always only raced 50's and 100's that I feel this way.
It is one of those races that is difficult to classify. Too long to be a flat-out sprint and too short to be be considered a distance event, it seems to fall rather awkwardly somewhere between middle distance and sprint.
Last year I did a 2:16.34 LCM 200 free (out in 1:05.07 and back in 1:11.27). Those are awful splits I know, but in my defense I only intended for the 200 to be a warm up for my other events and when I saw I was out in front after the first 100 I held back.
I haven't swum it again in competition since then but will have another go at it in October this year. I have been spending a lot of time, recently, on the 200 in training, but I'm not sure that I am going about it in the right fashion and wanted to ask for advice.
How have I been training? Well, mostly doing lots of 200's trying to see how close I can get my splits to one another. At least twice a week I do one at race pace to gauge my progress and get race pace practice. Today I went a 2:08.08 SCM from a push off the wall (out in 1:01 high and back in 1:06 something). Still not ideal splits but an improvement. I felt I still had gas left in the tank, even though I was breathing hard at the end and my pulse was 168.
Apart from that I also do some broken 200's (4 x 50 with 10 seconds rest between each).
I also do a lot of 100's at 1:20 but I am not sure if these help much at all. Most times I am crusing in somewhere between 1:12 and 1:15 getting 5 seconds rest and going off again. I mean they are a good aerobic workout but I don't know if they help me much for the 200.
My goal this year. I would love to go under 2:05 LCM but maybe a more realistic goal would be 2:06. Out in a 1:01 and back in a 1:04 or 1:05.
The best advice I have heard on the 200 was from Paul Smith who said that you should work the third 50 just a little bit harder than you think you should be working it. This advice has helped me narrow down the difference between those split times.
I still feel the difference between my splits is too big. I am not a back halfer and always have to go out hard to do a good time. In fact my best 200's are when I take the first half out so hard that, at the 100m mark, I start trying to convince myself I should stop there and make it a 100 for time. Then I know I have expended the right amount of energy.
So my question: apart from doing race pace 200's and broken 200's, how should I be training? What sort of distance should I be doing in a week? Are there any strategies I should be considering? Would really appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Syd
Parents
Former Member
Thank you everybody for some really excellent advice.
(Mentally you'll start the race on your 3rd 50.) That's a good mindset.
Great advice and, I think, that's what Paul was hinting at when he said that you have to work the 3rd 50 faster than you think you should be working it. The 3rd 50 is where the pain starts and where you really have to concentrate.
If you are swimming 200s they can't be at race pace.If you want to go 2:06 then 2:06 is race pace.If you can do that in workout then your race pace is faster.Broken 50s with the total swim time at 2:06 seems a better way to get race pace.When you are doing "race pace" train your body to know what it is.
Good point. I suppose I should have said 'my very fast practice pace'. There are so many things that potentially make you faster on race day (a good taper, a fast, new suit, the stimulus of competition, etc). But you are so right: if you want to compete fast you have to train your body to know what it feels like to go at that pace in practice.
200's are controlled sprints
you need speed and endurance
work on speed and conditioning in training
the best thing you can do to improve your 200 ability is to
race one or 2 200's a week
Exactly my feeling on the matter. And thanks for those splits Ande!
Jonathan and Paul, thanks for those workout sets. I shall definitely be incorporating some of those into my training.
I would suggest the more you dial in that 50 speed in workout at the 30 second pace....with less and less rest the more you'll find that same sense of pace in a race.
This approach, it seems, is a very effective way of training the body to deal with pain associated with high speed and little rest.
1. Train more for the 500 and your 200 will be solid. Train for the 200 and your 100 will be solid.
2. Take the lead on the 1st 100 if you are not a backhalfer. Never be afraid to establish discipline.
3. Work the 3rd 50 until you cry
4. The race is all about "easy speed". Your first 100 should be smooth and about 2 seconds slower than your best 100. Second hundred should be about 2.5 seconds slower than your 1st 100.
5. The race is one of the most strategic "poker face" races in the sport. Many sprinters have dealt a fierce hand the 1st hundred and held on to win over a backhalfer. It is no longer a middle distance race like the 1970s. It is a controlled sprint as Ande has stated. Sometimes the whole heat waits too long for someone to take the lead and the whole heat does a slow time.
6. Kick......... it is not a 500........ you must kick like a 100 man.
7. Expect to flail your numb arms and throw up the last 50. If you feel strong the last 50 you took it out too slow.
8. Swim your own race or number 5 will blow up in your face.
9. You must have "Easy Speed"
10. Easy Speed
11. Easy Speed
12. Easy Speed
13. Easy Speed
14. Easy Speed
15 Easy Speed
........... and yes..... I did swim this race once upon a time Evil one.
Great advice. Thanks John!
... if you really want to excel at the 200 it looks like most swimmers are out in the first 100 within 2 to 3 seconds of their 100 Free time. Anyway, don't hold back too much on your first 100 and then if you can keep the second 100 within 2 to 4 seconds you should do well.
I have heard "double your hundred time and add 4 seconds". That would fit in with what you and John are saying - give or take a second. Is that an accurate prediction of where we can/should be? If I do that with my 100 time I should be going a sub 2 min 200 but I am nowhere near that. What implications does that have? I suppose it means that I need to do some serious work on my second 100!
Thank you everybody for some really excellent advice.
(Mentally you'll start the race on your 3rd 50.) That's a good mindset.
Great advice and, I think, that's what Paul was hinting at when he said that you have to work the 3rd 50 faster than you think you should be working it. The 3rd 50 is where the pain starts and where you really have to concentrate.
If you are swimming 200s they can't be at race pace.If you want to go 2:06 then 2:06 is race pace.If you can do that in workout then your race pace is faster.Broken 50s with the total swim time at 2:06 seems a better way to get race pace.When you are doing "race pace" train your body to know what it is.
Good point. I suppose I should have said 'my very fast practice pace'. There are so many things that potentially make you faster on race day (a good taper, a fast, new suit, the stimulus of competition, etc). But you are so right: if you want to compete fast you have to train your body to know what it feels like to go at that pace in practice.
200's are controlled sprints
you need speed and endurance
work on speed and conditioning in training
the best thing you can do to improve your 200 ability is to
race one or 2 200's a week
Exactly my feeling on the matter. And thanks for those splits Ande!
Jonathan and Paul, thanks for those workout sets. I shall definitely be incorporating some of those into my training.
I would suggest the more you dial in that 50 speed in workout at the 30 second pace....with less and less rest the more you'll find that same sense of pace in a race.
This approach, it seems, is a very effective way of training the body to deal with pain associated with high speed and little rest.
1. Train more for the 500 and your 200 will be solid. Train for the 200 and your 100 will be solid.
2. Take the lead on the 1st 100 if you are not a backhalfer. Never be afraid to establish discipline.
3. Work the 3rd 50 until you cry
4. The race is all about "easy speed". Your first 100 should be smooth and about 2 seconds slower than your best 100. Second hundred should be about 2.5 seconds slower than your 1st 100.
5. The race is one of the most strategic "poker face" races in the sport. Many sprinters have dealt a fierce hand the 1st hundred and held on to win over a backhalfer. It is no longer a middle distance race like the 1970s. It is a controlled sprint as Ande has stated. Sometimes the whole heat waits too long for someone to take the lead and the whole heat does a slow time.
6. Kick......... it is not a 500........ you must kick like a 100 man.
7. Expect to flail your numb arms and throw up the last 50. If you feel strong the last 50 you took it out too slow.
8. Swim your own race or number 5 will blow up in your face.
9. You must have "Easy Speed"
10. Easy Speed
11. Easy Speed
12. Easy Speed
13. Easy Speed
14. Easy Speed
15 Easy Speed
........... and yes..... I did swim this race once upon a time Evil one.
Great advice. Thanks John!
... if you really want to excel at the 200 it looks like most swimmers are out in the first 100 within 2 to 3 seconds of their 100 Free time. Anyway, don't hold back too much on your first 100 and then if you can keep the second 100 within 2 to 4 seconds you should do well.
I have heard "double your hundred time and add 4 seconds". That would fit in with what you and John are saying - give or take a second. Is that an accurate prediction of where we can/should be? If I do that with my 100 time I should be going a sub 2 min 200 but I am nowhere near that. What implications does that have? I suppose it means that I need to do some serious work on my second 100!
