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
Thanks Carrie, Paul and Ande
Instead of focusing so much on front half versus back half in practice, do more sets where you build by 50.
You're right. I have been too obsessed with the difference between the first and second 100's. Quicksilver suggested I look at it as four strong 50's and I like that way of approaching it.
what suit did you wear?
Just Arena jammers. No technical suit, yet. I promised myself when I go sub 26 for the 50 free lcm I will get one. To be honest, I would be embarrassed to wear one. Don't feel good enough.
yes you definitely can split your 200 better
... a 7.45 sec diff is too wide,
you probably went too hard on the first 100 & it cost you on the 2nd 100
you want to go out smooth and easy, breathing often light kick
so you're fast but feeling good at the 100
swim a strong 3rd 50 and bring home that last one
ideally your 2nd, 3rd and 4th 50 should be very close or even descended
I actually did feel strong at the end of the first 100. That first 100 was smooth and far from all out. I haven't raced a 100 lcm since I started up swimming again but based on my 50 time I reckon I could go out in a 27.50 and come back in a 30 for a 57 high. So that first 100 split was about 4 seconds off my 100 time which is what I was aiming for.
I lost concentration on that second hundred. At one point I was even thinking about the dinner I had eaten the previous night (waaaay too much red meat and rich seafood and waaaay too spicy). And that lapse in concentration cost me. I shortened my stroke, dropped my elbows and forgot about my kick. And just when I needed to be focussing on them. The 200 requires IMMENSE focus of mind. I both love and hate this race.
you want to keep your 100's within 0 to 4.0
Yes, that is what I am aiming for.
Thanks Carrie, Paul and Ande
Instead of focusing so much on front half versus back half in practice, do more sets where you build by 50.
You're right. I have been too obsessed with the difference between the first and second 100's. Quicksilver suggested I look at it as four strong 50's and I like that way of approaching it.
what suit did you wear?
Just Arena jammers. No technical suit, yet. I promised myself when I go sub 26 for the 50 free lcm I will get one. To be honest, I would be embarrassed to wear one. Don't feel good enough.
yes you definitely can split your 200 better
... a 7.45 sec diff is too wide,
you probably went too hard on the first 100 & it cost you on the 2nd 100
you want to go out smooth and easy, breathing often light kick
so you're fast but feeling good at the 100
swim a strong 3rd 50 and bring home that last one
ideally your 2nd, 3rd and 4th 50 should be very close or even descended
I actually did feel strong at the end of the first 100. That first 100 was smooth and far from all out. I haven't raced a 100 lcm since I started up swimming again but based on my 50 time I reckon I could go out in a 27.50 and come back in a 30 for a 57 high. So that first 100 split was about 4 seconds off my 100 time which is what I was aiming for.
I lost concentration on that second hundred. At one point I was even thinking about the dinner I had eaten the previous night (waaaay too much red meat and rich seafood and waaaay too spicy). And that lapse in concentration cost me. I shortened my stroke, dropped my elbows and forgot about my kick. And just when I needed to be focussing on them. The 200 requires IMMENSE focus of mind. I both love and hate this race.
you want to keep your 100's within 0 to 4.0
Yes, that is what I am aiming for.
