Help me train for the 200 free

Syd, I struggle with the 200 not because I don't evenly split the 100s, but because I don't go out fast enough. I rarely swim the 200 free and I tend to hold back too much on the first 100 which I am trying to remedy. I don't know what your 100 Free time is, but 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. Keep up the good work - it sounds like you are making a lot of progress. Tim

Syd, To swim a great 200m race your body will have to adapt to a program that is predominantly focused on sprint endurance. Broken 200's are useful, although a higher level of training at faster than race pace is critical. Example sets are; (On different days) SCM/LCM 5x(4x50) on 1:10, 1:00, :50, :40, 1:30 (LAST 4, BEST AVERAGE) 3x(4x100) on 1:40 (Last 100 of each set FAST) 75 strong on 1:00, 2x25 FAST on :45, 75 strong on 1:00 4x150 on 4:00 with fins, (Best average) 6x50 on 1:00 (Try to hold sub-30's) 4x75 on 1:10 (Try to hold sub-45's) A broken 200 with 10 rest at each 50 200 TOP SPEED with finz LOT's of DISTANCE PER STROKE WORK COUNT STROKES, SWIM SLOWER and bring down total # example 3x400 descend stroke count 4x100 2 strokes less, (walk the stride) Enjoy! 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.

I only know of one person who had a double and add 4 seconds for his 100 / 200 ratio he went 58 in the 100 and 2:00 in the 200 needless to say he was a no speed can't sprint drop dead distance dude his 500 pace wasn't much different from his 200 pace he was even better at 1500's & 1,650's and even better at 5k's & 10's exceptional 200 swimmers are double and add 6 seconds phelps goes 48.4 / 1:43.8 which is a 7 second diff swimmers need to be very well conditioned to do this double and add 8 is more common double and add 10 is even more common but some masters are double and add 12 - 18 I tend to be a double and add 10 kind of guy also different ratios apply to different strokes fr & bk often has lower ratios that br & fl though dennis baker went 58 low in the 100 fly & 2:04.68 in the 200 fly which is an 8 second diff in fly which is rare and amazing my 100/200 fly ratio is probably 14 - 16 (i have no desire to test this because it would involve swimming a 200 fly) my 100/200 bk is worse than my 100/200 fr because I SDK in bk better in the 100 than in the 200 it's even worse comparing LCM to scy or scm I have heard "double your hundred time and add 4 seconds".

The men's WRs for 100 free and 200 free are: LCM: 47.5 / 1:43.86 ......200 = 219% of the 100 time SCM: 45.8 / 1:41.10 ......200 = 221% of the 100 time I think it makes much more sense to apply a percentage than a fixed amount of time. In the WR case the 200 time is 2 X (100 time)+8.89 and 2 X (100 time) + 9.5. I think slower swimmers (like me) might have a similar percentage difference but the time difference in seconds will be greater.

added another example of how not to swim a 200 from the 2008 Sr Cir meet Obviously not a great way to split a race, but if I were his coach I'd be proud of him. It takes guts to take a race out like that. It didn't work out for him, but I give him props for just trying.

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? No way. That's waay too fast. I'd say twice your 100 time plus 8-10 seconds is more like it.

added another example of how not to swim a 200 from the 2008 Sr Cir meet www.utexas.edu/.../index.htm 14 Jackson, Jonath 18 Longhorn 1:55.59 1:54.57 JRS 24.75 53.17 (28.42) 1:23.12 (29.95) 1:54.57 (31.45) 53.17 1:01.40 OUCH! maybe if he hadn't gone so hard on the 1st and 2nd length he would have been able to hold a much better pace on his last 2 lengths. there were other splits that were worse but those people were going for splits at the 50 or 100 Jonathan was really trying to swim a 200 an 11 second gap is very painful and indicates a serious splitting problem he made the wrong effort choice on the 1st 50 perhaps if he'd given up 2 seconds in the first 100 he might have gained 4 seconds in the 2nd 100 Jonathan Jackson was the Big12 champion in the 50 free SCY as a freshman. He swam a 1:38.02 200 free SCY and split 47.92/50.1 - very nice splits. So it seems he knows how to split a 200. He is a sprinter "swimming up" to the to 200. Maybe he just said to himself "what the hell" and crashed and burned. I think it was a great swim!

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!

How about these: 1 Adrian, Nathan 12 BREM-22.42 45.86 1:11.00 1:37.17 65 Wildman-Tobriner, Ben 23 UNAT-PC 26.45 55.43(28.98) 1:25.36(29.93) 1:57.63(32.27)

I didn't achieve my goal time but it was a 6 second improvement on last year and a PB. On Saturday I went 2:10:33 LCM. Out in a 1:01:44 and back in a 1:08:89. I was planning to go out in a 1:01 (so that was spot on) but the wheels came off in the final 50 and I ran out of steam. Still, I am not happy with the 7 + second difference between the first and second hundred. I have to find a way to lower that gap. Thing is, I do this in training. If I go out in a 71, I come back in a 78 or 79. If I go out in a 68 then I come back in a 76 or 77 and if I go out in a 61 the second hundred will be a 69. There always seems to be about a 7, 8 or 9 second difference between my first and second hundreds. Not sure if it is a psychological barrier I need to break or if it is a fitness issue. I was happier with my 50 free time of 26:15 which was more than a second faster than last year's 27:30 and also a PB.