Help for the 200 IM?

Hi, I'm new here. I'm going into high school next year, and this is my last year for the long course JO's. I'm swimming the 200 IM in August, and I'm not sure what my strategy should be. (I'm female, by the way.) My sprint times are (SCY)(approximated): 50 fly: 33 sec. 50 back: 34 sec. 50 ***: 44 sec. 50 free: 30 sec. As you can see, my breaststroke is very slow. Normally, in a two hundred, the only way I can get an acceptable time is if I go all-out sprint on my fly and backstroke, so I can get an edge before the inevitable drop-back in breaststroke. But of course, after I do this, I'm really tired, and I fall back even more, and I barely catch up in the freestyle, if I do at all. Does anyone have any tips for me to try and...I guess, regulate myself? I've been working on my breaststroke technique, but after I do my butterfly and backstroke rounds, my legs are really tired. :drown: My goal is just to have a 200 IM that isn't so rickety, and to be able to regulate myself throughout. Thanks in advance! Try to build each 50 as you get to it. Have confidence in your breaststroke and don't assume that you are weak in it. Be determined that you are a contender in this stroke. One thing I have done with swimmers whose weakest (I really don't like to use that word!) leg is breaststroke is to do a set of 8 x 50 flutter kicks on 1:00 (1:10 for meters) at the end of practice when your legs are tired. This helps you to have some good legs to bring home the freestyle leg of the race and make up for any lost ground on the breaststroke. Do this set every time you swim. After a couple of weeks, try doing 4 x 50 flutter kick on :50 (1:00 for meters). If you only have a short time to try this before you race, just start off and stick with doing 4 x 50 on 1:00 (1:10 for meters). Be sure to check with your coach before undertaking this as he/she may have a very specific training plan for you. Hope that helps! Keep working the breaststroke!

Hi, I'm new here. I'm going into high school next year, and this is my last year for the long course JO's. I'm swimming the 200 IM in August, and I'm not sure what my strategy should be. (I'm female, by the way.) My sprint times are (SCY)(approximated): 50 fly: 33 sec. 50 back: 34 sec. 50 ***: 44 sec. 50 free: 30 sec. As you can see, my breaststroke is very slow. Normally, in a two hundred, the only way I can get an acceptable time is if I go all-out sprint on my fly and backstroke, so I can get an edge before the inevitable drop-back in breaststroke. But of course, after I do this, I'm really tired, and I fall back even more, and I barely catch up in the freestyle, if I do at all. Does anyone have any tips for me to try and...I guess, regulate myself? I've been working on my breaststroke technique, but after I do my butterfly and backstroke rounds, my legs are really tired. :drown: My goal is just to have a 200 IM that isn't so rickety, and to be able to regulate myself throughout. Thanks in advance! Try to build each 50 as you get to it. Have confidence in your breaststroke and don't assume that you are weak in it. Be determined that you are a contender in this stroke. One thing I have done with swimmers whose weakest (I really don't like to use that word!) leg is breaststroke is to do a set of 8 x 50 flutter kicks on 1:00 (1:10 for meters) at the end of practice when your legs are tired. This helps you to have some good legs to bring home the freestyle leg of the race and make up for any lost ground on the breaststroke. Do this set every time you swim. After a couple of weeks, try doing 4 x 50 flutter kick on :50 (1:00 for meters). If you only have a short time to try this before you race, just start off and stick with doing 4 x 50 on 1:00 (1:10 for meters). Be sure to check with your coach before undertaking this as he/she may have a very specific training plan for you. Hope that helps! Keep working the breaststroke!