Strategy for 200 FR

I disagree that 2:10 is not realistic for that 50 speed but remember that prediction is based upon a solid foundation of endurance, past experience in 200s and swimming it correctly. My first 200 as a master was all about going moderately hard on the 1st 100 and then shutting it down into a long and easy stroke on the last 100 as I had to quiet my then 9yo daughter's yapping at me that she had already swam the 200 in 2 meets. At the time I was a 23.68/50y and 53.00/100y sprinter with not a lot of distance training base under my belt and had been back in the pool for 8 months. Still went 27.88,31.55,33.31,34.99 for a 2:07.73. So if I, a pure drop dead sprinter with poor endurance, can go 2:07 with a 1:08 relaxed back half, I am confident that Lightning, by swimming it intelligently, can go 2:10. But he HAS to get some experience swimming fast 100s and 200s. Matteo: 200 LCM is such a completely different beast that you really can't compare SCY to it.

Pwolf, Did you swim when you were young? If so, your numbers may make sense. If this guy has no prior swim experience and been swimming only two years, he won't go anywhere near 2:10 with 27sec 50 speed. I'm 44 and have been swimming 3 1/2 years and only maybe have an outside chance of 2:15 to 2:20 this year. If he is one of those guys that says he's been swimming as a Master for two years, but in reality swam his whole childhood up through college, then yes, perhaps he should go 2:10. He says he never raced a 100 or 200 free and goes 27 in the 50. Based on that he will be nowhere near a 2:10.

You can read 1000 opinions of how to swim this race but the bottom line is that the 200 is a fickle distance and you will have to learn how to swim it on your own. The most relevant advice is to ignore the people in the lanes next to you. No matter what type of swimmer you are one thing I would tell you is to learn how to swim fast without expending much energy. Sounds impossible but hear me out. There is a certain level of effort in all but the most distance-oriented swimmers where they can achieve roughly 95% of their top speed with only about 80% effort. This is where you want to be on the first 100. It takes a while to figure out what that point is for you, but you'll find it eventually. For me it is characterized by a long and smooth stroke and allowing speed to feel like it is coming from your core, not your extremities. The 3rd 50 is mentally the toughest. Pain comes on steadily throughout, so ignore it and try to maintain that fast cruising feeling. The last 50 you hang on, and concentrate on not getting short and sloppy.

When I did the 200s I would try to stay with the leaders without great effort all the way to 100, then it was time to give it hades.

This is just a guess.....but without a good bit of practice with pacing the OP will go too fast and die a terrible death on the 2nd half of the race. A person accustomed to racing 50s is used to full speed straight off the blocks - so they are not used to holding back a bit for a longer race like a 200. No matter what I suggest some race pace work in practice. Swim some very hard 200s as broken swims. Swim a 200 as 4 x 50 with 5 secs or 10 secs between each 50. Attempt to pace the 50s as you would a race. You will probably swim too fast on the first 50 and each 50 will get progressively worse. Your "splits" on the broken 200 will not be relatively even like what Pwolfe suggests. I don't think you'll swim a 2:10 if your fastest 50 is a 26.8. I think you'll be closer to 2:15 unless you really are in pretty good aerobic shape. I don't mean to doubt your ability - I just swim with some 45-49 guys who swim 2:05-2:10 and they do 25.5 50s, and 55-56 sec 100s. These are guys who swim 500s around 5:45. Good luck no matter what! I would definitely want to do some pacing practice in advance of the meet.

Rob: That's a very good point that I just didn't even consider. I have got to stop assuming that everyone has an age group swimming background. Maybe 2:10 isn't realistic at the moment but I think that someone with 26.8 speed (and that's not slow BTW) should be able to pull off a 200 in the mid 2-teens if they have a good endurance base, experience in swimming 200s fast and swim a good race.

200's hurt save your legs split it well your 2nd 3rd & 4th 50s should be even your 1st & 2nd 100 should be 0 to 4 sec diff ideally 2 breathe often wear a speedy suit prepare in practice to race a 200 find your easy speed gear fast turns hard push offs great streamlining look at it like you're experimenting be fierce and mentally tough here's an answer I gave to this same question forums.usms.org/showpost.php I've never raced a 200, or even a 100 FR; my 50 FR SCY is 26.8. I'm in a USA meet Sept 20th - expecting to get trounced by kids half my age, but still I want to put in a good showing. How should I race? What should my 50 pace be? How do I not die on the last 50? etc... I'm 44, male, swimming masters only 2 years, still learning lots, and open to all feedback - thanks!

My most recent 200 Free was LC. I made the mistake of chasing down the guy next to me once again, and wound up swimming my first 100 too fast. By the 150 I was cooked and wishing I would have played a smarter hand. The splits for that race went something like 1:10.xx and 1:20.xx.

Maybe this is obvious, but there is a very fine line between "easy speed" and "going out too fast without realizing it." "Easy speed" is a bad name for it, as it is anything but easy to figure out HOW to achieve this mythical pace. I swam my first (since I was an age grouper) 200 free (LCM) not too long ago, and though I thought I took the first 100 "easy" I was only about a second slower than my lifetime best in the 100 free. Needless to day, I died a horrible death in that second 100. Despite swimming it a couple of times, I find myself doing the same thing in the 200 Breaststroke. Like everybody else is saying, it's a very good idea to work on pace work in practice.

200 meters it is a hard race to pace. I found it was easy to swim a 100m in 60 seconds it was not a kill me pace. Then it is was just a keep going steady to make my best time of 2:02 for the 200 lcm. I never trained to do a 200 just the 100.