I think I need to up the speed on the first 50 a bit. At the meet on Sunday, my 50 time was 24.45, but my first 50 in the 100 was a 26.9. Interestingly, my first 50 at the meet 3 weeks ago was also a high 26 and that's when my 50 free was a 25.2. Let me just post the splits before this gets too confusing:
10/5: 50y free - 25.2 100y free - 56.65 (1st 50: 26.9)
10/26: 50y free - 24.45 100y free - 55.88 (1st 50: 26.9)
So I improved on the backend of my 100yd free only. I think maybe I'm not going out fast enough if I go out 2.5 secs slower than my 50y free time. Of course this is only one race and I had a goggle issue on the 100yd free Sunday plus I tweaked my lower back on the start. Also I think my endurance is better than what it used to be so I have to get used to that. I looked at some times from when I was 16 and I had a 25.5 50yd free, but a 59 sec 100 yd free ugh.
What's a good breakdown of the 100yd free?
Parents
Former Member
YES to the chap above who stated "breath a lot". I learned to swim with age-groupers and always restricted my breathing as instructed UNTIL I reviewed all my 100free videos (long course meters) and noticed that most of the elite swimmers breathed every stroke!
Why? Because if you do not do so on the first 50, you will not get the lactate removal on the second 50 and the burn sets in much sooner.
As for the loss of speed when breathing every stroke, two focus points will diminish that.
1. Slightly press the flat side of the head (face) into the water when breathing just to make sure the head does not raise up even the slightest bit when breathing.
2. When breathing to any side, the stroking arm on the other side can have a "tendancy" to drop elbow and so just try to "pin" that non-breathing side elbow up at just below the water surface fighting any desire to drop elbow.
Kurt
YES to the chap above who stated "breath a lot". I learned to swim with age-groupers and always restricted my breathing as instructed UNTIL I reviewed all my 100free videos (long course meters) and noticed that most of the elite swimmers breathed every stroke!
Why? Because if you do not do so on the first 50, you will not get the lactate removal on the second 50 and the burn sets in much sooner.
As for the loss of speed when breathing every stroke, two focus points will diminish that.
1. Slightly press the flat side of the head (face) into the water when breathing just to make sure the head does not raise up even the slightest bit when breathing.
2. When breathing to any side, the stroking arm on the other side can have a "tendancy" to drop elbow and so just try to "pin" that non-breathing side elbow up at just below the water surface fighting any desire to drop elbow.
Kurt
