Did you break 1:50 in the 200yd fr as a Master's swimmer?
Former Member
I would really like to hear if you have broken 1:50 for the first time as a USMS swimmer. What level of training got you there?
I certainly want to hear from anyone who is going fast in the 200.
A little background: I only swam club for two years in HS, and outside of masters, only swam competitively for 3 years total. My best 200yd free time was a 1:50.0x. I am in my early 30s so I think setting PRs are still within easy reach. The season leading up to that time, I was averaging 65k/week iirc.
The Master's team I train with works out 3 times a week, 4-5k/workout, the average being closer to 4k. This is the only team that it is realistic for me to train with at this time.
We are getting a new pool in 2012, and until then I do not believe it is realistic to train with the kids.
There are two other pools in the area that do not have teams that train at them that I can workout on my own at.
It is very realistic that I can work with my MS coach to customize my workouts.
I have gone 2:10 from a push in practice, but I certainly couldn't go 3x200 on 2:10 right now. I am afraid my SCM 200 time actually converts slower than that, so I don't have a good recent race pace time to share.
Given that small book of information: Am I getting enough yardage, and I just need to focus my training on my goal, or do I need to increase yardage and workouts? To what level was successful for you?
If the consensus is a need for significantly more yardage and workouts, I will use this season to ramp up and solve logistics.
Former Member
Ahelee Sue: It was pointed out to me that I am not snapping my turns as I should, so your tips were spot on.
Jeff: I will take your advice to take ehoch's advice. He has already made me think more about what I need to actually do beyond increasing my workouts. Good stuff, thanks.
Tim: Thank you for taking the time to respond. It is great to know that someone has already done this, even if it wasn't your focus. I would put myself in the "not gifted" camp, so I will be increasing my workouts.
a lot of recent freestyle work for my 200 IM. Since I am not a freestyler, I have had to work harder to make my freestyle better, but it's paying off.
Working on your Freestyle ? I am working on my Back and *** -- I plan on being about 1 sec behind you after the *** in our next 200 IM ....
No, only as a college swimmer back in the 60's. At almost 63 , I do free ,Im's & fly.. Las t year @ state I did a time that put up a qual time for the 1,000 free.
Learned how to 6 beat kick the entire race ... practiced it on almost all my freestyle sets in workout except the easy stuff
Yes - you have to use your "race stroke" in practice at all times. For a 200, you have to 6 speed kick the entire way - so there is no reason to ever do less of a kick in workout.
what kind of kick sets ehoch does
I happen to have a very good Free kick (not so good in Fly). Don't do anything that special -- I used to move down one lane and do main sets kick - 1200-1500 on a 1:30-35 base long-course. Last season I did some fast 50 kick 50 swim sets in yards - 5x100 on 4 minutes trying to stay under 60.
Kicking is important - but I have also seen people swimming faster than me, that were nowhere near to me in kicking
"Maui Mike: You make it sound so easy. But I agree, if I can hold sub 27 on 10x50 on 45, I should be ready."
You can work to that set by increasing the interval and/or decreasing the number of reps --- the goal is to swim a lot of fifties at better than race pace and to be able to cruise 'em through the first few fifties and descend throughout the set.
I've never done this as a master, but did drop my time from 1:57 to 1:48 in my freshman year of college (back in the sixties) on about 3500 yds/day, doing tons of fifties with what would now be considered as too much rest.
Working on your Freestyle ? I am working on my Back and *** -- I plan on being about 1 sec behind you after the *** in our next 200 IM ....
And I plan on not pulling an Alain Bernard and letting you reel me in on what will surely be a painful freestyle leg.
stillwater: I don't think I have ever been able to repeat sub 1:00, so if I could pull that off, I am sure I could shave a tenth off my best time. I will keep that set in mind.
Learned how to 6 beat kick the entire race ... practiced it on almost all my freestyle sets in workout except the easy stuff
Really worked on improving my catch and high elbow throughout the pull (I had a tendency to let my arms fall and do more of a straight arm pull). My dream is to one day look like this underwater: www.youtube.com/watch
Ramped up workouts in the ~7 weeks prior to the big meet from about 12K to low 20K per week
Good stuff Patrick. I didn't think I dropped my elbows until I watched Thrope's video. His elbow might actually bend differently than mine, but it something else I need to work on now. My target yardage is 20-25k spread over 5 practices starting this week, which is about 8 weeks out from zones.
James: Join me in breaking the 1:50 barrier, especially since you implied I am old :) so you must be in a different age group.
Maui Mike: It is always reassuring that yardage isn't my issue, speed is. I need to increase reps right now, because I think I can only pull a couple faster than race pace right now.
ehoch and Jeff Commings: Will this 200 IM be the Pay Per View main event for Masters Swimming 2009?
