I have been back swimming for several years. In that time I have mostly worked out alone, but sometimes swim with a group of people, one of whom has competed in masters meets on and off for years.
I used to be exclusively a freestyle sprinter, but out of boredom I started swimming IM. Last year swam my first 200 IM in competition, which hurt like hell but I got a bang out of it. Anyway I've been working on my fly on and off, and was stupid enough to mention to one of my workout buddies that I'd considered working up to the 100 fly as my next challenge.
He suggested a 400 yard fly set: 1x100, 2x50, 1x50+2x25, 4x25. I actually managed to do this three times in one week, but sort of crashed the next week--probably pushed it too hard. But for the first time in my life I actually swam 100 fly, and did so legally. (My 50 hovers at 32; I tried to negative split it the first time, and went 45 and 45 plus three seconds hanging on the wall at the 75 for a 1:33!)
Anyway I am swimming in a meet this weekend, and when I sent in my entry I totally chickened out and did not enter the 100 fly, which was right after the 50 free, which I also often swim.
I saw my friend Bill at the pool two days later and he asked about my events for said meet. I told him, and he nodded. "No 100 fly?" he asked. I said nope, maybe next meet. He nodded again and left for the post-workout hot tub. Ten minutes later he came back as I was finishing some 25s of fly at the end of my swim. He smiled and said, "I want you to know that I say this in the best possible way and from the bottom of my heart, but your failure to enter the 100 fly this weekend is the single most cowardly act in the history of competitive swimming."
I laughed, of course. But then I went home and emailed the meet director. I'm in. I sent in a seed time of 1:30 to guarantee that I could avoid a fast heat. God help me.
A diabolical taunt, don't you think?
Former Member
You know what I think that is awesome of you. Sometimes it takes someone else to make us do what normally we wouldn't. I have been swimming for about 2 years and with a masters program for about 6 months. My first meet in November my coach made me do. I told him I wanted to go check it out see how things are done than race in a later meet. He said no and that I had to enter 4 events. I did and it was the best time ever.
In February we had a meet in San Francisco, while signing up for it online one night I noticed that I only had three events and since I live in Fresno I figured I should sign up for more to make it worth my while. So I decided to do the 200IM. I was nervous as hell since I hadn't done much practice with the 200IM. Well I did and it hurt like hell and i got DQ'ed but I did and it was awesome. Doing things to challenge yourself is what swimming is all about and when you are surrounded by positive people on your team it is even better. Good job and good luck!
One of the girls on my USS team in high school refused to do any butterfly in practice or meets because she was convinced it was going to make her neck bigger.
I for one did not have such an elaborate excuse to not swim it. I just didn't like it. Looking back, I probably should have tried that as my second stroke as it seems that most fast freestyle swimmers are also good at butterfly.
I hope to conquer my fear of the 100 fly as a masters swimmer and swim it long course this summer....that way I don't have the walls to hang onto.
last summer I swam 100 fly LCM twice. I think I followed a breathing pattern something like 2 up / 1 down first 50, and 1 up / 1 down on the second 50.
Good for you!
The 100 fly is one of the most fun races I can imagine. When done well, everyone appreciates it. You don't even have to do a lot of fly in workouts, just work on form once in a while. Do a lot of leg lifts and situps and everything is groovy.
I have a history of fly cowardice as well. It took me over 2 1/2 years of masters swimming to sign up for and swim a 100 fly. And it was my best event in college ...
That perspective rings true for me. I'm now in my late '30's and currently only do open water distance events instead of meets, but I've put some fly and IM into my pool workouts.
When I was in high school, the 100 fly was my best event, and I even competed at the state level in Florida and in the southestern regionals. Now I'm hard pressed to finish much more than a 50 without totally running out of gas. Of course, the 30 extra pounds I've added in the last 20 years may have something to do with that.
BULLETIN: I did not drown!
In fact, it went pretty well. My 100 IM ten minutes earlier was slow. But I took a lot of the above advice: I breathed more, kept my head down, stayed calm. I was worried at the 75 turn, but in the middle of the last 25 I discovered that I really would make it, and even had something left.
I did not get the split, but I finished in 1:21.66. Probably 38/43. My seed time was 1:30.00, so I was pleased.
I think I'll even do it again, now that I know that I can!
Red60,
Why to stand up to peer pressure! Oh wait, you caved.
I guess he did triple dog dare you, so you pretty much had to at that point.
The 100 fly isn't that bad, I have watched many swimmers successfully complete it, and I am sure you will too.
I think I'll even do it again, now that I know that I can!
Nice work. Congrats to beating your seed time. Do you know anyone else that swims the 100fly? if so you should try making goals together. it's been helping me and a friend of mine.
he's a backstroker and I'm a breaststroker. but when i swam my first 100m fly at 1:13, he told me he was going to go under 1:10 at the next meet, so I signed up for the 100 fly too with a goal of getting under 1:10.
he went 1:11.02 and I had 1:10.6 we then dropped the goal time to under 1:09m he went 1:08.6 and I had 1:08.87. then he went to a meet that I wasn't able to attend and swam 1:06.56, but of all the events he swam that meet the 100fly was the one he was shooting for.
we no longer train together, but it hasn't stopped us from trash talking the 100fly.
in two weeks we'll be at the same meet, but I have the advantage, the event order before the 100fly is 50fr, 100br, 50 back, 100 fly so I will get about 30-45 minutes more rest than him, and I am sure that I will be in the heat before him. our goal is under 1:06.
I've been working alot on my breathing pattern and kick. I tend to lose my second kick and the last 25 is all arms.
