I thought about "Ask Ande", but then I thought this might turn into a long topic depending on who replies.
alot of times when someone says they died in the last 50 of a 200, the responses are overwhelmingly slow down the first 50, or take it out slower to save yourself.
but I plan on taking a different approach to improving my times. Work on being able to finish my race. I have accepted the fact that for me to sprint under :27 or under 1:00 would take lots of speed work. but I only swim freestyle for fun and training for OW. I prefer IM and ***. Here is my currrent situation: 35 yrs old SCM
masters best 50m free 27.53
masters best 100m free 1:00.85
I got my 200 time down from 2:14 in nov 2008 to 2:10 in april 2009. But my split was 1:01.8.
29.44, 1:01.80 (32.36), 1:35.52 (33.72), 2:10.95 (35.43/1:09.15)
the first response I got from my teammates was you took it out too fast since I came back 7 sec slower. But did I go out too fast, or did I just not swim the last 100 or 75 to my best ability?
I felt I took it out nice and easy with long strokes. I started to pick up the arm speed for the 3rd 50, but maybe that was a mistake, maybe since I can't sprint I should have just increased the depth of my pull instead of the speed of my stroke.
I won't be swimming SCM again until sept/oct but I plan to try to swim it :
29.5 + 32.00 + 32.5 + 32.5 --> 2:06.5 (1:01.5 + 1:04 )
one of the 17 yr olds on our team swims the 50 and 100 around my times, 27.3 and 1:00.25 but he manages to swim the 200 in 2:07.61.
Phelps was incredibly conditioned in Beijing,
his 100 free was 47.5
his first 100 of his 200 was 50.29,
2.8 seconds slower.
adjusted for RYKNO
x / 60.8 = 2.8 / 47.5
x = 3.5
so if you're as well conditioned as Michael Phelps
go out 3.5 seconds slower than your 100
I think if you want to swim a fast 200 free you really need to take it out hard. Your 100 split was only a second above your fastest 100, and that may have been too aggressive, but I don't think it's totally out of whack.
Here's how Phelps split his 200 free at Beijing:
50.29 1:42.96 (52.67)
That split is about 2.5 seconds slower than he can swim a 100 free. Phelps is not known as a rabbit. If anything he has a tendency to be out in the middle of the pack. If you remember this race, however, he led from the start.
In your case it is clear that you did pay the price for that first half speed. You probably would have been faster if you held back a little. HOWEVER, I think if you really want to improve you 200 free you should be thinking about what it will take to bring it back faster rather than concentrating on being out slower.
Phelps was incredibly conditioned in Beijing,
his 100 free was 47.5
his first 100 of his 200 was 50.29,
2.8 seconds slower.
adjusted for RYKNO
x / 60.8 = 2.8 / 47.5
x = 3.5
so if you're as well conditioned as Michael Phelps
go out 3.5 seconds slower than your 100
I think if you want to swim a fast 200 free you really need to take it out hard. Your 100 split was only a second above your fastest 100, and that may have been too aggressive, but I don't think it's totally out of whack.
Here's how Phelps split his 200 free at Beijing:
50.29 1:42.96 (52.67)
That split is about 2.5 seconds slower than he can swim a 100 free. Phelps is not known as a rabbit. If anything he has a tendency to be out in the middle of the pack. If you remember this race, however, he led from the start.
In your case it is clear that you did pay the price for that first half speed. You probably would have been faster if you held back a little. HOWEVER, I think if you really want to improve you 200 free you should be thinking about what it will take to bring it back faster rather than concentrating on being out slower.
