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.
Here's another perspective. How about moving up to racing a few 400s and then moving back down to 200? For me the 200 is an intriguing mid point between the sprint and middle distance, rather than the "extended sprint" that younger swimmers can consider it. Training for and racing some 400s might help extend your ability to sustain pace at the back end. I'm not suggesting stopping work on sprint and 200 specific conditioning, just complementing it with some longer stuff. IE you zero in on the 200 the race from both sides - up from 100 and down from 400. For me there is also a psychological benefit - if I can do a decent 400, I have confidence to go really hard on the back end of a 200. (BTW Like qbrain I also find that the first 50 sort of takes care of itself and the race seems to be all about getting into that sustainable last 150 pace.)
Here's another perspective. How about moving up to racing a few 400s and then moving back down to 200? For me the 200 is an intriguing mid point between the sprint and middle distance, rather than the "extended sprint" that younger swimmers can consider it. Training for and racing some 400s might help extend your ability to sustain pace at the back end. I'm not suggesting stopping work on sprint and 200 specific conditioning, just complementing it with some longer stuff. IE you zero in on the 200 the race from both sides - up from 100 and down from 400. For me there is also a psychological benefit - if I can do a decent 400, I have confidence to go really hard on the back end of a 200. (BTW Like qbrain I also find that the first 50 sort of takes care of itself and the race seems to be all about getting into that sustainable last 150 pace.)
