200 Challenge: Goal time, roadmap and status updates

SCY: 139:99; Slowly, albeit painfully, getting back into shape... 1:55 from a push last week at the end of a grueling set. Didn't feel all THAT bad... ugh. I practice 3x times a week, hopefully more come spring! I am a 200-1650 kind of guy. Wow, you know how to set goals. 1:39.99 is blazing, but if you are doing a 1:55 from a push, it is a totally realistic goal. Thanks for the advice on shortening my stroke. I have to do something to pick up the tempo. When you shortened yours, did you move to a more front quadrant stroke and chop the back half much shorter, or did you have a completely different strategy? You know of all the videos I have watched of Laure Manaudou, I have never noticed the length of her stroke. Thanks for that list, you have just done half the research for me.

Glad I could help! When I shortened my stroke, I spent much less time out front with my arm straight. I started pulling alot more soon than I used to. It's almost as if the arm enters bent at the elbow to make the catch. In TI (the way I used to swim), it's enter, straighten the arm, glide, THEN bend the elbow and pull. The back half stayed much the same, although I don't use the exaggerated "kick-back" you see in TI videos. I'm still working on it, but it feels as though I'm actually torqueing through the water with more power. There's a very good above water vid of Pal Joensen swimming like this: www.youtube.com/.../svimjing

HAHAHA, I obviously copy-and-pasted the wrong video... that one was for some school friends. I'm a total noob to the forums. Sorry for messing up your thread, qbrain. Here's the ACTUAL video I meant to post: YouTube- David Davies Underwater

HAHAHA, I obviously copy-and-pasted the wrong video... that one was for some school friends. I'm a total noob to the forums. Sorry for messing up your thread, qbrain. Here's the ACTUAL video I meant to post: YouTube- David Davies Underwater Haha! My threads and muppets usually have a lot in common, but I will tell you that if you click the pencil icon on the lower right hand corner of your posts, you can go back and edit them after the fact :) Ok, so you are starting you pull sooner to shortening your stroke, increasing turnover, and you still think this takes less effort? That seems counter intuitive, but that isn't uncommon.

HAHAHA, I obviously copy-and-pasted the wrong video... that one was for some school friends. I'm a total noob to the forums. Sorry for messing up your thread, qbrain. Here's the ACTUAL video I meant to post: YouTube- David Davies Underwater Now this is an example of a high head position (i.e looking forward)- his goggles are just under the surface. This is something that I've always had but am trying to work out of my stroke for a more face-down head position. Not saying this is wrong, just that it's the method I use for freestyle. Oh, December goal for 200 free is sub-2 in a jammer SCM.

Interesting kick in the Davies clip. It's like a 3- beat, or a 1.5 kick each side.

Now this is an example of a high head position (i.e looking forward)- his goggles are just under the surface. This is something that I've always had but am trying to work out of my stroke for a more face-down head position. Not saying this is wrong, just that it's the method I use for freestyle. Oh, December goal for 200 free is sub-2 in a jammer SCM. Well, Davies is a Olympic medalist in Open Water. That could be one reason for the forward head position. In addition, He is using the 1990s method like myself. Coaches have been telling me for the last 15 months to keep my head position down and my body is finally starting to listen. :applaud:. Of course, it is not there yet. That reminds me to get some snorkel use in!

Update: Previous 200 free scy Swam a 200 free Friday at a meet. 200 time: 2:00.82 100 splits: 59.00/61.82 50 splits: 28.09/30.91/31.25/30.57 I have potentially 3 more 200s before my taper meet in Feb if I break 2:00 at the next meet in early Jan. Current goal: break 2:00 at first meet in January. Work on: - kick - tempo (temo trainner) - pacing (50s at race pace, broken 200s and 200s for time with splits) Q - Congrats on bringing it down a little more :) I predict you will not "break 2:00"... but crush it! What is the January meet?

Update: Previous 200 free scy 200 free: 2:01.56 split 27.38 29.73 31.96 32.49 Swam a 200 free Friday at a meet. 200 time: 2:00.82 100 splits: 59.00/61.82 50 splits: 28.09/30.91/31.25/30.57 I wanted to go out 27 high, so 28 low was fine, but my second 50 dropped off too much. I needed to be 29 high or 30 low on the last 3 50s. My kick was solid the entire race, but I could have gone all out sooner with the kick. Turnover needed to be higher, and my back needs to pull my arms through the water instead of my shoulders and tris doing all the work. At the end of the 3rd 50, my shoulders and tris started to lock up and I said to myself, "pull with your back dumb :censor:". No problem finishing the race, and you can see that it didn't hurt my last 50. I probably had another 50 in me at that pace. I have potentially 3 more 200s before my taper meet in Feb if I break 2:00 at the next meet in early Jan. Current goal: break 2:00 at first meet in January. Work on: - kick - tempo (temo trainner) - pacing (50s at race pace, broken 200s and 200s for time with splits)

Goal Update. This weekend was my SCM taper meet. Last year I swam 2.09.5 in the meet, but I had a better 200yd (converted) swim in the meantime. Positives going into the meet: Consistent workout regime and yardage, good progression into speed lactate work, no serious illness or major aches and pains. Negatives going into the meet: unable to swim fast enough in workout to hit pace goals (eg in broken 200sets), weak tune up meet performances with no 200s, 200free late in the meet (2nd day of meet after 2 swims earlier in the morning). So, excuses made, my time/splits: 29.26, 32.60, 33.37, 31.94: 2.07.17 (Highly ambitious) Goal pace was 29.5/31/31.5/31 +/- for a 2.03+ Analysis: 1st 50 goal pace, 2nd 50 1.5 sec below goal pace, 3rd 50 -weak- nearly 2 sec below goal, 4th 50 1 sec below goal. My wall work was poor in the second half of the race. So, goals going forward - strengthen mid section of the race by working closer to race pace in workouts (easier said than done). Also need real focus on 200, but I'm still in generalist mode. I can get good drops at the taper meets, but I need to be much closer to goal pace leading up to meet. Overall very happy with my meet performances, but the 200free was one of my weaker swims. For what it's worth Guy -- while not yet up to your very high standards, it was a really great 200m, and looked good too. Also, I do think it might have been different if the 200m were early on the first day of the meet. After the first 75m, I think the next 75m is where the toll taken by the previous events is seen (or if it doesn't appear there, then I think it would have really shown up in the last 50m:)). It was a pleasure meeting you and a pleasure watching you swim!