The IM Lane

Thanks for the heads up on your strategy for next weekend:). I like the comment from the Israeli Olympian this month in Swimmer about 'sleeping' the 1st 100 of a 200 fly. I like to think about sleeping the fly on the 400 IM as much as possible. No use getting all tuckered out on the hardest leg with three strokes still to swim. Not a problem...your back and *** will swim circles around me anyway, so I figure I'll just go for it! Maybe I'll even turn some heads being ahead of the great PWB for a portion of the 400 IM!! I'm in some of the greatest shape I've been in for a while too, so I've got reserves to fall back on.

I don't know which one will be harder...probably the SCY What was that sound? It almost sounded like... someone in Arizona cracking their knuckles...

The backstroke is the recovery stroke anyway...why else would anyone else float on their back? :)I thought you stated bk was one of the evil strokes. Is recovery the actual root of evil in strokes?

I'll be swimming two 400 IMs coming up here soon...one SCM next week in Mesa, and another SCY in a USA-S meet with the kids in Ellensburg, WA. I don't know which one will be harder...probably the SCY one trying to stay up with the youngings. I'll try my best to sprint the fly like I described above. The backstroke is the recovery stroke anyway...why else would anyone else float on their back? :)

I also swim 400 IM and I like to swim broken IM's but I will break at the 50 in the fly then at the 100's thereafter, in order to practice the transition turns. Also that way I can swim decent fly for the entire 100. That seems to work best for me, take 10 seconds on the break. And I have yet to figure out how to "loaf" butterfly, I try to swim it "relaxed". I am experimenting with breathing patterns on the fly too, trying to get more air in the first part of the race, however the fly feels smoothest when I breathe every other stroke. Any more than that and my hips start sinking and I have to kick harder, kinda defeating the purpose of getting more air if I use it all up in the fly anyway.

Fly & free are my best with breaststroke being :badday::cane:my down fall!!

If you want to maintain the transitions as part of your "pacing" and want to account for the natural "anticipation/renewal" you feel when you approach/start each new stroke... Try this... (will mean you need a clock at both ends, synchonized) 25 fly - 5s rest 50 fly - 10s rest 50 fly-back - 5s rest 50 back - 10s rest 50 back-*** - 5s rest 50 *** - 10s rest 50 ***-free - 5s rest 50 free - 10s rest 25 free At the end, take the cumulative time and strip one minute off. (easy math!) I have found that learning to work the middle 50 of each stroke in this set helps alot in keeping my head straight in the actual 400 swim. Let me know what you think. It's worked for me in the past. This looks like a good pacing tool. I will try it out very soon, (but not today, I already finished a tough workout). Thanks for sharing.

I've a question for the experienced 400 IMers. In preparing for the 200 bk (and and very recently also the 200 br) I have found that swimming sets of 4x50 with about 8-10s between the 50s is a valuable training tool. It allows me to practice at or near race pace, yet the rest is sufficiently brief that it "feels like" a full 200, as opposed to swimming shorter distances on longer intervals. I also find that the add-up time for a strong effort on (4x50 with 8-10s rest) is a pretty good indicator of what I can expect for a full 200 in a race. I'm looking for a similar training tool for the 400 IM. For 4x100 IMO with N seconds rest between 100s, what value of N gives an add-up close to race time? Is this even a reasonable approach? It removes all of the change-stroke turns. Would it would be better to break at 50, 150 and 350? That seems cumbersome. Do broken swims or not, I tend to be faster on broken swims than I go in actual races. Coaches tend to assign broken swims during taper. The most important IM turn is the BK to Br, if you don't do them right, you'll give up time. So have it down. Correct Splitting is Critical for 400 IMs here's what's worked for me you want to feel pretty good at the 200 so you can really work the BR & FR Improve your breastroke technique You need speed and conditioning to have a strong 2 & 4 IM, be in great shape, Train for the 200, 400, 500, 800 & 1000 fr, the 200 bk & br. Develop your easy speed fly My 400 IM reminders for the 1st 200 are: BREATHE often, stay relaxed, easy speed, smooth, barely kick / save your legs Swim Faster Faster, Ande

Do broken swims or not, I tend to be faster on broken swims than I go in actual races. Coaches tend to assign broken swims during taper. Thanks Ande. I was hoping you would chime in. The most important IM turn is the BK to Br, if you don't do them right, you'll give up time. So have it down. This is a major weakness for me. 'need to work on that. I'll have to corner a coach. Correct Splitting is Critical for 400 IMs here's what's worked for me you want to feel pretty good at the 200 so you can really work the BR & FR I need to learn what "pretty good" feels like at the 200 in a 4IM. Improve your breastroke technique You need speed and conditioning to have a strong 2 & 4 IM, be in great shape, Train for the 200, 400, 500, 800 & 1000 fr, the 200 bk & br. Develop your easy speed fly check, check, check. Working hard on those three. My 400 IM reminders for the 1st 200 are: BREATHE often, stay relaxed, easy speed, smooth, barely kick / save your legs In bk and br I think that a lot of my speed (what little I have) comes from my legs. I'm thinking that for me maybe it makes sense to use my legs hard in the middle 200 as opposed to the back half. I really need to do some testing. That's gonna be a challenge. It's not like I can swim 10x400 IM in one practice and try different strategies. Over many weeks and months though I have noticed that my best 400 IM times in practice come when the fly is a pretty hard effort - not like a 50, but certainly much harder than I would go if I were to swim a 200 fly, (which I have only done in practice a handful of times and never in a meet). I will do more testing.

....I'm looking for a similar training tool for the 400 IM. For 4x100 IMO with N seconds rest between 100s, what value of N gives an add-up close to race time? Is this even a reasonable approach? It removes all of the change-stroke turns. Would it would be better to break at 50, 150 and 350? That seems cumbersome. If you want to maintain the transitions as part of your "pacing" and want to account for the natural "anticipation/renewal" you feel when you approach/start each new stroke... Try this... (will mean you need a clock at both ends, synchonized) 25 fly - 5s rest 50 fly - 10s rest 50 fly-back - 5s rest 50 back - 10s rest 50 back-*** - 5s rest 50 *** - 10s rest 50 ***-free - 5s rest 50 free - 10s rest 25 free At the end, take the cumulative time and strip one minute off. (easy math!) I have found that learning to work the middle 50 of each stroke in this set helps alot in keeping my head straight in the actual 400 swim. Let me know what you think. It's worked for me in the past.