If you are going ALL OUT, i.e. "race pace", how will your 200 LCM time compare to your 225 SCY time?
200 m is about 218.72 yds, so 225 yds is about 6.28 yds longer than 200 m. How much time this converts to depends on how fast you are, of course, the faster you are, the less extra time the extra 6.28 yds will take.
BUT.
A 225 SCY has 8 turns whereas 200 LCM has only 3. For example, for my backstroke, I estimate that each turn cuts about 1s off my total time, so the extra 5 turns save about 5 seconds. If you have better turns, you'll save more time.
It looks like the two factors approximately cancel for me in backstroke. I haven't done the analysis for other strokes yet. I'd be interested to see results (and/or speculation) for other swimmers.
My experience: in freestyle they are pretty close.
The 225 is a little faster in butterfly. (Helps to have those walls to get that little bit of rest.)
The 225 is a good bit faster in backstroke. (Get more from the turns.)
BTW: the age-group team that shares a (short course) pool with the masters group does 225s for time all the time during long course season.
That seems consistent with my analysis.
Free: I haven't done a 200 LCM free yet, but my bet is that the difference is small as you say because the extra turns won't gain as much as in back.
Back: Since you are a good bit faster than me ;), the extra distance will not cost you as much, but you will still get the benefit of the extra 5 turns.
Fly: I haven't tried a 200 fly yet, even in practice. Is it really as bad as people say it is? I'll just have to find out some time when I don't care if I am sore for a week afterwards.
***: We'll have to wait for the breasstrokers to chime-in on this one.
My experience: in freestyle they are pretty close.
The 225 is a little faster in butterfly. (Helps to have those walls to get that little bit of rest.)
The 225 is a good bit faster in backstroke. (Get more from the turns.)
BTW: the age-group team that shares a (short course) pool with the masters group does 225s for time all the time during long course season.
That seems consistent with my analysis.
Free: I haven't done a 200 LCM free yet, but my bet is that the difference is small as you say because the extra turns won't gain as much as in back.
Back: Since you are a good bit faster than me ;), the extra distance will not cost you as much, but you will still get the benefit of the extra 5 turns.
Fly: I haven't tried a 200 fly yet, even in practice. Is it really as bad as people say it is? I'll just have to find out some time when I don't care if I am sore for a week afterwards.
***: We'll have to wait for the breasstrokers to chime-in on this one.
