Tim,
Good for you. I wish I could be there to count for you. Although I don't swim it in Masters, this used to be one of my favorite events back in the day. A few thoughts:
Conceptually, settling into your pace on the 2nd 200 like you did on the 800 is not a bad idea.
I like to think of it as 3 x 500, where the only one I'm actually trying to aim to build is the 3rd one. The first 500 needs to almost feel too easy or else you're probably going out too fast. The second one should start to hurt a little near the end, but you should still aim to feel strong. Then, slowly build the last one.
I find that counting strokes per lap is a great way to try to stay on pace. I tend to count my right hand entering the water because I always start on my left and that makes a full stroke cycle. Settle into a stroke count on your second and third 100s and then try to hold that through about the 1200 or 1300. After that, you can let all hell break loose.
Find someone who can count for you, take 100 splits and provide you simple signals with the counter (e.g., no movement = good, up & down = speed up, side to side = slow it down).
As for prep work in the pool, in addition to the 100s, you need to do some longer sets on short intervals (e.g., 3 x 500, 6 x 250, etc.) to get your body acclimated to race pace over a longer distance.
As for your 200 breaststroke, make sure you cool down extensively after the 1500, a minimum of 500, and then plan on a slightly longer warmup the next day if you're feeling sore.
I assume you're swimming this at the AZ State meet which is a great, cool water pool to race in. Get there early to grab shade under the trees or bring shade.
Tim,
Good for you. I wish I could be there to count for you. Although I don't swim it in Masters, this used to be one of my favorite events back in the day. A few thoughts:
Conceptually, settling into your pace on the 2nd 200 like you did on the 800 is not a bad idea.
I like to think of it as 3 x 500, where the only one I'm actually trying to aim to build is the 3rd one. The first 500 needs to almost feel too easy or else you're probably going out too fast. The second one should start to hurt a little near the end, but you should still aim to feel strong. Then, slowly build the last one.
I find that counting strokes per lap is a great way to try to stay on pace. I tend to count my right hand entering the water because I always start on my left and that makes a full stroke cycle. Settle into a stroke count on your second and third 100s and then try to hold that through about the 1200 or 1300. After that, you can let all hell break loose.
Find someone who can count for you, take 100 splits and provide you simple signals with the counter (e.g., no movement = good, up & down = speed up, side to side = slow it down).
As for prep work in the pool, in addition to the 100s, you need to do some longer sets on short intervals (e.g., 3 x 500, 6 x 250, etc.) to get your body acclimated to race pace over a longer distance.
As for your 200 breaststroke, make sure you cool down extensively after the 1500, a minimum of 500, and then plan on a slightly longer warmup the next day if you're feeling sore.
I assume you're swimming this at the AZ State meet which is a great, cool water pool to race in. Get there early to grab shade under the trees or bring shade.
