I've sort of decided to swim the 400IM at Auburn. I've never swum it LCM before (and only once SCY), but will have twice before LCM Nats. I won't have a LCM time before I register, though. Since it seems as if sandbagging is a hot topic now, I want to make sure I enter a fairly realistic time -- but I don't want to end up out of my league either. My question is -- how do your actual LCM times in the 400IM compare to your converted SCY times? For the record, my 200IM SCY/LCM conversion is fairly accurate. Not sure if the same will apply to the 400IM, though.
Now I just hope that Swimosaur doesn't read this, as I will then be committed to swimming the LCM 400 IM. :)
Former Member
I don't know many people who swim better in LCM than their conversion from SCY would suggest. My 400 LCM best time is 6 seconds slower than my conversion. However, my SCY was under college training and LCM was club team. So in a different environment it's hard to know for certain. I would definitely go a little slower if I was you.
Thanks, very helpful! Seems like a consensus then.
Now, your SCY/LCM 200 conversion works, so maybe you don't need to add 8-10 seconds, but I generally don't trust the SCY->LCM conversions for me ... but I also rarely train LCM so I'm generally not conditioned well enough for racing LCM.
I'm a LOT slower than that, so percentage-wise I'd probably need to add more time. :) I'm 45 (if that makes a difference), and my one and only 400 IM SCY time was 5:38. It felt pretty comfortable, though, as I swam it conservatively. The Swimming World conversion tool puts my time at 6:25, and my iPhone conversion app (for what that's worth) puts my LCM time at 6:17. My current 200 IM LCM time is 2:58. Based on what you all have said and what I'm thinking, 6:30 is a nice, round number. Does that sound reasonable?
Yes.
As for all those people on the sandbagging thread who spend waaaaaaaaaaaaayyy too much time worrying about how other people enter their events, ignore them, swim your heart out and have fun.
The 400 IM is a sublime event of beauty and grace ... mixed in with just the right amount of pain.
Thanks. 6:30 it is, then.
I was intimidated by the 400 IM SCY, and it was way more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be. As soon as the pain started to set in... on to another stroke. By the last 50, it was painful yet almost euphoric at the same time. I'm actually excited to swim it long course. If nothing else, my teenagers may be (secretly) impressed.
I'm glad you posted this question! I just did my first 400 IM ever, SCY, in about 6:30. The time converter told me I could do 400 IM LCM in 5:48, which seemed really wrong, so I added a lot of time to that.
Sure you didn't do that in reverse by accident?
6:30 LCM -> 5:41 SCY (close to what you said)
6:30 SCY -> 7:25 LCM
www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../conversions.asp
That does help, thanks! Nice times, btw!
Thank you. I agree with the others about relaxing during the fly. The more you can save during it, the better you will be on the other legs.
My only other bits of advice:
try to almost feel like you're loafing that first 50 of fly and then just gently build the 2nd 50 of fly. Even if you're a great butterflier, you want to end the fly with a lot of gas left in the tank.
after that, just build each 100, making sure to take the first 25 to 40 meters of each lap to get into the groove of your stroke before trying to pick up the pace.
I will 3rd this. I do it both SCY and LCM (and SCM). My SCY time is 5:14. My LCM time is 6:01, if that helps at all.
Great advice, thanks! I'm not the strongest butterflier, and the speed of my "loafing" fly is very close to my "fast" fly. I've been working on relaxing fly during sets at practice.
This is a good idea. Not feeling dead at the end of fly is a good idea in a 400 IM of any format, but especially in long course. That second 50 can feel like a long way!
My only other bits of advice:
try to almost feel like you're loafing that first 50 of fly and then just gently build the 2nd 50 of fly. Even if you're a great butterflier, you want to end the fly with a lot of gas left in the tank.
after that, just build each 100, making sure to take the first 25 to 40 meters of each lap to get into the groove of your stroke before trying to pick up the pace.
Great advice, thanks! I'm not the strongest butterflier, and the speed of my "loafing" fly is very close to my "fast" fly. I've been working on relaxing fly during sets at practice.
My advice is to either find someone close to your age in the times database who is close to your yards 400 time and see what thier time is in lcm. Either that or ask your coach to time trial you (if possible) and then I would suggest shaving about 5% from that time to account for the meet affect.
Great idea! Thanks!
I will 3rd this. I do it both SCY and LCM (and SCM). My SCY time is 5:14. My LCM time is 6:01, if that helps at all.
That does help, thanks! Nice times, btw!
I don't swim yards, but I can give feedback for my 400 IM conversions for SCM och LCM compared to real life times.
in 2008 I swam tappored and shaved SCM in 5:19.43
in feb 2009 4 weeks before our nationals I swam SCM 5:27,12 and in June 2009 I swam LCM 5:41.34
according to one internet conversion tool there should have only been a 6-7s difference between the two. I had 14s.
there is no converstion table that takes into account you as a swimmer.
not even my 50 br is right. SCM 33.37 according to this site
www.swimhsa.org/.../timeconvert.html should be 34.37, but my best 50 LCM is 34.57. maybe those 0.2s was in the start or indoor outdoor effect.
