The Butterfly Lane

So I just finished my first year of competition after two years of solo lap swimming. I'd like to swim more fly since I got 5th at State with a 33 low 50 fly (age 55-59). I know my form has opportunity for improvement & I think my coach can help me with that. Any thought on cross-training or my solo workout swims? I die in the last 10-15 yards. I'm averaging 12-13k per week in practice. Great advice above. I am just getting back into swimming (several months) and have been working a lot on Fly (I am working on all strokes to hopefully swim 200 IM, but I swim some fly every day and I'll be racing 50 fly). My point is, I have a beginner's perspective. I like to swim a 200 drill, resting a little each 50 of: 50 kick, 50 right arm, 50 left arm, 50 L, L, R, R, full, full. Doing this every workout for the last three months, one thing I learned is that fly requires a really strong core. (ie what burns in these sets is my abdomen, from ribs right through to backside) Another thing I learned is that you can improve your fly without doing a ton of full stroke work, at least until you are in 'butterfly shape'. (This set is combination of things I remember from my youth and SolarEnergy's posts here) I have gone from almost dying on a 25 to being able to do a clean 75 maintaining my stroke rate (pretty close anyway).

So I just finished my first year of competition after two years of solo lap swimming. I'd like to swim more fly since I got 5th at State with a 33 low 50 fly (age 55-59). I know my form has opportunity for improvement & I think my coach can help me with that. Any thought on cross-training or my solo workout swims? I die in the last 10-15 yards. I'm averaging 12-13k per week in practice. Great advice above. I am just getting back into swimming (several months) and have been working a lot on Fly (I am working on all strokes to hopefully swim 200 IM, but I swim some fly every day and I'll be racing 50 fly). My point is, I have a beginner's perspective. I like to swim a 200 drill, resting a little each 50 of: 50 kick, 50 right arm, 50 left arm, 50 L, L, R, R, full, full. Doing this every workout for the last three months, one thing I learned is that fly requires a really strong core. (ie what burns in these sets is my abdomen, from ribs right through to backside) Another thing I learned is that you can improve your fly without doing a ton of full stroke work, at least until you are in 'butterfly shape'. (This set is combination of things I remember from my youth and SolarEnergy's posts here) I have gone from almost dying on a 25 to being able to do a clean 75 maintaining my stroke rate (pretty close anyway).