I did a 50 fly in my first swim meet in 20+ years with minimal training so I thought I would have no problem doing a 100 three months later. Since then I have trained harder and improved significantly in the freestyle with speed and endurance yet I still die after 50 yards of butterfly. 95% of my training is free as the fly takes everything out of me. At the end of a 2000 yard workout I might do one 50. That might not sound like much to you all but I can do a set of like 15 x 100 which is well beyond what i have been capable in years.
Once a week I might do 10X25 fly or I might just see how far I can go. I always die after the 2nd turn. Complete breakdown. Yet I could do a 50 months ago without any concern at all of just completing the distance.
My stroke may be fundamentally flawed. Maybe I just got by as a youth on raw power. The only form I have is all out until the momentum is lost and then it is complete breakdown withing 3 strokes. I don't know if there is some kind of hesitation stroke I can use to get through, but at this point I think I need sets and strategies to build up to it on the stroke I have.
not sure this is the best advice, but it has helped me go from not being able to swim 100m fly in practice and a race time of 1:15.16 in Dec 2007 to 1:10.60 in march 2008 to 1:08.87 Dec 2008 and my goal time for mar 2009 is 1:06.
when I last swam the 100fly it was just after swimming the 200 IM, 100br and 100 back with less than 90 minutes from the start of the IM to the start of the fly. so i was tired. next time I race the 100fly I am hoping for a minimim of 90 minutes rest!
anyways, I do a lot of 50 fly where I swim 25, then i do one arm fly 12.5 right and 12.5 left, or 3 right 3 left 1-3 double. I also work on my distance off the walls, since I die at the last 25 I figured every stroke I can save on my turns will help in the end. I also work on not breathing every stroke. I noticed that if I can manage to breathe 2 strokes, then 1 stroke, 2 stroke....it hurts my lungs, but it saves my shoulders and I can actually swim faster and longer. it just takes getting use to holding my breath.
I also swim alot of 100 IMs where I swim the 25 fly all out, and then maintain a good speed the rest of the swim.
not sure this is the best advice, but it has helped me go from not being able to swim 100m fly in practice and a race time of 1:15.16 in Dec 2007 to 1:10.60 in march 2008 to 1:08.87 Dec 2008 and my goal time for mar 2009 is 1:06.
when I last swam the 100fly it was just after swimming the 200 IM, 100br and 100 back with less than 90 minutes from the start of the IM to the start of the fly. so i was tired. next time I race the 100fly I am hoping for a minimim of 90 minutes rest!
anyways, I do a lot of 50 fly where I swim 25, then i do one arm fly 12.5 right and 12.5 left, or 3 right 3 left 1-3 double. I also work on my distance off the walls, since I die at the last 25 I figured every stroke I can save on my turns will help in the end. I also work on not breathing every stroke. I noticed that if I can manage to breathe 2 strokes, then 1 stroke, 2 stroke....it hurts my lungs, but it saves my shoulders and I can actually swim faster and longer. it just takes getting use to holding my breath.
I also swim alot of 100 IMs where I swim the 25 fly all out, and then maintain a good speed the rest of the swim.
