How to become a better swimmer?

How to become a better 200m Swimmer?

• I'm 13 years old and I'm good at sprinting. For example, my 50 free is a 26 and my 100 free is a 58.1. however I simply just want to become better at my 200's. Being able to go under a 2:10 would be my starting goal and working on that. Just any tips on diets, habits, or dry land exersises I can get into would be great. Thanks.

• Answer:

  You are 13 and going 26 for a 50 METER free and 58.1 for 100 METERS?! That is quite fast. Here’s a long explanation of how to swim a 200 yd race. If you apply this, your time will drop. Your question is excellent as swimmers & coaches don't plan a clear race strategy. My explanation is long as it addresses how to determine your swimming speed as well as how you'll feel at each part of the race. Keep in mind, you don’t run out of energy while racing unless your race lasts >2 hours. But, waste products (lactic acid -LA) that interfere with muscle function in short races accumulate quickly. The key to going fast is NOT building waste products from going too fast. When waste products build, your muscles lose power & you can really see that occurring on the last 25 to 50 yds of 200s where the race is usually won/lost. So, how fast are you supposed to go on the first 50 to avoid the accumulation of LA so that you can maintain your stroke & power right to the wall? Here are a few tips: 1. You must have a very thorough warm-up that you finish w/in 5 minutes of your race. Thorough means a minimum of 1200 (>2000 is better). Your warm-up is gone after 20 mins. 2. FOR FREE/FLY - On the first 25/50 of your race you MUST, on the 2nd stroke after you breakout, start breathing every stroke. DO NOT hold your breath on the first 25. The air you breath in 'now' does not reach your muscles for 30 seconds. So, if you don't breath at the beginning of your race, somewhere around the 50 there's no fresh oxygen reaching your muscles because you didn't breath 30 seconds earlier, LA forms & you begin to fatigue too soon. 3. Determine how fast you should be going on the first 50 of your race & practice that speed off the blocks, in practice or in warm-up (w/ flip turns) at the 25& 50. The formula for determining that speed is to take your goal time & change it into seconds. Due to your start add 1.2 to the seconds for your goal time. THEN divide by four. That time is what each of your 50's should be EXCEPT for the first 50. Now subtract 1.2 seconds (the start) from the time you should be doing for the last three 50s. That should be your time for your first 50. Here's what it looks like. Let's use your goal time of 2:10.0. Change all time into seconds, which is 130 seconds. Add 1.2 (the start) to 150 which =131.2 Divide 131.2 by 4 which = 32.8. So, you should be doing 32.8 for the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th 50s of your race. However, for the first 50, you should subtract the 1.2 from 32.8 & that time, 31.6. So, 31.6 is what your first 50 should be. You must learn what a 50 split of 31.6 "feels" like. At the same time, you'll learn how difficult it is to go slow. Thus, in practice and/or during warm-up you should do some 50s from the blocks w/ turns at the 25& 50 with a LOT of rest between each repeat & see if you can hit 31.6. Of course, you must adjust the variables in the formula to match your goals. In a race you're hyped up & there are no waste products in your muscles so you feel very fresh & not fatigued. 31.6 will feel like you're going really slowly but that's OK. HOLD BACK on that first 50 & forcefully exhale after your breakout & every stroke cycle, thereafter. As you come into your first 50 turn, BEFORE the turn, start to speed up your kick & your stroke rate A LITTLE! If those against whom you're swimming are of comparable speed, you'll likely be a bit behind. But being slightly behind at this point of the race is OK as in a short while you're going to be feeling much fresher than they are which will pay off at the end of your race. In order to now hit 32.8 your second 50 should feel as if you've sped up slightly over the first. In order to hit 32.8 on your third 50, keep your stroke long & be working at catching everyone without sprinting. Your goal before the 150 is to be tied or very close to catching those who were leading. Thus, at about 140 yards into your race you've got to be building into an all out sprint & go for it before your 150 turn. Maintain long & strong stroke. The key thing is that during your race you must work at speeding up BEFORE each turn & hold that speed for the next length. Always be speeding up slightly throughout the race. On the last 60 yards, you've GOT to use your kick & really sprint it home. I tell my swimmers you should never be going faster in your race than you can maintain for the remainder of the race. Therefore, the first part of your race is the slowest because you cannot hold a fast time for the entire race. Then, as you get closer and closer to the end of the race you swim faster and faster as you can hold the faster time over a shorter remaining distance. LA, however, is starting to build and will counter your efforts which will make your splits the same. Let me know if you use this strategy& how it works for you. Contact me at academicjoq@yahoo.