200 breastroke

Question
Hi Eric, thanks so much for your time!

I have Mets coming up in a few weeks, and one of my events is the 200 breast. I absolutely hate this event! Don't get me wrong, I love breastroke (it's my fastest stroke), but I'm no distance swimmer. I always seem to use up al my energy during the first 100 (I'm pretty buch used to swimming the 100), and have no energy left during the second 100. Are there any exercises that'll strengthen my endurance, or even my overall speed (drills dryland, whatever it takes!)? Also, how do you think I should swim it? My coach says to build the first 100 and sprint the last 100 (which I've proven to myself that I can't do.) Thanks so much!

Answer
Jaimie,
You sound like you are already psyching yourself out.  Swimming is very mental.  If you start filling yourself with ideas that you can't do something, you most likely won't be able to do it.  I know that sounds crazy, but it's really true.  You need to believe that you can swim a 200.  You don't just want to say it, you need to believe it.

That being said...the 200 requires some strategy.  You must not use all your energy in the first 100.  You need to mentally tell yourself to pace yourself in the beginning.  If you truly had listened to your coach and built the first 100 before, you would have had energy in the end.  I don't think you honestly built the first 100 though.

The first 50 needs to be paced.  You need to consciously tell yourself not to go hard.  Reserve energy.  The second 50 should build upon that first 50.  Again, you need to still have to save energy.  The third 50 should build up to a spring on the last 50.  If you run out of energy after the first 100, then you most likely aren't reserving enough energy early on.

This is a strategy swim.  It may take you a few times competing the 200 breast to get a feel for what it is like to pace yourself.  Doing 200's in practice is a great way to train for this, but it's not going to be the same as doing them in a meet.

I know that this just brushes the surface, but I hope it helps.
Practice, practice, practice.
Eric