I need tips or advice for swimming the 500 in the upcoming swim season.?

I swim the 500 Freestyle in High School Swim Meets. The season just ended and I closed it out with a 6:16 with my best time. I would like to know what type of work outs I need to do, and some good strategies to try on swimming the 500. Please if anyone could help me out I would gladly appreciate it. You can email me at mitchell_borchert@yahoo.com for tips. Thanks!I need tips or advice for swimming the 500 in the upcoming swim season.?
I have been swimming for over 10 years and my best events are the 500, 1000, 1650 Fr so I know a little bit about the 500. To prepare the the 500 fr you need to practice hard and you need to do a endurance set (8-200's, 3-400's, and 3-500's) do all this without taking a long break into between each set (about 15-30sec) do it on a diffcult interval because that is the only way to get better. Also Work on your flipturns.


Now while you are swimming the 500 at meets you need to have a upbeat song to play in your head while swimming it. You also need fast flipturns. Take it out fast. At lap 10 start building up to lap 20. You need to push yourself even if you are tired you need to put that pain out of your mind. Just keep going and remember to have fun!!!!!!!!I need tips or advice for swimming the 500 in the upcoming swim season.?
Distance swimming is really tough to train for. What my coach does, is once a week he offers a sprint option, and a distance option and lets the swimmers choose. Sometimes he requires that a certain swimmer chooses a certain option. Talk to your coach about having an option for you, if he doesn't go for it, I have a really good set that you can do on your own time. Here it is:





4 x 475's freeestyle descend on an interval of 8 minutes


recovery after every 475 - 75 choice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DPXoKoLn鈥?/a>


Tips? Secrets? You probably know them already. It's about practicing and practicing right in terms of length, commitment, diet, sleep, flexibility, etc. I would recommend looking at Ian Thorpe on Youtube or his 'Beneath the Suit' DVD. He is the greatest middle-distant freestyler ever to exist. Also, check out www.goswim.tv for drills. They have a lot of cool stuff.
sprint from the flags to the walls, and keep a steady pace between each set of flags