Training for a varied race line-up: Advice?

My meet lineups usually involve all four strokes (for instance, in a couple weeks I'm swimming 50/100 free, 50/100 ***, 100 back, 100 fly), and I just train like a sprint IMer. Obviously that's not as varied in distance as you, and a lot of my free/fly/back is walls and dolphin kick, so thing will be a little different. If I were you I'd probably do my main set focused toward the long stuff and breaststroke, and then do a short finisher working on speed. Doesn't even have to be more than 400 yards or so - think like: 4x50 variable speed (fast/ez, ez/fast, ez, fast) + 8x25 o-shooter, e-ez or something like that. There's a million different variations on short speed work that doesn't add much to yardage - I can give you some more if you want.

Thanks, JP! It sounds like I have been on the right track so far. After yesterday's warm up, I started my main set with a practice 400 IM race and ended with 8x25 *** sprints on 1:00. In between was an endurance set. Today, the meat of my workout were sets of 50's *** and then 50's of fly on a :15 rest interval. Any further suggestions you have for sets would be great-- thanks!

You could add more IM workouts with a focus on breaststroke, for instance: Anywhere from 100-400- IMs substituting some or all of your worst stroke or freestyle for breaststroke. “Off distance” IMs (like 125, 225, 450) where you double or add more breaststroke. That being said, doing both IMs don’t forget to take some time to work your weak stroke. Anecdotally, I am a former breaststroker and an awful backstroker. My IM workouts now focus more heavily on my backstroke and closing freestyle speed because even though I don’t train much breaststroke anymore (recurring groin issues), I know it’s still there on demand when I need it for the IM. EDIT: don’t forget to work the most beautiful stroke on Friday Fly Day ;) Good advice, JP. Thanks! Believe it or not, freestyle IS my worst stroke as far as technique goes. I must be a freak in the competitive swimming world, because breaststroke is my best stroke, and freestyle is my worst. :shakeshead:

I like to do a day of IM sets then a day if free sprints with a distance swim at the end and a day of a mixture if free and strokes - if that helps you. Good luck at Sr. Nats. Thanks, Orca! :) Hey Elaine - I would definitely work more breaststroke AND butterfly into your routine, including some mind bending butterfrog and and *** with dolphin kick. These latter two help reinforce the short axis "wave action" and are just goldarn fun! Although I limit my breaststroke kicking due to past issues with repetitive stress injuries, I do enjoy doing breaststroke pull with a dolphin kick when it's time to give that breaststroke kick a rest. I find it's a good way to continue with a breaststroke-only set (or IM set) when I know it's time to shut down my kick. You're right; it's fun! Thanks for the advice!

The archived IM workouts thread in the "Workouts" section has some bangin' I.M. sets from when PWB was writing the workouts. Also today is I.M. day for me so my main set looked like this: 10x200 @ 2:35 odd: FR even: I.M. as follows: #2 - 100 FL/25 BK/50 BR/25 FR #4 - 25 FL/100 BK/25 BR/50 FR #6 - 50 FL/25 BK/100 BR/25 FR #8 - 25 FL/50 BK/25 BR/100 FR #10 - FAST (normal 200 I.M.) I worked the 50/100 of each one (notice it alternates short axis focus, long axis focus!) Not saying do as is, but just an idea for doing "200 I.M.s" while mixing up the % of each stroke within the 200!

You could add more IM workouts with a focus on breaststroke, for instance: Anywhere from 100-400- IMs substituting some or all of your worst stroke or freestyle for breaststroke. “Off distance” IMs (like 125, 225, 450) where you double or add more breaststroke. That being said, doing both IMs don’t forget to take some time to work your weak stroke. Anecdotally, I am a former breaststroker and an awful backstroker. My IM workouts now focus more heavily on my backstroke and closing freestyle speed because even though I don’t train much breaststroke anymore (recurring groin issues), I know it’s still there on demand when I need it for the IM. EDIT: don’t forget to work the most beautiful stroke on Friday Fly Day ;)

I like to do a day of IM sets then a day if free sprints with a distance swim at the end and a day of a mixture if free and strokes - if that helps you. Good luck at Sr. Nats.

Hey Elaine - I would definitely work more breaststroke AND butterfly into your routine, including some mind bending butterfrog and and *** with dolphin kick. These latter two help reinforce the short axis "wave action" and are just goldarn fun!

The archived IM workouts thread in the "Workouts" section has some bangin' I.M. sets from when PWB was writing the workouts. Also today is I.M. day for me so my main set looked like this: 10x200 @ 2:35 odd: FR even: I.M. as follows: #2 - 100 FL/25 BK/50 BR/25 FR #4 - 25 FL/100 BK/25 BR/50 FR #6 - 50 FL/25 BK/100 BR/25 FR #8 - 25 FL/50 BK/25 BR/100 FR #10 - FAST (normal 200 I.M.) I worked the 50/100 of each one (notice it alternates short axis focus, long axis focus!) Not saying do as is, but just an idea for doing "200 I.M.s" while mixing up the % of each stroke within the 200! This is great! I could easily adapt it to a more suitable (slower!) interval and lighten up on the repeats a bit. Thanks!

This is great! I could easily adapt it to a more suitable (slower!) interval and lighten up on the repeats a bit. Thanks! Sorry, all sets must be performed as written. No substitutions, modifications, or omissions will be tolerated.