Help with semantics - "8X100 on 2:00 IM Roll through descent 1-4/5-8"

One of the thigns I hate about the new format is that we can't ask a coach what something means.  I don't know what the above means.  A "roll through" IM I would exepct to see for a 75 or 125 or something where you do 3 of 4, and each subsequent one, you progress (i.e. rep 1 is fly, back, breast; 2 is back, breast, free.....4 is free, fly, back), or you do a 50 and 3 25's. rolling through which stroke gets the 50 by rep.  For a 100, I'm not sure.  Especially given that you are also descending.  Asked one of the Masters coaches at practice today, and he didn't know.  FWIW, the workout is titled "100 IM's Descending," so I would doubt it would be 50, 25, 25, rolling through the stroke and skippng the free, but maybe?  2 of teh 4 IM reps are like this (also 4 on 1:40), the last set is 2 on 1:30 RACE.  So again, those don't impress me that we are swimming the IM's non-free?

This is in the basic workout group, but it has 2 coaches, where they alternate easy/short workouts and longer/hard workouts.  This is one of the harder ones.  The author is "Larissa," who I see on some of the other categories.  No idea if she posts here regularly.  Again, stupid new format where we can't get in touch wtih them.

  • From what I can tell, the roll through would be, as you say, a variation whereby you swim an additional length of a given stroke, alternating that stroke after each rep.  Website called Sagetraining has a section concerning swim lingo, and you seem to have it correct.  Not sure how it works with 100's, though.

  • If they are descending, I would assume that you would want them all to contain the same distance of each stroke.  I would interpret the "roll through" as rotating the order of the strokes within the 100.  i.e. #1 fl-ba-br-fr, #2 ba-br-fr-fl, #3 br-fr-fl-ba, #4 fr-fl-ba-br.  Not sure if that is what the author intended, but I feel like it would work.