Introduction.
I coach 3 mornings a week at a 25 meter pool with an average of 25 swimmers in 5 lanes. I coach 2 evenings a week at a 25 yard pool with an average of 12-14 swimmers in 5 lanes. Both workouts are for one hour. They are mixed groups with competitive swimmers, triathletes, and people who just want a good workout. Ages range from 20 to 87, with an occassional teen-ager dropping in. My emphasis is on techinique and pace. I swim 3 days a week with a coach at a Y pool. I use some sets that I learn from my coach, Laura Peter. I also write a workout for myself for Saturday mornings. The workouts that I coach are 2500-2800 meters for the fastest lane, scaled down for other lanes. In the yard pool, they are 2700-3000 yards for the fastest lanes. For my personal workouts, I aim for 2500 yards and try to boost it to 2700 in the fall.
Wednesday morning, Sept 2, yard pool
The 25 meter pool is closed this week for maintenance. A group from the workout are meeting at the yard pool. I'm writing the workout, but am not coaching on deck. I'm swimming with them.
*Warm-Up (1100). 5 x 100. Set slow interval, 15 sec rest when going slowly for warm-up. Don't try to go fast yet. Alternate 100 swim and 100 pull. Freestyel.
12 x 50 as 4 x (2 x 50 kick, 1 x 50 swim). Set interval for 15-20 seconds rest on kicks. Keep same interval for swims. I wore fins and kept them on for all 12 50s.
*Main Set (1400). 5 x 200. No interval; make sure last person in lane gets 15-20 seconds rest. #1 Free or back (50 change 6, 50 chg 6 with 3 strokes, 50 chg 3, 50 chg 3 with 3 strokes). Chg 3 is 3 kicks on side, chg 6 is 6 kicks.
#2 Free, back, or fly (25 rt arm only/25 lft arm only, 50 3 rt/3 lft, 50 3 rt, 3 full, 3 lft, 3 full, 50 swim)
#3 Free 100 catch-up, 100 swim. Or, Breaststroke 100 *** pull w/ dolphin kick, 100 swim
#4 Choice. 50 drill/150 swim
#5 200 swim.
8 x 50 #1-2 descend, #3 easy free, #4-5 descend, #6-8 easy. Set interval for 15 seconds rest.
Wed, Sept 2, evening workout, yard pool
*Warm-Up (1200)
300 Swim
300 (25 drill/75 swim) x 3. Choice
300 Pull. 100 w/ no paddles. 200 paddles optional.
300 (25 catch-up, 25 3/4 catch-up, 25 swim) x 4
*Main (1600)
400 Swim. Timed. Ask everyone what they want to average per 100. Give them their goal time. Everyone start together; I'll call out times.
400 Pull. Recovery.
8 x 50. Odd numbers are fast free or non-free; even numbers are easy free. Interval should give 20 seconds rest. Freestylers will get more rest and should put some effort into this.
(2-4) x 100. Moderate pace; hold time steady when you're tired. Interval for 15-20 sec rest.
*Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim.
Friday, Sept 4, Yards
This is a workout where I swam with the group. Our usual pool is closed and we met informally. The intervals are for me (I'm 68).
Warm-Up (1000)
300 Swim
300 4 x (25 kick/25 drill/25 swim). Continuous.
200 Kick
200 Pull
Main (1600)
400 2 x 200 free. Hold pace. On 3:30
400 4 x 100 pull. On 1:45
400 8 x 50 on 1:10. Odds non-free; evens are free.
400 16 x 25.
4 x (2 same stroke – good effort, 1 easy);
4 easy for Cool-Down.
Saturday, September 5, Yard pool
I swam Sun, Mon, Wed,Fri, Sat this week and was tired today. I'm just getting back to a good workout after nationals in Indianapolis.
Warm-Up (1000)
600 200 Swim, 200 Pull, 200 Kick
400 8 x 50 (25 drill/25 swim) Choice – mix it up. On 1:00.
Main (1500)
300 Continuous: 100 free, 100 choice, 100 free. Rest 30 sec.
300 Continuous: 100 choice, 100 free, 100 choice. Rest 30 sec.
300 3 x 100 Pull on 1:30 or 1:40. (I did 1:40, faster lane did 1:30)
300 6 x 50 25 swim/25 kick, choice. On 1:00. (I liked doing the kick last
instead of kick/swim.)
300 4 x 75 Count strokes each 25. Choice. On 1:30.
Cool-Down (100)
100 Easy swim
Monday, Sept 7, Labor Day, Yard pool
The only pool open today was the Y. 5 of us met to swim together. I got there early and got in 300 before we started.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
300 (25 K/25 D/ 25 S0
300 6 x 50 Kick on 1:05
200 Pull
Main (1500)
3 x (3 x 100, 4 x 50). We did the 1st and 3rd sets free on 1:50 and 1:00.
We did the 2nd set choice on 2:15 and 1:10.
I used the last 4 x 50 as cool down.
Wednesday, September 9, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1000)
400 75 Free/25 non-free or 25 drill
300 6 x 50 Swim/Drill on 1:00, 1:10, or 1:20
200 Pull
100 4 x 25, count strokes, rest 5-10 seconds
Main (1600)
100 Swim, time yourself. Moderate pace to be used later.
200 4 x 50. Just stop long enough to read the next drill.
25 Rt only/25 Lft only
50 4 Rt/4 Lft
50 4 Rt/2 full strokes/4 Lft/2 full
50 Swim
300 Time yourself. Aim for 3 x time on 100 above
400 4 x 100 Pull on 1:20, 1:35, 1:50, 2:00, or 2:10
300 Time yourself again. Can you duplicate time from 1st 300?
200 4 x 50 Choice on 1:00, 1:10, or 1:20
100 Easy
Friday, September 11, Yard Pool
I swam with the group today.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
400 2 x 200 Pull. Rest 15 sec.
200 Drill/Swim by 25, choice
200 4 x 50 Kick on 1:00 or 1:15
Main (1500)
First set is all free. After that, the 50s and 100s do not have to be the same stroke.
Intervals are what my lane did. There was one faster lane and one slower lane. I'm not sure what interval they did. On the "Choice" sets I did the 50s backstroke and the 100s free.
4 x 50 Free on 1:00
4 x 100 on 2:00
3 x 50 Choice on 1:15
3 x 100 on 2:00
2 x 50 Choice
2 x 100
1 x 50 Choice
1 x 100
Cool-Down (100-200)
2 x 50 easy
100 easy
I liked the workout, but it was hard. I think I'm tired from getting back to training regularly after tapering for nationals.
Monday, Sept 21, meter pool
I was away last week at the USMS Convention.
Hi Betsy! How was the convention from your perspective? I like your work-outs! Keep posting!
Monday, Sept 21, meter pool
I was away last week at the USMS Convention.
Warm-Up (500-1200)
100-300 Swim
100-300 Pull
200-300 (4-6) x 50 Kick on 1:00 or 1:05, 1:10 or 1:15, 1:20 or 1:30, 1:45
100-300 (4-6) x 50 w/ fins. 50 drill, 50 d/s, 50 s/d, …
Main (1500)
500 2 x (5 x 50) Chg 6 is 6 kicks on side, change to other side.
50 Chg 6 Chg 6 w/ 3 means to take 3 strokes as you change sides.
50 Chg 6 w/3 1st time – free
50 Chg 3 2nd time - back
50 Chg 3 w/ 3
50 Swim
500 5 x 100 Pull on 1:35, 1:55, 2:10, 2:10, 2:30
500 10 x 50 1-4 choice, 5-free/back, 6-9 choice, 10-free/back
Interval for 10-15 seconds rest
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25 Count
