Betsy's 1 Hr Workouts

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, May 8 Warm-Up (1000) 200-300 Swim 12 x 50. Go when 4th person touches. Fins ok . #1 free, catch-up, #2 free or back, 3R only - 3- 3L only, #3 free or back – chg 6 with 3 #4 Swim, free or back #5 free, back or fly: 25 3R-3L/ 25 swim #6 25 breaststroke pull with free kick/ 25 breaststroke pull with fly kick #7-8 swim any stroke #9-11 25 drill/25 swim, choice #12 swim, choice 100 Swim, keep fins on Main (1500) 4 x 50 #1-2 kick free, fly or *** with board #3-4 kick on back. Go on 4th touch. ~fins off~ 4 x 100 Pull on 1:35, 1:50 or 1:55, 2:05, 2:15 2 x 200 Descend. #1 swim free; #2 pull. Rest 20-30 between 200s. Cool-Down (100) Easy swim
  • Friday, May 10 Warm-Up (900-1200) 200-300 Swim (75 free/25 non-free) ~fins on~ 300-400 as (100 Kick/100 Swim/100 Kick/100 Swim). Rest 10 after each 100. Don’t wait for rest of lane. 200 continuous as 50 catch-up/50 chg 3 with 3/50 fingertip drag/50 combine all 3 ~fins off~ 200-300 Pull Main (1300) 4 x 50 choice. Descend 1-2, 3-4. Can switch strokes after #2. On :55, 1:05, 1:10, 1:30, 2:00 4 x 50 free. Even pace. On :50, :55, 1:00 or 1:05, 1:15, 1:45 2 x 200 #1 free, #2 choice. On 3:00, 3:30, 4:20, 4:45 500 as: 50 set pace for 100s on :50, 55, 1:05, 1:15 2 x 100 on 1:35, 1:55, 2:05, 2:20 50 easy, recovery. Regroup if necessary. Do not rest more than 45. 2 x 100 on same interval If time…(200-400) (2-4) x 100 Pull. Try for steady pace. Same interval for 100s. Cool-Down (100) Easy swim
  • Monday, May 13 Warm-Up (500-700) (5-7) x 100. Just stop long enough to change equipment. 100 swim/100 pull/100 kick (fins ok)/100 swim (with fins) 100 kick/ 100 pull (take off fins)/100 swim without fins Main Set 1 (600) Go when 4th person touches: 200 Pull without paddles 100 Swim with paddles 200 Pull with paddles 100 Swim without paddles Main Set 2 (900) 10 x 50 #1-4 even pace, #5 easy, #6-9 descend, #10 easy. Decide on interval for 15 sec rest. 4 x 100 on 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30 #1 - 25 drill/25 swim; #2 - 25 drill/50 swim/25 drill; #3-25 drill/75 swim; #4 swim Main Set 3 (300) 4 x 75 (25 free/25 non-free/25 free) Cool-Down (300) 200 swim, choice 4 x 25. Good streamline. Good stroke. Rest 5-10.
  • Wednesday, May 15 Warm-Up (1100) 200-300 Swim, choice ~Fins on~ 300-500 (6-10) x 50; all are 25 drill/25 swim #1 free, catch-up; #2 back, 3 right only/3 left only; #3 back, ¼ arm raise (on side, lift arm up-down); #4 free, fingertip drag #5 fly, 3 right only/3 left only; FINS OFF for #6 on… #6 ***, *** pull with fly kick; #7 ***, *** pull with free kick); #8 ***, glide for 4 count; #9 free, fingertip drag; #10 back or free, change 3 200-300 Pull Main1 (1000) 400 50 non-free or drill/50 free 200-300 Swim (200 non-free or 300 free) 200 Swim, free 100 Swim, choice Main2 (200-400) (1-2) x 200 Pull (depending on time); rest 30 Cool-Down (100-300) Easy swim
  • Friday, May 17 Warm-Up (1200) 500 Free (100 swim/100 pull/100 drill/100 pull/100 swim) ~Fins on~ 300 Kick, choice 300 25 drill/25 swim, choice ~Fins off~ 100 Swim, choice Main (1500) 5 x 100 Pull on 1:35, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20 4 x 100 Swim, same interval or +5 ~Fins ok~ 3 x 100 (25 back drill/25 back/25 free drill/25 free), go on 4th touch 200 Swim (50 back/50 free) ~Fins off~ 100 Swim. Pick a time and try to do it. Cool-Down (100) 4 x 25 easy
  • Monday, May 20 Warm-Up (1000) 100-200 Swim 100 as 4 x 25. #1-2 dog paddle, eyes out, looking forward; #3-4 “Tarzan” or lifeguard stroke Head out – look at how your hand enters 100 as 2 x 50. Wide entry, elbow up, pull wide. 200 Free; 25 c.u./25 swim 100 Free: fingertip drag 200-300 Pull; THINK Main (1400) Pick a stroke: back, *** or fly for kick, drills, swim (total of 300) 100 as 2 x 50 Kick; fins ok except breaststroke 100 drills Back: 25 ¼ arm raise, 25 “L” drill, 25 “L” drill with 3, 25 3R-3L ***: 25 1 pull/2 kick; 25 2 pull/1 Kick; 25 br pull with fly K; 25 br pull with free K Fly: 25 kick, arms in front, use your body; 25 underwater recovery; 25 c.u. w/ fly K 25 3R/3L 100 Swim, rest each 25 if needed ~No fins~ 200 Swim, choice 3 x 100 Ln 4:
  • Wednesday, May 22 Warm-Up (1200) 200-300 Swim 100 Free; 25 c.u./25 swim with stick (stick is a 16 in dowel, forces you to keep hand in place) 100 Free; 25 c.u./25 swim without the stick 100 as 50 - wide entry, elbow up, pull wide. 50 – wide entry, elbow up, fingertip drag 200-300 Pull; THINK 200-300 as (4-6) x 50 Kick Main (1300) 200 Swim as 50 choice/50 free 3 x 100 Ln 4:
  • Friday, May 24 This was a good workout for several reasons. Most of all, only a few realized that they were doing 16 x 100. Second, unexpectedly we had a bigger group than the last week or two. We had 23 or 24 in 5 lanes. But it worked well since everything was on an interval. The pool closes on holidays, so that may have been why so many were there on Friday (before Memorial Day). Warm-Up (900) 200-300 Swim, choice 200-300 50 Kick/50 swim 200-300 as (4-6) x 50 drill/swim, choice Main (1600) 1 x 100 25 swim/25 catch-up, get your time 2 x 100 choice, same stroke. Count strokes. 3 x 100 free or 50 non/50 free. Long and strong, under anaerobic threshold. 4 x 100 pull on ? 3 x 100 choice, can each be different 2 x 100 free, good pace 1 x 100 free, good pace Cool-Down (100-200) (2-4) x 50 Easy swim
  • Wednesday, May 29 Warm-Up (1000) 200-300 Swim, choice 200-300 Kick, choice (2-4) x 100 #1 pull without paddles, #2 pull with paddles, #3 swim with paddles, #4 same as 1 Main (1400) 4 x 50 free on short interval (less than 10 sec), :45, :55, 1:00, 1:10, 1:45 ~rest 30~ 2 x 100 free on short interval (10-15 sec), 1:30, 1:50, 2:00 or 2:05, 2:15, 2:45 ~rest 30~ 1 x 200 for time. I’ll time each lane. 300 recovery (25 kick/25 drill/25 swim), choice. Fins ok. 1 x 50 choice, at 200 pace ~rest 30~ 1 x 100 same stroke, at 200 pace ~rest 30~ 1 x 200 same stroke for time. I’ll time each lane 150 (3 x 50) easy recovery Cool-Down (200) Pull
  • Wednesday, May 29 Warm-Up (1000) 200-300 Swim, choice 200-300 Kick, choice (2-4) x 100 #1 pull without paddles, #2 pull with paddles, #3 swim with paddles, #4 same as 1 Main (1400) 4 x 50 free on short interval (less than 10 sec), :45, :55, 1:00, 1:10, 1:45 ~rest 30~ 2 x 100 free on short interval (10-15 sec), 1:30, 1:50, 2:00 or 2:05, 2:15, 2:45 ~rest 30~ 1 x 200 for time. I’ll time each lane. 300 recovery (25 kick/25 drill/25 swim), choice. Fins ok. 1 x 50 choice, at 200 pace ~rest 30~ 1 x 100 same stroke, at 200 pace ~rest 30~ 1 x 200 same stroke for time. I’ll time each lane 150 (3 x 50) easy recovery Cool-Down (200) Pull