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.
Monday, Sept 9
Warm-Up (800-1200)
200-300 Swim
200-300 50 Kick/50 Swim (fins ok)
200-300 25 non free/25 free (no fins)
200-300 Pull
Main (1200-1600)
250 Freestyle: All are 25 drill/25 swim
#1 4R-4L, #2 Chg 6, #3 Chg 3 with 3 strokes, #4 catch-up with 3 kick delay
#5 Almost catch-up with fingertip drag
50-150 Swim free
250 Backstroke: All are 25 drill/25 swim
#1 3R-3L, #2 Chg 6, #3 Chg 3 with 3 strokes, #4 “L” drill, #5 “L” drill with 3 strokes
50-150 Swim back
300-400 as 2 x 150 or 2 x 200. #1 all backstroke or 25 back/25 free; #2 all free. Rest 30.
300-400 as 2 x 150 or 2 x 200. Pull free.
Cool-Down (200)
4 x 50 choice
Chg 6 is Change 6 or 6-Kick Switch. Kick 6 on side then change to other side.
We do Catch-up with wide entry, not touching hands.
Monday, Sept 23
Warm-Up (550-900)
400-600 as 200 swim/200 pull/100 swim/100 pull
~fins on~
150-300 as (100 kick/50 swim) x 2
Main (1600)
200 as (50 non-free/50 free) x 2. May use fins.
~fins off~
200 Free as (50 catch-up/50 almost c.u./50 glide 2/50 swim).
100 Back or Free (25 chg 3/25 swim)
100 *** (25 with fly kick/25 with *** kick). Glide.
300 as 6 x 50. Even pace. Good stroke. Choice.
300 as 3 x 100. Even pace. Good stroke. Choice
200 free. Wide entry; extend and glide; high elbow, pull shoulder width.
100-200 as 25 free/25 back. Flip from free to back.
Cool-Down (200)
3 x 100 Pull
Friday, Sept 27
Warm-Up (1000-1200)
100-200 Swim
400 as 8 x 50. I’ll start each lane for each 50.
#1 50 fingertip drag; #2 50 catch-up; #3 50 fingertip drag with c.u.;
#4 50 Chg 3 with 3 free; #5 50 chg 3 with 3 back or free; #6 50 free swim with exaggerated glide and roll; #7 50 almost c.u.; #8 swim
200-300 as 100-200 free / 100 choice
300 as 6 x 50 Pull. Go when 4th touches. Stretch it out.
Main (1400)
300 Swim. Work on steady pace. Stop after each 100 to get time. All free or fr/non/fr
400 as 2 x 200. Both 200s should be the same. Could be str/fr by 25, 50 or 100. Again, pace.
300 as 6 x 50. Descend 1-3, rest 20-30, Descend 4-6. On :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:30, 1:50.
100 for time. Choice.
300 as 25 Kick/25 Swim. Fins ok.
Cool-Down (200)
Count strokes: 4 x 25, 2 x 50.
Monday, Sept 30
Warm-Up (1000-1200)
200-300 Swim
300 (25K/25D/25S) fins ok
~Get lane together~
300 Pull, build through 300, make each 100 faster
200-300 Kick
~Keep fins on~
Main (1400)
200 as 8 x 25. Show how well you drill. #1 Kick free on rt side – face in water.
#2 Kick on left side. #3 Chg 6 (no strokes). #4 Chg 6 with 3. Fins off.
#5 Fingertip drag. #6 Catch-up with Fingertip drag. #7 *** w/ fly kick
#8 *** – 2kicks/1 pull.
200 IM. 25 drill/25 swim. Can do butter-flutter on fly swim.
400 as 2 x 200. #1 Pull. #2 50 choice/50 free.
400 as 8 x 50. Odds on 1:00, 1:05, 1:15, 1:30, 1:50. Evens on :50, :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:40.
100 Free. Count strokes. Lower count on each length.
100 Choice. Count. Lower each 25.
Cool-Down (200)
100 Swim. Change strokes after each 25
100 Swim choice.
Wednesday, October 2
Warm-Up (900)
100 Swim
200 Pull
300 50K/50S
200 25K/25S
100 Swim
Main (1500)
Decide on pace for 200. Figure out what each 50 and 25 should be.
(200) 8 x 25 Odds easy, think about stroke. Evens time yourself; try for correct pace.
(300) 6 x 50. Try to maintain the correct pace. All 50s should be the same stroke or combo.
200 Swim. Time yourself.
100 Swim. Count strokes.
(200) 8 x 25. #1-2 count strokes. On #2, get time. #3-8 Odds – long and strong.
(200) 4 x 50 Long and strong, but hold pace.
(300) 3 x 100 Again, work on keeping 100s the same.
Cool-Down (200)
100 easy
2 x 50
Friday, October 4
Warm-Up (800-1200)
200-300 Swim
200-300 Pull
200-300 (25 Swim/25 Drill) Drills: (1) 4R-4L (fly, free or back); (2) fingertip drag – free;
(3) Fingertip drag with catch-up, (4) 3-3-3-3 Kick 3 on side/K 3 on front/K 3 on other
side/3 in front (5) and (6) choice
200-300 Kick
Main (1300)
300-400 as (3-4) x 100. #1 Pull, #2 Swim Free, #3-4 choice. All free and hold pace or
1-2 free (same pace) and 3-4 choice (same pace).
200 as 8 x 25. I’ll time.
100 Easy swim
600 as 12 x 50. Do as 4 x (3 x 50). #1-2 fast, #3 recovery
Cool-Down (200)
100 easy
100 count
Monday, Oct 7
Warm-Up (800-1100)
200-300 Swim
300 (25K/25D/25S). Fins ok. Choice.
200-300 as (4-6) x 50 Pull. Go on 4th touch.
100-200 Swim, choice.
Main (1600)
400 as 4 x 100 freestyle, rest approximately 10 sec after each 100. Do not wait for others.
400 as 2 x 200 #1-100 pull (no paddles)/100 swim. Just stop long enough to drop buoy.
#2-100 swim/100 pull (no paddles). Just stop long enough to get buoy.
3:00, 3:40, 4:10, 4:30, 5:30
400 as 4 x 100 choice. Can mix it up. Consult with lane before starting.
1:40, 2:00, 2:20, 2:30, 2:50
400 as 8 x 50. Odds choice. Evens free. On :55/:50, 1:05/1:00, 1:15/1:05, 1:30/1:15, 2:00/1:50
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25
Thursday, Oct 10
I coach M,W,F and Karen Mickunas coaches on Tues/Thurs. I like to swim with Karen's group and really liked the workout on Thursday.
I believe Karen got the idea from GoSwim. I don't remember the warm-up, but the main set was:
4 x 50 at 200 pace with interval for 10-15 sec rest. Count strokes to get average # of strokes.
4 x 25 counting and only taking your average - 4 strokes.
4 x 50 count and only take your average - 3 strokes.
4 x 75 taking average - 2 strokes.
4 x 100 taking average -1 stroke.
This set was not difficult from a breathing standpoint, but it created a lot of muscle fatigue.
