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.
Mon, Feb 22, Meter Pool
This turned out to be a good workout. It was good for the distance advocates to realized how tired they could get going 50s.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
300 25k/25d/25s
100 Swim
Main (1400)
▪7 x (4 x 50)
Each set of 4: 3 at pace, same stroke. Last one is easy free.
This is continuous. No breaks between sets.
Set 1: 3 x 50 *** or 25 ***/25 free; 1 x 50 easy free
Set 2: 3 x 50 free ; 50 easy free
Set 3: 3 x 50 back or 25 back/25 free: 1 x 50 easy free
Set 4: 3 x 50 free; 50 easy free
Set 5: 3 x 50 pull ; 50 easy swim
Set 6: 3 x 50 free; 50 easy free
Set 7: 3 x 50 pull ; 50 easy swim
Back and ***: 1:00, 1:15, 1:20, 1:20, 1:45
Easy free: Same as back and ***
Free swim and pull: :50, :55, 1:10, 1:10, 1:30
Cool-Down (100-400)
100 Easy swim
200 Pull
4 x 25 count
Monday, Feb 22, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (800-1000)
100 Swim, 100 Pull
200 Swim, 200 Pull
(4-8) x 50 (25 Kick/25 Swim)
Main 1 (Pacing. Total of 1100)
200 Pace (600)
2 x 100 on 1:25, 1:30-1:35, 1:45-1:50, 1:50-2:00, 2:10
~Rest 30 sec~
4 x 50 on :45, :50, :55, :55-1:00, 1:10
~Rest 30 sec ~
200 for time. “Name that time.”
I ask swimmer to predict their time before they swim. I time them and call out times as they finish. Generally lanes are staggered so I can time one or two lanes at a time.
Recovery (100)
50 easy, 2 x 25 count strokes
100 Pace (300)
2 x 50
~Rest 30 sec~
4 x 25 on :30, :35, :40, :45
~Rest 30 sec~
100 for time. “Name that time.”
Recovery (100)
50 easy, 2 x 25 count strokes
Main 2 (Strokework. Total of 200-500)
(4-10) x 50 on ? (fins ok). Each lane determined the interval.
#1 Chg 6 w/ 3, free
#2 Catch-up, free
#3 Pull, free
#4 Swim, free
#5 Chg 6 w/ 3 back
#6 L drill, back (k3, L3, 3 strokes)
#7 Pull back
#8 Swim back
#9 Choice drill, *** or fly
#10 Swim *** or fly
Cool-Down (300)
Easy swim
Wed, Feb 24, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (600-1000)
400 (100 free swim, 50 3 rt/3/3 lft, 100 free swim, 50 c.u., 100 free swim)
50 (12 ½ breaststroke pull. Turn around and come back to shallow end. Repeat *** pull, butterfly kick)
50 breaststroke swim
~fins ok~
50 chg 6 with 3, back
50 swim, back
50 kick. (Fly on back for 12 ½, back 12 ½ ) x 2
100 kick, choice
~fins off~
200 (4 x 25, 2 x 50 free or back – count strokes)
50 free, almost c.u.
Main (1000-1500)
Lanes 4-6: Broken 1500. Get time. Subtract 1:20 for 1500 time
Lanes 7-8: Broken 800. Get time. Subtract 1:20 for 800 time
All start together.
Lanes 4-6:
500, rest exactly 20 sec
400, rest 20
300, rest 20
200, rest 20
100
Lanes 7-8:
300, rest exactly 20 sec
200, rest 20
100, rest 20
100, rest 20
100
Until everyone in your lane finishes, swim easy 25s. Be careful and stay out of the way!
Lane 7-8. When everyone is finished…
Easy swim. Alternate 25 catch-up or 25 non-free with 25 free.
Cool-Down (300)
4 x (25K/25D/25S)
Wed, Feb 24, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (800-1000)
300-400 Swim, choice
300 Alternate 25 K / 25 S. Fins ok.
100 Alternate 25 chg 6 (perfect form), 25 swim
(2-4) x 25 count, pull, no paddles
(2-4) x 25 count, swim
Main (1800)
*12 x 50 Odd non-free or free sprint; even free even pace
Ln 5: 55 and 45; Ln 4: 1:00 and 50; Ln 2-3: 1:15, 55; Ln 1: 1:20, 1:10
*300 Pull
*4 x 50 Free, even pace
*200 Pull
*200 Swim
*2 x 50, 1 x 100, 1 x 50, 2 x 100, 1 x 50, 1 x 100 (100s are free; 50s are choice)
Ln 5: 55, 1:25
Ln 4: 1:00, 1:30
Ln 2-3: 1:10, 1:50
Ln 1: 1:15, 2:05
Cool-Down (200)
4 x 25, choice, perfect stroke
100 swim
I just realized that I have not posted all week.
No workout for Friday, Feb 26. I had a substitute coach while I went to Dallas for USMS BOD meetings. Lots of fun.
Mon, Mar 1, Meter pool
I tried something different today. I had everyone who wanted to do just free, swim in lanes 4-6. Those who wanted non-free sets swam in Lanes 7-8.
▪100 Swim, free
▪200 Pull, free
▪300 25K/25D/25S
Lanes 4-6, drills are: chg 6, chg 6 w/3, chg 3, chg 3 w/3
Lanes 7-8, mix it up w/ different strokes
▪400 4 x 100 Kick. At least 2 are free w/ board.
▪500 5 x 100, odd pull, even swim
▪400 8 x 50 (Drill, d/s, d/s, swim) x 2
Lanes 7-8, at least one set *** or back
▪300 Pull. Lanes 7-8, 75 free/25 non
▪200 200 Lanes 7-8: alternate 25 non/25 free
▪100 Swim
Cool-Down
100-300 75 free/25 non-free
Mon, Mar 1, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (800-1000)
200 free swim
100 free (25 chg 3 w/3 and 25 swim)
100 back (25 chg 3/3 and 25 swim) Fins ok for back
100 back swim. Roll. Hips turn before hand enters the water.
200-300 pull free
100 pull. Alternate 25 back and 25 free. Be sure to roll hips.
100 swim, choice. Count strokes.
Main (1200-1800). Hold steady pace on multiple 100s.
Ln 5: 18 x 100 on 1:30
Ln 4: 17 x 100 on 1:40
Ln 2-3: 14 x 100 on 2:00
Ln 1: 12 x 100 on 2:10
Cool-Down (100-300)
(2-6) x 50 Alternate d/s and swim
Friday, Mar 5, Meter Pool
Different today. All strokework. It worked well, but we didn't not finish all that I had written in an hour.
Freestyle (700-800)
▪200-300 Swim
▪200 (25 3 rt arm/3 lft arm, 25 swim). Look at where your hand is going.
▪4 x 25 wait until everyone in lane finishes. Swim down center lane and make sure pull stays wider than the center line. You should not touch your leg with your hand.
▪4 x 50 on :50, :55, 1:05, 1:30. Do the stroke correctly. Reach/roll. Elbow up. Pull shoulder width. Finish. Recover w/ arm relatively straight.
Breaststroke (350)
▪Pull *** ½ way, stop. Turn around and pull back to wall. Keep the pull out in front. Squeeze arms together. Repeat if necessary.
▪2 x 25 Breaststroke pull with one butterfly kick per stroke. Use your hips. Squeeze arms.
▪50-100 Kick. Kick butterfly or free if you can’t kick ***.
▪2 x 25 Swim with a 2-3 count glide.
▪2 x 50 Swim all *** or 25 br/25 fr. Rest 10-15.
100 Swim, choice, easy
Butterfly – fins ok (250)
▪2 x 25 Kick (no board). Fast, shallow kick. Move hips, whip feet at the end.
▪2 x 25 (3 rt arm/3 lft arm). Recovery is not like freestyle; arm is straighter and to the side.
▪2 x 25 Underwater recovery.
▪2 x 25 Start with fast, shallow kick – to flags. Swim as many strokes as it feels good (>2).
▪2 x 25 Fins off. Swim as far as you again each length.
100 Swim, choice, easy
Backstroke – fins ok (300)
▪2 x 25 Pull. You must rotate to make this work.
▪50 Chg 6. Get on side!
▪50 Chg 3. Don’t count until your hip is out of water.
▪50 Chg 3 w/3. Get on side.
▪50 Swim, over-rotate. Hips turn before hand enters.
▪50 Swim, fins off.
4 x 100
(1) 100 IM. Do at least ½ way of each stroke. Can then switch to free. Fly, Bk, Br, Fr
(2) 100 as 50 non-free/50 fr; (3) 100 as 25 non/75 fr; (4) 100 choice
100-300 Pull free
