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, July 26, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1000)
100-300 Swim, choice
200 (25 c.u./25 swim/25 3R-3-3L/25 swim)
300 (3 groups of 2 x 50); the two fifties should be the same speed.
~fins ok~
100 kick, choice, with a board
100 kick, choice, no board
Main 1 (600-900)
(2-3) x 100 Pull, keep each 100 the same time. On 1:40, 1:50, 2:05, 2:15, 2:30
(2-3) x 100 Swim, keep each 100 the same time. Same interval.
(2-3) x 50 Pull. Same time. On :55, 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:30
(2-3) x 50 Swim. Same time. Same interval.
Main 2 (200)
Contest! Who can swim 4 x 50 with the same time? I’ll subtract the fastest and slowest, who has the least variation?
Three groups.
Cool-Down (300)
4 x (25 k/ 25 d/ 25 s)
Wednesday, July 28, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (700-1300)
200-400 Swim, choice
300 Pull, free
200 Pull, choice
100 Pull, free, good effort
200-300 Drill/Swim by 25, choice
Main (1000-1200)
To be done twice:
4 x 25 Kick, fast
4 x 25 Drill
4 x 25 Pull, fast
2 x 25 Swim, fast
1 x 50 Taper group: fast. Others: establish good pace.
1 x 100 Taper: easy, recovery. Others: fast
1 x 100 Taper: skip this, do some turns. Others: easy, recovery
Cool-Down
Easy swim, if time
Friday, July 30, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (500-1100)
100-300 Swim
100-300 Pull
(4-6) x 50 Odds are D/S. Evens are Swim. (Chg 6 back, “L” drill, chg 6 free)
100-200 Kick
Main 1 (500-700)
4 x 100 Swim or 4 x 50 Swim. On: 1:45, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 2: 30.
100-300 (50 Pull – no paddles / 50 swim), choice.
Main 2 CONTEST TIME. Pts for 1st, 2nd, 3rd : 5, 3,1. Two highest total pts gets a prize. (200)
~Fins on. Get a kick board.~
Divide into groups according to type/length of fins. Round, Zoomers, Med or wide, Long.
(1) 25 kick – all out. Free w/ brd.
(2) 25 kick – all out. Back w/o brd
(3) 25 swim free w/ fins
(4) 25 swim back w/ fins
Rearrange groups. All from ln 4 in same heat, ln 5 in one heat, etc.
~Fins off. Easy swim to other end to get kick brd. ~
(5) 25 *** kick w/ brd
(6) 25 free swim
(7) 25 back swim
Cool-Down
Easy 100-200, swim
Easy 100-200, pull or swim (if time).
Saturday, July 31, Meter Pool
This is a taper workout that I did.
Warm-Up (1100)
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
500 (10 x 50) #1-6 D/S, #7-8 Kick 1st ½ of each length, swim rest, #9-10 Swim, build
Main (400)
200 (8 x 25 Swim, sprint.) Interval is not important; finding speed is.
200 (50 sprint, 100 easy, 50 sprint). Again, interval is not important. Rest as needed.
Cool-Down (100)
Easy 100 swim
Monday, Aug 2, Meter Pool
This is an adaptation of a taper workout that I did on Saturday. I have increased the distance for those not tapering.
Warm-Up (1100)
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
500 (10 x 50). No fins.
#1-2 (25 Chg with 3 / 25 Swim), #3-6 D/S, choice, #7-8 Kick 1st ½ of each length, swim rest, #9-10 Swim, build. Keep lane together with 15-20 seconds rest.
Main (600-1400)
200 or 600 (Taper: 8 x 25 Swim, sprint.) Others: 8 x 75 on 1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00.
#1-4 choice, mix it up. #5-8 free.
400-800 (Taper: 8 x 50. Odds sprint; Evens easy). Others: (6-8) x 100
Try to descend 1-3, 4-6 (faster), 7-8 (even faster). On 1:40, 1:50, 2:05, 2:15, 2:45
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy 100-200 swim or pull.
Monday, Aug 2, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (100-1200)
200-300 Swim
200-300 Pull
200 Kick
~Everyone together~
200 (25 chg 6, 25 chg 6 w/3, 25 chg 3 w/ 3, 25 swim) free; repeat back
Fins off. Discuss body position and long axis:
Float on stomach, arms at side. Float w/ arms extended. Gradually lower head.
50 (2 x 25 w/ head lower than usual).
Float on back, arms extended. Push stomach way up, feet will go down.
Try “frozen banana” position, feet come up.
50 (2 x 25) Kick on back ½ way, experiment with head position and hip position. Swim ½.
100 back or free or combo. Think about head and body position.
Main (1400)
4 x 50 Keep even pace. Think about your stroke. 50, 55, 1:00, 1:10, 1:15
2 x 100 Descend. 1:30, 1:45, 1:55, 2:00, 2:15
6 x 50 Descend 1-3, 4-6
3 x 100 Even pace
4 x 50 Even pace, faster than 1st set
2 x 100 Descend, faster than 1st set
Cool-Down (300)
Pull easy 200
Swim 100
Wednesday, Aug 4, Meter Pool
This is primarily the same workout that was done Mon night in the yard pool.
However, when they were pulling during warm-up, I noticed too many swimmers using the paddles incorrectly. So I changed a section on body position to a section on using paddles correctly.
Warm-Up (100-1200)
200-300 Swim
200-300 Pull
200 Kick
~Everyone together~
200 (25 chg 6, 25 chg 6 w/3, 25 chg 3 w/ 3, 25 swim) free; repeat back
I checked everyone’s paddles and loosened the finger strap and removed the wrist strap.
I emphasized that paddles will tell you if your stroke is wrong. If they keep coming off, the problem is not the paddles, it’s you. Slow down and feel the pressure of the water against the paddle – that’s what holds it on.
100 (2 x 25 Swim w/ paddles – very loose; 2 x 25 Pull w/ paddles)
100 (2 x 25 swim w/ paddles, 2 x 25 pull w/ paddles. Count strokes. Stop if you are not at the end after 19 strokes.) This was amazing – one swimmer went from 25+ strokes to 16!
Main (1400)
4 x 50 Keep even pace. Think about your stroke. 55, 1:00, 1:10, 1:15, 1:45
2 x 100 Descend. 1:45, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 3:00
6 x 50 Descend 1-3, 4-6
3 x 100 Even pace
4 x 50 Even pace, faster than 1st set
2 x 100 Descend, faster than 1st set
Cool-Down (300)
Pull easy 200
Swim 100
Wednesday, Aug 4, Yard Pool
We did not get all the way through this workout. We only did the kicks on the backstroke. I'll continue this another time. It was time well spent on stroke work.
Warm-Up (700-900)
200-300 Swim
100 (2 x 25 Swim w/ paddles – very loose; 2 x 25 Pull w/ paddles)
3 x 100 Pull. Keep stroke long. Increase effort on each 100 – still warm-up.
100-200 Swim, choice. Push off, streamline, kick past flags, swim.
Main
Breaststroke (300)
50-100 Kick w/ brd
50 Get in sitting position, pull breaststroke. Go 50 or just ½ way and back. Keep pull in front.
50 (2 x 25 swim breaststroke.) Keep pull in front of chest, 2-3 count glide.
50-100 2 x 50 or 2 x 25 Breaststroke swim.
Freestyle (650)
~Fins ok~
50 Kick free on side (no board).
50 Kick free with brd
50 Chg 6. Hip out of water, face in water – requires you to have a slight twist.
50 Chg 3. You should feel the “corkscrew” action as hips move.
50 Swim. Think about wide entry – hands at shoulder width, not going under body.
50 Swim. Think about wide entry and long pull.
50 Swim w/ paddles.
200-300 (4-6) x 50. On 50, 55, 1:00, 1:10.
Backstroke (450)
50 Kick on back w/ arms extended. Think about head position and hip position.
50-100 Kick on back w/ arms extended past flags, swim rest of length.
50 Kick on side.
50 Chg 6. Hip turns before hand enters the water.
50 Chg 6 w/ 3.
100-200 (2-4) x 50 back. Add 10 to previous interval.
Freestyle (400)
4 x 50 Pull
4 x 50 Swim
Cool-Down (200-400)
Alternate 100 Swim/100 Pull. Easy
Friday, Aug 6, Meter Pool
This is my last workout to coach before I leave for LC Nationals.
Warm-Up (800-1000)
~Fins ok~
300 as 4 x (25K/25D/25S). Choice of strokes and choice of drills. Continuous.
~Fins off~
200-300 Swim. Increase effort on each 100.
200 Count strokes on each length (50 swim/100 pull/50 swim).
100-200 Pull.
Main
I. Backstroke (450) ~Fins ok~
50 Kick on back w/ arms extended. Think about head position and hip position.
50-100 Kick on back w/ arms extended past flags, swim rest of length.
50 Kick on side.
50 Chg 6. Hip turns before hand enters the water.
50 Chg 6 w/ 3.
100-200 (2-4) x 50 back. Rest 10-15 seconds. ~Fins on if you need them only~
II. Freestyle (400-800)
200-400 as (2-4) x 100 Pull on 1:45, 1:55, 2:05, 2:20, 2:40
200-400 as (2-4) x 100 Swim
III. Butterfly (200) ~Fins ok~
50 Kick w/ brd. Think about using hips.
100 as 4 x 25 Kick past flags; swim at least ½ way fly, then can change to free.
Think: When your hands and head enter the water, bring your hips up to do the kick.
2 x 25 (if time). Underwater recovery to put the breathing in the proper place.
Cool-Down
100-200 easy swim
