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.
I will be in Puerto Rico for LC Nationals.
Karen, who coaches Tues/Thurs mornings is covering all of the workouts except Wed, Aug 11, at the yard pool. I prepared the workout below and one of the lifeguards will supervise. I printed out the warm-up and the main set for each lane in large print.
Wednesday, Aug 11, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1100)
100-200 Swim
300 as 4 x (25 drill/75 swim). Continuous. Drills: catch-up, 3 rt only/3 lft only. Repeat drills.
2 x 200 Pull. Long and smooth. Rest 15-20 between 200s.
4 x 25 Count strokes, swim
4 x 25 Count strokes, pull. No paddles.
Main (1500)
300 Swim. (Swim 200 easy. Stop long enough to read the clock. Time yourself on last 100.)
2 x 100 Descend. 2nd 100 should be faster than last 100 of 300. On 1:30, 1:40 or 1:45,
1:55, 2:00 or 2:10, 2:15 or 2:20. Pick an interval to have 10-15 sec rest.
100 Easy. Recovery.
300 as (100 Pull, 100 Swim, 100 Pull). No paddles on pull. Stop just long enough to deal w/ buoy.
4 x 50 on :50, :55, 1:00, 1:10, 1:15. Pick interval for 10 sec rest.
100 choice. Good effort. Time yourself.
300 as:
2 x 25 Easy, recovery from fast 100.
8 x 25 Odd fast, even easy. Time yourself. Clocks are not together, but you can compare times.
Rest 10-15 sec.
2 x 25 Count strokes
Cool-Down
If time, easy 100-200
Monday, Aug 16, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (750-1200)
200-300 Swim, choice
150-300 (25K/25D/25S). Fins ok.
100 Backstroke (25K/25S). Fins.
200-300 Pull, free
100-200 (4-8) x 25. Free. 2 count/2 swim on center line/2 cnt/2 on line.
Main
Back or Free (no fins): (300-700)
100 (25 chg 3 w/ 3; 25 K w/ brd or streamline on bk; 2 x 25 sprint)
100-300 (2-6) x 50. 6: descend 1-3, 4-6; 4: descend 1-2, 3-4; 2: at 200 pace
100-300 Swim
Fly or Free (fins): (200)
50 as 2 x 25 K w/ brd
50 as 2 x 25. Fly: underwater recovery; Free: 1-arm, opp br
50 as 2 x 25 Count strokes
50 as 2 x 25 sprint
2 x 200 #1 Pull, #2 Swim (400)
Cool-Down (100-200)
(2-4) x 50 Easy
Friday, Aug 20, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1100)
200 Swim
200 Pull
~Fins on~
200 Freestyle drill. 50 Kick on side; 50 chg 6; 50 chg 6 w/ 3; 50 swim.
100 (4 x 25 count strokes)
200 Freestyle drill. 50 one arm; 50 3R-3L; 50 3R-3-3L-3; 50 swim
100 (2 x 25, 1 x 50 count strokes)
~Fins off~
100 (2 x 50 count strokes)
Main (800-1500)
All Lanes:
100 Free. Think about long push-off, streamline, kick to flags. Do not stop and look on turns.
Ln 4-5: 300 Swim, get time. 3 x 100 same pace.
Ln 6-7: 200 Swim, get time. 2 x 100 same pace.
Ln 8: 100 Swim, get time. 1 x 100 same pace.
All Lanes ~Fins on~
100-300 alternate 50 kick/50 swim, choice
(4-6) x 50 choice. Can wear fins, especially on non-free.
Most lanes stopped here. 2 of them did 200.
200 same pace as earlier swim
No one got this far unless they stayed and did it for cool-down. Sometimes I plan too much for one hour.
(2-6) x 50 Pull, recovery
Monday, Aug 23, Meter Pool
Since I have been late in posting workouts lately (due to meets I enter), I am posting this one before I use it. If it doesn't work, I'm make note of it and post a message.
Warm-Up (900-1600)
300-600 (100 free, 50 catch-up, 100 free, 50 3R arm- 3L arm) x (1-2)
300-600 (100 pull w/ paddles, 50 swim, 100 pull w/o paddles, 50 swim) x 2
~Everybody stop. Fins on~
200-300 (2 x 50 kick, 2 x (50 or 100 Kick)
100 backstroke drills (25 chg 6 / “L” drill / Kick streamline ½ then swim / swim with roll
Main (700-800)
250 (25 Swim free, long stroke, roll/ 50 same /75 same / 100 same)
250 (25 back with rolling hips / 50 bk-free / 75 bk-fr-bk / 100 free)
200-300 Swim free. Maintain long stroke, use hips.
Cool-Down (200)
100 D/S by 25
100 Swim
Monday, Aug 23, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1200-1600)
300-600 (100 free, 50 catch-up, 100 free, 50 3R arm- 3L arm)
Lanes 3-5 repeat the above.
300-600 (100 pull w/ paddles, 50 swim, 100 pull w/o paddles, 50 swim) x 2
~Everybody stop. Fins on~
200-300 (2 x 50 kick, 2 x (50 or 100 Kick)
100 backstroke drills (25 chg 6 / “L” drill / Kick streamline ½ then swim / swim with roll
Main (800-1200)
(4-6) x 50 Free. Think about streamline push-offs, reach and roll.
(2-3) x 100 descend. Maintain a good push-off and good stroke.
(4-6) x 50 Back or 25 Back/25 Free. May wear fins, if needed. Roll hips!
(2-3) x 100 Back or 25 Back/75 Free. No fins.
Cool-Down (200)
100 D/S by 25
100 Swim
Wed, Aug 25, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1100)
•300 Swim
~Everyone stop together. Put on fins.~
•(2-4) x 100 25 Drill/25 Swim. #1 Almost catch-up; #2 3R arm only/3L arm only;
#3 One arm, opposite breathe, #4 Chg 3 with 3 strokes (get on side).
•150 Kick (50 on side, 50 with brd, 50 on back)
•150 Swim (1st 50 with fins, exaggerate roll; 100 w/o fins, keep that roll)
•100 (4 x 25 Sprint on :45, :50, :55)
Main (1300)
(6-8) x 50 Free. Longer rest means to go fast. Choice.
On 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:45.
(3-4) x 100 Pull. Free. On 1:40, 1:50, 2:05, 2:15, 2:50.
4 x 50. Non-free or 25 non/25 free. On same interval as above.
100-200 Swim. Recovery. Think about streamline push-offs with kicking to flags.
1 x 100 FAST. Choice. I will time you. Several minutes rest.
Cool-Down (100-200)
4 x 25, easy
Note: It seems like everyone was dreading being timed at the end of the workout. As it turned out, however, almost everyone was surprised at how fast they were.
Wed, Aug 25, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (900)
300 Swim. Everyone stop together.
2 x 200 Pull. #1 easy, #2 a little faster.
200 Swim
Main (1100-1700)
•(3-4) x 100, relatively easy. Find a pace you can maintain. Plenty of rest.
On 1:30, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20
• (3-4) x 100 on a shorter interval. If the 1st interval gave you 15 sec rest, reduce it by 5 sec.
• (3-4) x 100 on even shorter interval. Reduce last interval by another 5 sec.
It’s okay if you can’t make the interval for all 100s. We are trying to determine what you can do.
4 x 25 Count strokes. Think about push-off and streamline.
• (1-4) x 100. Challenge. Reduce interval another 5 sec. See how many you can do.
Cool Down (100-200)
(2-4) x 50 Easy swim
Note: This workout was a good one. Swimmers accepted the challenge to go faster than usual with less rest.
