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 use "Change 6" to mean 6 kicks on one side, the change to the other side for 6 kicks. "Change 3" means 3 kicks on each side. "Change 6" with 3 means to take 3 arm pulls as you change from one side to the other.
Some coaches call this drill "6 kick switch."
Friday, Nov 5, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
100 Drill
200 Swim
100 D/S by 25
200 as 8 x 25
200 as 4 x 50
Those swimming in meet. Turns or starts or go home.
Main1 (800)
3 x 100 Interval for 15 sec rest. Give me average time.
200 Maintain average time from above
100 Keep same pace
200 Can you hold pace again?
Main2 (400-600)
200-300 Pull
200-300 Kick
The meet on Saturday went very well. Those who swam in the meet had nice improvements so I think the taper was effective. Today we eased back into workouts with some stroke work.
Monday, Nov 8, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (600-1000)
200-300 Swim
200-300 Pull
200-300 Kick
100 Swim (alternate 25 worst stroke and 25 favorite stroke)
Main (1300)
200 (25 non-free, 75 free)
150 (50 Pull w/ paddles, 50 Pull w/o paddles, 50 Swim)
100 Swim, choice
50 (25 choice, 25 non-free)
~fins on~
50 *** pull w/ fly kick. Start kick with shoulders.
50 *** pull w/ free kick. “Fast hands.”
~fins off~
50-100 *** swim; breathe at the “Y”; glide 3
50 “ride the glide” *Coach Kerry O’Brien’s phrases
50 “extend and bend”
50 “rock and roll”
100-150 (2-3) x 50. Practice above.
Didn’t get to this set of 50’s.
(4-10) x 50 on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:20, 1:45. Choice. Do in groups of 2 the same stroke.
Cool-Down
Easy 100
Monday, Nov 8, Yard Pool
This is similar to the morning workout, but since some swimmers come to both, I decided to work on backstroke instead of breaststroke. We should get to the last set of 50s in the yard pool.
Warm-Up (600-1000)
200-300 Swim
200-300 Pull
200-300 Kick
100 Swim (alternate 25 worst stroke and 25 favorite stroke)
Main
Free (500)
200 (25 non-free, 75 free)
150 (50 Pull w/ paddles, 50 Pull w/o paddles, 50 Swim)
100 Swim, choice
50 (25 choice, 25 non-free)
Backstroke drills, no fins. (200)
50 Pull backstroke. Be sure to roll to side.
50 Chg 3 with 3 strokes. Get on side.
100 (2 x 50). Think about hips turning BEFORE your hand hits the water.
Free Strokework (300)
50 “ride the glide” *Coach Kerry O’Brien’s phrases
50 “extend and bend”
50 “rock and roll”
100-150 (2-3) x 50. Practice above.
Choice 50’s (200-500)
(4-10) x 50 on :55, 1:00, 1:05, 1:15 Choice. Do in groups of 2 the same stroke.
Cool-Down
Easy 100
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, Meter Pool
I wrote this workout for a substitute coach.
Warm-Up (800)
200 Swim
200 as 50 Catch-Up / 150 Swim
~FINS ON~
25 Change 6
100 Drill 25 Change 6 with 3 strokes
25 Change 3
25 Change 3 with 3 strokes
100 Swim, with fins
4 x 50 Kick, choice, rest 10-15 seconds
Main #1 (1350)
200 Pull
5 x 50 #1-3 moderate, same pace
#4 fast
#5 easy/recovery
200 Swim
5 x 50 Same as above
200 Pull or Swim (your choice)
5 x 50 Same as above
Lanes 4, 5 should be able to do Main #2.
The other lanes should use the 4 x 75 below as cool-down.
Main #2 (400)
4 x 75 (25 K/25 D/25 S), fins okay
100 IM Swim (fly, back, ***, free), substitute free as necessary
Cool Down (200)
8 x 25 (odd count strokes, even easy)
Quick question as several coaches use the term "change"... Please enlighten me as to your usage. Thank you ever so.
Wednesday, Nov 10, Meter Pool
This turned out to be a great workout. By descending each set, many of the inexperienced swimmers found their anarobic threshold. It was interesting to discuss how a few seconds per 100 made a huge difference. Distance swimmers need to know how fast they can go and not go into oxygen debt.
Warm-Up (800)
~Stop after each 100 to get lane together~
100 Swim free
100 (25 catch-up / 25 swim)
100 Swim free
100 (25 3R only-3-3L only / 25 swim) back or free
100 Swim free or back
100 Kick
100-200 (25K / 25S)
Main1 (800)
Intervals are for 30 seconds rest. 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, 2:30, 3:00
4 x 100 Comfortable pace Lane 8: start with 3 x 100
3 x 100 A little faster Each group descends. Keep pace w/in group
2 x 100 faster still
1 x 100 Very fast
Main2 (500)
10 x 50 in groups of 2. May swim free, non-free, pull or kick.
Intervals are 1:00, 1:05, 1:15, 1:15, 1:45.
Cool-Down
Easy swim or pull.
Wednesday, Nov 10, Yard Pool
This is essentially the same as the morning workout in the meter pool. Distances and intervals are a little different and in warm-up they did some breaststroke instead of backstroke.
Warm-Up (1000)
~Stop after each part to get lane together~
200 Swim free
100 (25 catch-up / 25 swim)
100 Swim free
100 (25 3R only-3-3L only / 25 swim) back or free
100 Swim free or back
100-200 (25K / 25S)
100 Brst (50 pull, fly kick / 50 pull, free kick). Fly K start w/ shoulders. Fr K “fast hands.”
50-100 swim breaststroke with 3 count glide.
Main1 (800)
Intervals are for 30 seconds rest. 1:40, 1:55, 2:10, 2:30
4 x 100 Comfortable pace Lane 8: start with 3 x 100
3 x 100 A little faster Each group descends. Keep pace w/in group
2 x 100 faster still
1 x 100 Very fast
Main2 (500)
10 x 50 in groups of 2. May swim free, non-free, pull or kick.
Intervals are 1:00, 1:05, 1:15, 1:15, 1:45.
Cool-Down
Easy swim or pull.
Friday, Nov 12, Meter Pool
I intended the 3 x 50 and 1 x 100 to be non-free, but I didn't insist. I was pleased when almost everyone did non-free or a combination on the second set of 50s. Several swimmers commented that they liked the variety in this workout.
Warm-Up (500-900)
100-300 Swim
~Get everyone together~
200-300 (6 x 50) #1 glide, #2 elbow up for catch, #3 roll into the stroke, #4-6 practice
200-300 Nice and easy pull. Think about stroke.
Main (1200-1500)
200-300 (2-3) x 100 on 1:45, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 2:50 at “cruise” pace. Free.
~Choice~
3 x 50 on 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:45
1 x 100 at same pace
~Fins ok~
200-300 (25 Kick/25 Swim)
~Fins off
~ Choice~
3 x 50 on 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:45
1 x 100 at same pace
100 easy swim
200-300 (2-3) x 100 on 1:45, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 2:50 at “cruise” pace. Free.
Cool Down (100-200)
Easy pull
Monday, Nov 15, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (700-1100)
100-200 Swim
~Put on fins~
200-300 (50 Kick/50 Swim)
100 (50 chg 6 with 3 freestyle; 50 chg 6 with 3 backstroke)
~Fins off~
300-500 (6-10) x 50. Go on 3rd touch. #1-3 drill/swim; #4-5 swim descend; repeat
Main (900-1500). Slower lanes will not do all 5 parts.
300 Swim. Stop each 100 to check time (5-10 sec).
3 x 100 Pull on 1:40, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 2:45
300 Swim as 50 build, stop, *200 time yourself, stop, 50 easy. (Stop for 5-10). *200 non-fr??
3 x 100 Swim on same interval as pull
300 Pull. Stop each 100 to check time.
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim
Wednesday, Nov 17, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (800-1000)
400 (75 free/25 non-free or catch-up)
200 (8 x 25. Count strokes. Choice)
200 (8 x 25 Pull. Count strokes. Choice)
200 (4 x 50. Try to hold stroke count). Not all lanes will get to this.
Main (1200-1600)
Two groups for the first set. I timed the 800, recording each 200. Non-free worked on their own. It went well.
All Freestyle:
800 Stop each 200. Tell me and I will record your time.
Non-free:
5 x 100 Odds are non-free; evens are free. Same interval for both.
Everyone:
300 25K / 25D / 25S
200-300 Pull
200 Kick
