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.
Wednesday, March 9
Warm-Up (900)
100 Swim Free
100 Count strokes. Decrease # each length. Free.
100 (25 c.u. / 25 almost c.u.)
100 Count strokes. Keep each length at minimum #.
~Pick a stroke for next 4 x 50~
50 Swim
50 Count strokes
50 Drill (Free, Back, or Fly: 4 rt only/4 left only; ***: Br pull with fly kick)
50 Count strokes
~Choice~
200-300 (4-6) x 50 Pull. Mix it up. Count strokes. Rest 10-15
Main (1500-1700)
3 x 50 free (Ride the Glide – Extend and Bend – Rock and Roll) *Kerry O’Brien’s terms
(3-5) x 50 free on interval for 15 sec rest.
(3-4) x 50 free on interval for
Friday, Mar 11
Warm-Up (800)
100 Swim, free (no fins)
~Put on fins~
100 Kick back or free
100 Swim, choice
100 Kick back or free
400 as 50 drill/50 swim (fins optional)
Main (1800)
400 Swim, choice. I did 100 free then 4 x (25 back/25 ***/25 free).
2 x 200 Pull. Descend. Rest 20 sec; get lane together.
4 x 100 Swim on 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:45
1 x 200 Swim, hold pace.
8 x 50 #1-4 steady pace on :50, :55, 1:00, 1:10, 1:30; rest 20-30 sec. #5-8 add 5 sec to interval.
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy Swim
Monday, March 14
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
300 (25 kick/25 drill/25 swim) x 4
500 (10 x 50). (#1 Pull/Swim, #2 Swim/Pull) x 3. (#7-10) Swim, descend.
Main (1500)
These 2 sets (100s and 50s) are to get your heart rate up, get ready to swim fast.
(2-3) x 100 descend, good effort, interval for 20 sec rest. 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:45
(2-3) x 50 descend, good effort, interval for 15 sec rest. :55, 1:00 or 1:05, 1:05 or 1:10, 1:20, 1:40
Timed 50, choice, fast.
Next set is conditioning. Swimming a steady pace when you are tired.
200 Pull
200 Swim
4 x 100
200 Swim
Cool-Down (100-200)
(2-4) x 50
Wednesday, Mar 16
Warm-Up (1000)
200-300 Swim
200 Kick
200 Pull
(4-6) x 50 D/S. Rest 10.
Main (1100-1400)
▪Timed Swim – trying for even or negative splits:
Freestyle:800 or 400. Non-free: 2 x 200, rest 20-30 sec.
Everyone - Stop each 100 to get time. I will try to get as many splits as I can.
▪While everyone is finishing timed swim…(2-3) x 50, choice, count strokes
▪4 x 50 Kick. Rest 10.
▪200 Pull
▪200. Broken swim. Stop at 100 to get time.
Cool-Down (100-300)
Alternate 50 pull/50 swim. Easy)
***This worked well. I was able to get most splits. I printed out splits for swimmers, which they greatly appreciated.
Friday, March 18
Warm-Up (1000)
100 swim free
100 swim (25 non-free/25 free)
100 swim (25 choice/25 free)
100 Kick – fly or free (at least 50 with board)
100 Kick – backstroke or dolphin on back
100 Kick – breaststroke or choice (with or w/o brd).
~Fins okay~
100 change 6 with 3 strokes (25 free/25 back)
100 swim (25 free/25 back)
~Fins off~
100 drill/swim with paddles (25 lft only/25 swim/25 rt only/25 swim)
100 swim, choice
Main (1400-1900)
10 x 50 (#1-4 are choice; #5-10 are free) Interval for 10-15 rest on all.
3 x 100 swim
3 x 100 pull
3 x 100 swim
(2-10) x 50. Do last 2 as cool-down.
***I gave in to pressure and cut it short in order to do relays. That's always fun.
Monday, Mar 21
**This was very successful. The non-free swimmers were very happy to have the chance to do several sets non-free.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Free swim
200 Pull free
200 Kick, choice
200 Pull, choice
200 Swim, choice
Main. Choose Freestyle or Non-free.
Freestyle only. Do the following 3 times. (1500)
2 x 100 Swim
2 x 50 Kick
2 x 50 Pull
2 x 50 Swim
OR
Non-free. Do the following 3 times. The last set can be free. (1200)
The first two 50s in each set are free. The 6 other 50s should be the same stroke (not free), except on the 3rd set.
2 x 50 swim free
2 x 50 Kick non-free
2 x 50 Pull non-free
2 x 50 Swim non-free
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy swim.
Wednesday, March 23
Warm-Up (1400)
400 Swim (75 free / 25 non-free or 25 catch-up)
300 Pull
~ Fins ok ~
200 Drill, Back or Free
(50 K on side / 50 Chg 6 / 50 Chg 6 with 3 strokes / 50 Chg 3 with 3 strokes)
100 Swim. Back with exaggerated roll or Free as almost catch-up.
250 Kick, choice. (25 / 50 / 75 / 100)
~Fins off~
100 Swim (***, fly or free)
Main (1300)
100 (4 x 25 sprint, choice). I’ll start each lane.
200 (2 x 100 on interval for 20-30 sec rest). Same stroke for both. Fast.
400 (4 x 100 Pull. 1st one easy, then gradually get faster)
200-400 (Lanes 4,5: 4 x 100 on _?__, 1:50; Lane 6-7: 3 x 100 on _?__; Lane 8: 3 x 50 on 2:00)
100-200 (2-4) x 50, count strokes, choice.
Cool-Down
100-200 easy swim
