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, Nov 14
Our local meet was Nov 5. I am doing more stroke work for next few weeks and gearing up for the One hour Swim in January.
Warm-Up (1000)
100-200 Swim
Everybody stop.
200 Work on glide.
*Demo difference in “placing” your hand/arm in water and “throwing” the arm with some
energy, which forces you into extending and gliding.
*50 think about glide
*50 full catch-up, slowly
*2 x 50 swim with wide entry, good extension, glide
Everybody get paddles out.
100 Pull with paddles.
Big switch. Everyone take off your paddles and try someone else’s. Must be a different kind.
100 50 Pull with new paddles. Switch again and pull 50.
Fins on.
50 free change 6. Slowly.
50 free change 6 with 3 strokes. Slowly.
50 back change 6
50 back chg 6 with 3.
200 25 drill/25 swim. Choice of strokes and choice of drills.
Main (1000-1200)
250 (5 x 50 back: 2 kick, 1 pull, 2 swim)
300 (6 x 50 free: 2 Kick, 2 pull, 2 swim)
250 (5 x 50 ***: 2 Kick, 1 pull, 2 swim) OR let me help you with breaststroke.
200-400 Swim back or free. Emphasis on good stroke, not speed.
Cool-Down (100-300)
2 x 25 count strokes back
2 x 25 count strokes ***
2 x 25 count strokes fly or free
2 x 25 count strokes free
100 (all one stroke) count strokes
Friday, Nov 18
This was a very successful workout - a lot of variety. For swimmers who hate to swim any distance, I encouraged them to figure out some kind of interval to use or to mix up strokes.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 (50 full c.u./50 swim/50 almost c.u./50 swim)
100 Free, glide 2 (extend and glide)
~Fins on~
100 Kick (50 free with board/50 back)
100 Kick (25 fly with board/25 on fly on back/25 on front with hands extended/25 with board
100 One-arm fly (25 5 rt/5 lft, 25 4 rt/1 full/4 lft/1 full) x 2
100 Swim (50 back/50 free)
~Fins off~
100 Pull free, almost c.u. (no paddles)
200 Pull, paddles optional
Main (900-1300)
100 Swim, non-free. On 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 2:30, 3:00
50 Swim, easy.
~Rest 1 min~
200 Free, on 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 4:20, ?
50 Swim, easy
15 minute swim for distance. I will try to keep count. Estimate distance when bell rings.
(Starting to work toward One Hour Swim in Jan)
Ln 4 ≥900; Ln 5≥800; Ln 6≥750; Ln 7≥600; Ln 8≥500
Cool-Down (100-400)
(2-4) x 50 Drill/Swim, choice
Mon, Nov 21
Warm-Up (1000-1500)
300-500 Swim each 100: 50 free + 25 No free + 25 catch-up
200-300 (8-12) x 25, rest 5-10 sec. Odds free – almost c.u.; Evens – back w/ hip rotation
400-600 Free as (8-12) x 50 Pull with 10 – 15 sec rest
1 – 6 focus on hip rotation breathe and long extension with glide or 1-4
7 – 12 wear paddles – long & strong or 1-4
100 Easy swim, 50 non-free/50 choice
Main (1050-1350)
300-500 as(3- 5) x 100 25 Back + 75 Free
~Fins on~
200-300 Kick (50 kick on back + 50 Kick with brd-fly or free)
100 Fly drills. 50 4 rt/4 lft + 50 3 rt, 1 full, 3 lft, 1 full
200 Swim with fins. Mix it up. At least 75 fly or back.
50 Breaststroke pull. 25 with fly kick/25 with free kick
~Fins off~
200 Swim. Mix in some breaststroke.
Wed, Nov 23
Warm-Up (900-1100)
100-200 Swim
100-200 Pull
Freestyle drills (500)
50 one arm. Count strokes for each 25 (different arm)
50 4 right/4 left
50 3 rt/3/3lft/3
50 catch-up
50 almost catch-up
~Fins on~
50 Kick free on side. One side for each 25. Narrow kick, tense your abs.
50 Chg 6
50 Chg 6 with 3 strokes
~Fins off~
50 Chg 3 with 3 strokes
50 Free. Perfect stroke.
200 25 drill/25 swim (back or free)
Main 1 (800-1200)
2 x 100 moderate pace for distance. On: 1:40, 1:55, 2:10, 2:15, 2:50 (20 sec rest). Free.
200 Same pace as 100s. Free.
Rest
Separate lanes for non-free.
Same as above or…
2 x 100 choice. On 2:20 or 2:30, 3:15. Same stroke for both 100s
200 Choice. Can be free or any stroke.
Rest
One more time with 2 x 100 and 200.
Main 2 (150-300)
150-300 (3 x 50 descend) x 2 (if time). On :55, 1:05, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50
Cool-Down (100-200)
100-200 Pull. Long and strong.
Wednesday, Nov 30
Warm-Up (600-800)
200-300 Swim, choice
~Get everyone together~
200 (4 x 50) drill/swim, choice
200-300 Pull. Make each 100 a little faster.
Main (1000-1500)
400-800 Each lane will do either 8, 6, or 4 100s on a descending interval.
L4: 8 x 100 on 2:00, 1:55, 1:50, 1:45, 1:40, 1:35, 1:30
L5: 8 x 100 on 2:15, 2:10, …1:40
L6: 6 x 100 on 2:15…1:50
L7: 6 x 100 on 2:25…2:00
L8: 4 x 100 ; I will time this lane.
400-500 (8-10) x 50 #1-2: 25 non/25 free; #3-4: free; #5-?: choice
2 x 100 choice on 3:00 (Lane 8 – 2 x 50). Don’t hold back.
Cool-Down (100-300)
4 x 25 easy
Easy 200 pull
Friday, Dec 2
For the last week, the T/Th coach and I have been hitting intervals hard - long interval, short interval, descending swims, descending intervals. Today is a longer, just work through it workout. The kicking on an interval did get the heart rate up.
Warm-up (700)
100 Swim free
50 as 25 catch-up/25 almost catch-up
100 Swim 50 free/50 choice
100 Pull
100 Kick
250 as 50 swim/50 kick/50 swim/50 drill/50 swim
Set 1 (600)
3 x 200 #1 Pull, #2 Swim, #3 Pull
Set 2 (500)
5 x 100 #1 100 Drill (3 rt/3/3lft/3), #2 75 Drill/25 Swim (chg 3 with 3), #3 50 D/50 S (choice), #4 25 D/75 S (choice drill), #5 Swim
Set 3 (400)
8 x 50 Descend #1-3, #4 easy; descend #5-7, #8 easy
Set 4 (300)
6 x 50 Kick on 1:00, 1:10, or 1:20. Each lane set interval after #1.
Set 5 (200)
2 x 100 Choice, descend on 2:00, 2:15, 2:30. Quality.
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25 choice, count strokes
Monday, Dec 5
This was a very successful workout. It stresses good technique (dps, long and strong) and controlled swimming. I believe the ability to pace is crucial to successful racing.
Warm-Up (1200)
200 Swim, choice
200 Kick/Swim by 50s
200 Drill/Swim by 50s
400 (100 Swim/200 Pull/100 Swim)
200 (4 x 50) Count strokes, go for DPS, choice. 15 sec rest
Main (1200)
*100, 200, and 300 are all the same stroke.
100 Long and strong. Keep it aerobic.
200 Long and strong. Maintain pace.
300 Stop after each 100 to check time. Go for an even pace.
*200, 100 are choice.
200 50 easy; stop get time; 100 good pace (anaerobic threshold); stop get time on 100; 50 easy
~rest at least 1 min. ~
100 good effort but controlled, not all out.
*300 3 x 100 Pull, descend. Set interval for 15 sec rest.
Cool-Down (100-300)
25-50-75-75-50-25 Count strokes; try to hold DPS.
It would be nice if you put the total yards (or meters) at the bottom so everyone who does the workout doesn't have to sit down with a caculator to add it all up. I track my distance daily for Go the Distance.
I can include the total. However, did you notice I put the yardage or meters in this case in () for each part (Warm-up, Main, Cool-Down). That's only 3 numbers to add.
I'm glad you use them and glad you made a suggestion.
