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 14
“Catchup with Stick” – I bought some dowels and cut them in 16 in lengths. I wish they were a little longer. To ensure proper catch-up drill. You use the stick. You have to hold the non-stroking hand up until the stroking hand catches up to grab the stick. There are rubber bands on the ends, so swimmers can feel the end of the stick. I want a wide entry.
Warm-Up (1000)
300 Swim, choice
100 (50 Catch-up with Stick / 50 c.u. without stick)
200 4 x (25 D / 25 S) Drills: (1) 4 c.u./4 str (2) 3R-3-3L Back or Free
(3) Chg 6 with 3 Back or Free (4) Fingertip Drag
100 Swim (25 swim / 25 c.u.). I’ll be watching! Do it right.
100 Drill with paddles and fins. 25 rt only/25 left only/50 3R-3-3L
200 Kick, choice
Main (1600)
300 (3 x 100 Pull) 1:35, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:50 (2)
200 (4 x 50) Odds pull, evens swim. :55, 1:05, 1:10, 1:20, 1:45
100 50 fast for time; 50 easy. I’ll time each lane.
300 (50 K/ 50 D/50 S) x 2. Choice
300 (6 x 50) (2 fast/1 easy) x 2 on interval above. Choice.
100 50 fast for time; 50 easy. I’ll time each lane.
300 (100 Pull with paddles, 100 Pull w/o paddles, 100 Swim) – free
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim
Friday, March 16
Warm-Up (1000)
200-300 Swim (75 free/25 non-free)
50 Catch-up. Think about an early catch, good pull.
100 ¾ catch-up, full c.u. when breathing.
50 ¾ c.u., perfect technique.
300 (25K/25D/25S) x 4
200 Keep fins on. Get paddles also. (50 drill (3R-3-3L). 50 Swim) x 2
Main1 (1050)
200 (4 x 50, choice) on :50, :55, 1:05 or 1:15, 1:20, 1:50
300 Pull
150 (3 x 50, free) on :50, :55, 1:05, 1:10, 1:45
200 Pull
100 (2 x 50, choice) on ?
100 Pull
Main2 (450)
3 x 150. (50 free/50 non-free/50 free) x 3
Cool-Down (100-200)
(4-8) x 25 “Perfect stroke”
Monday, March 19
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim, free
100 Swim, choice
200-300 Pull
400 (8 x 50) Drill/Swim, choice of drill and stroke. Go when 4th person touches.
Main1 (1000)
All Free:
100 (4 x 25) count strokes, rest 5-10
100 (4 x 25) full catch-up, count
100 (4 x 25) ¾ catch-up, count
100 (2 x 50) count on 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:20, 1:45
100 count each length
200 IM (25 kick/25 drill of each stroke). Do *** last.
Choice (can be IM):
100 (4 x 25) count strokes, rest 5-10
100 (2 x 50) count on 1:05, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:55
100 count each length
Main2 (200-400)
Swim 200-400, choice. Can mix it up. Think about long strokes.
Cool-Down (100-300)
4 x 25, choice, count
2 x 50, count
1 x 100, count
Friday, March 23
Lower yardage today. I brought clipboards, pencils, split sheets. We swam 2 to a lane with a recorder for each person. I called out splits and recorder wrote them down. Swimmers really liked seeing how steady they were (or not). Several asked to do this again in a few weeks.
Fortunately, there were only 17 present so we could do this in 2 heats.
Warm-Up (800)
200 Swim
200 50 c.u./50 swim
200 25 change 6/25 swim. Back or free. Fins ok.
200 Pull.
Main (1200)
2 heats of 400. Pair off in groups of 2 within the lane. ½ swim, other ½ records splits. Switch.
Figure pace per 100.
8 x 50 at same pace free OR 4 x 50 non-free (one stroke).
4 x 100 at that pace.
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy pull.
Monday, March 26
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
300 Pull
300 (4 x 75) #1: fr/non/fr; #2 non/fr/non. Repeat
200 2 x 50 drill/swim; 2 x 25 count; 1 x 50 count
Main1 (1300)
200 4 x 50 free on :55, 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:30. Transition from W.U. to Main
300 3 x 100 free. 2nd 100 is the fastest. On 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 3:00
100 2 x 50 choice on 1:00, 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:45
300 3 x 100 choice. Descend 1-3. On 1:50, 2:10, 2:20, 2:30, 3:10
100 2 x 100 choice
300 3 x 100 choice, hold steady pace
Main2 (200-400)
(1-2) x 200 Pull
Wednesday, March 28
Warm-Up (1400)
300 (50 swim/25 drill) x 4. Choice of stroke and drill.
~Everyone get paddles. Fins are okay also.~
600 (25 swim/25 drill) x 12 . All free.
#1 Rt arm only; #2 Lft arm only; Look at where your hand enters and pulls.
#3-#4 3R-3L
#5-6 3R-3-3L
#7-8 Full c.u.
#9-10 Almost c.u.
#11 Swim ¾ c.u.; #12 Paddles off. Swim ¾ c.u.
300 (50 kick/50 swim). Choice.
200 No fins or paddles. 8 x 25 count strokes. Mix it up.
Main (1300)
300 2 x (3 x 50). Descend 1-3. Interval: 1:00/:55, 1:10/1:00, 1:20/1:05, 1:30/1:15, 2:00/1:45
First set is choice. Second set is free.
500 (2 x 100 pull free. Interval for 15 sec rest. Rest and get organized. 50 choice fast) x 2.
~Fins on. Kicks and Drills. Pick fly or back (just one).~
3 x 50 Kick. Back on side or on back in streamline position. Fly on back or w/ brd.
3 x 50 One arm. #1 6R-6 L, #2 3R-3L, #3 3R-3-3L back or 3R-1 full -3L fly
200 8 x 25 Odds fast. Evens recovery (any stroke).
Cool-Down (200-400)
(1-2) x 200
Friday, March 30
Warm-Up (1100)
200-300 Swim
400 (2 x 50 drill/swim, 2 x 50 build) x 2. Go on 4th touch.
200 (2 x 100) #1 build, #2 good effort
200 2 x (2 x 50) descend 1-2. Go on 4th touch.
Main (1400)
200 (8 x 25) Divide into heats based on free times. Shift as needed. (4 free, 4 choice).
200 Pull
200 Kick
400 (4 x 100) Pull on 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30
300-400 (6-8) x 50 No interval. Odds are fast. When everyone finishes, swim one easy.
Get everyone together for next fast one.
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy swim.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Warm-Up (600-800)
200-300 Swim, choice.
200 Drill/Swim by 25. No fins. Drills: full catch-up; 3R-3L; Chg 3; *** pull w/ fly kick
100 Free. Count stokes each 25.
100 Choice. Count strokes, rest 5-10 after each 25.
100 Swim, choice.
Main (1300-1700)
600 Sprint Practice
~Fins on~
4 x 25 Choice. Kick ½ way; swim rest.
4 x 25 Choice. Sprint.
2 x 50 Choice. Swim.
~Fins off~
4 x 25 Choice. Let feet drag, pull only ½; swim rest.
4 x 25 Choice. Sprint.
2 x 50 Choice. Swim.
100 easy swim
500 Pull (1 x 200; 2 x 100; 2 x 50). Slower lanes omit the 200.
500 Swim (1 x 200; 2 x 100; 2 x 50). Slower lanes omit the 200.
Cool-Down (100-300)
200 Free (50 swim with fins, 50 swim with fins and paddles, 50 swim with paddles, 50 swim)
100 choice
Wednesday, April 4
Warm-Up (1000)
100 Swim, free
100 D/S by 25, free
100 Swim, choice
100 D/S by 25, choice, different drills from before.
200-300 50K/50S, choice
200 (4 x 50, rest 10-15); 1-arm drill ½ way, swim ½ way for each 25; choice of stroke
100 Swim, choice
Main (1600)
2 x 200 (descend), same stroke or combination. Interval for 20 sec rest.
Lane 1 – do 1 x 200
8 x 50 Descend 1,2; 3 easy; descend 4-5; 6 easy; descend 7-8. Choice.
Interval for 15 sec rest. Lane 1 do 6.
4 x 100 Pull. #1-2 easy, #3-4 faster but moderate. Recovery. Lane 1: 2 x 100.
4 x 100 Swim. Steady pace. Interval for 10-15 sec rest. Lane 1: 2 x 100. Rest 20-30.
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim with extra long streamline off each wall.
