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, Aug 13
Warm-Up (1200)
300 Swim. Choice. Good turns.
150 Free. Count strokes (50 catch-up/50 almost catch-up/50 swim)
250 Pull. Think almost catch-up.
200 back or free (50 kick on side/50 chg 6/50 chg 6 with 3/50 swim). Fins ok.
50 *** pull with free kick
50 *** kick with board. If you have knee problems, kick fly with fins and board.
50 free swim
50 *** kick with board
50 free swim
50 *** kick
Main (600-1200)
3 sets of (4 x 100 free) or (4 x 50 non-free). Choose lane by time for interval.
Rest between 30-60 between sets.
Lane 4: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40
Lane 5: 1:50, 1:55, 2:00
Lane 6: 2:00, 2:05, 2:10
Lane 7: 2:05, 2:10, 2:15
Lane 8: 1:20, 1:30, 1:30 (50s only)
Cool-Down (400)
200 Pull
200 Swim
Wednesday, Aug 15
Everyone seemed to like being able to see their splits after their timed 400 or 200. It is a real eye-opener for those who don't pace.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim (75 free/25 choice)
200 Pull
200 Kick
200 50 fingertip drill/50 full c.u./50 almost c.u./50 fingertip drill with almost c.u.
200 choice. Stop at 100 to check time. Descend.
Main (1500)
100 Work on turns, especially flip. Help each other.
200-400 Timed 400 free or 200 non-free. 2 heats. Swim one heat, write splits other heat.
300 (25K/25D/25S) with fins
500 (10 x 50). 1-2 *** pull with free kick. Squeeze arms together. Breathe early.
3-4 Swim, choice. 5-8 are one arm ½ way, swim ½ of each 25. Choice. 9-10 Swim.
200 Pull (75 free/25 choice)
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25
Friday, August 17
Warm-Up (1000)
400 (4 x 100 free) on 1:45, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, 3:00. This is not supposed to be fast. It is warm-
up. Think about technique and turns.
300 Pull (75 free/25 non-free).
200 No fins. Kick at least 1/3 of each 25.
100 (25 Rt only/25 Lft only/25 3R-3L/25 Swim). Back or free.
Main (1500)
200 (8 x 25). I’ll start you. Gradually build up speed. Choice.
200 (4 x 50) on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50. First and last are non-free, same stroke.
400 fins ok. (50K/50S). Choice.
400 (4 x 100). #1 free, #2 non-free, #3 free, #4 free. Go 5 sec after 4th person touches.
Get your time on each 100.
300 (3 x 100) Free pull. On 1:35, 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:50
Cool-Down (100)
Easy 100
Monday, Aug 20
Workout is 27 x 100 for the fastest lane. I scaled it so lanes do 27, 25, 25, 22, 18.
*4 x 100 (75 free/25 choice).
On #2 and #4, stop after 1st 25 to vertical kick *** for 20 sec.
Stop after 3rd 25 to vertical kick *** for 30 sec.
*200 (25 non-free/25 free). Kick ½ of each 25. No fins.
*100 Swim (25 ***/25 free).
*5 x 100 Pull on 1:35
*3 x 100 Kick. Rest 15 sec. No more than 15 sec rest!!!!
*2 x 100 breaststroke (25 with fly kick/25 with free kick/50 swim).
*4 x 100 Swim. On 1:35 free, 2:00 non-fr.
(#1 free, #2 non-free, #3 free, #4 choice).
*3 x 100 (swim, broken at the 50 to check time).
#1 back, *** or fly, #2free, #3 choice
At the 50, stop to get time (
Wednesday, Aug 22
Warm-Up (1100)
100 Free swim
200 Swim (50 non-free/100 free/50 free)
100 Free pull
300 Pull (25 non-free/50 free) x 4
100 Kick 1/3 of each length/swim rest. No fins. Be sure you kick 1/3.
200 Kick, choice. Fins ok
100 Swim. Second 50 faster than first 50.
Main (1400)
I had swimmers switch lanes according to interval for 50s. I wanted them to have 10-15 sec rest.
200 (4 x 50) Choice. Even pace.
100 One-arm ½ way swim rest – back, fly, free OR *** – pull only ½ way, swim rest
200 as 50 – 100 – 50. Two 50s should be same pace. 100 can be anything, long and strong.
Stop just long enough to get time for 50s (
Friday, Aug 24
Warm-Up (1200)
200 (75 free/25 full c.u.)
200 Pull (100 w/o paddles, 100 with paddles)
~Fins and Paddles~
200 (75 free/25 back) 3R-3-3L
50 One arm with kickboard. Hold board sideways, one arm with paddles. Head up-look.
50 Swim free with paddles and fins.
~No paddles, keep fins on~
50 25 Tarzan Stroke (head up)/25 Tarzan ½ way, then swim
50 Swim with fins, wide entry, good reach
200 (4 x 50 kick) on 1:10, 1:10, 1:10, 1:15, 2:00. Choice.
50 Fly. Catch-up pull/fly kick. Breathe forward.
50 Fly. Kick 4, then stroke one or two; Kick 4, stroke one or two…
~Fins off~
100 IM swim. On fly and ***, you can drill if needed.
Main (600-1200)
(12-24) x 50 continuous, but think in groups of 4. Descend 3 - 1 easy.
After each group of 4, reset the clock (no more than 25 sec extra rest)
Alternate choice and free.
Ln 4: 1:00 choice/:50 free
Ln 5: 1:10 choice/:55 free
Ln 6: 1:20 choice/1:00 free
Ln 7: 1:30 choice/1:15 free
Ln 8: 2:15 choice/1:50 free
Cool-Down (100-400)
100-200 Pull
100-200 Swim
Workouts for the next 2 weeks will be a little different.
Our usual pool is closed for 2 weeks for annual maintenance. Groups are meeting informally at two pools. No coach on deck, but workouts will be available.
I try to make the workouts easier to understand with no coach to explain.
Monday, Aug 27
Warm-Up (400)
300 Swim: 75 free/(25 back or catch-up) - 50 free/(50 back or c.u.) - 25 free/(75 back or c.u.)
100 Breaststroke. Mix drills and swim.
Main (1600-2000)
1 x 400 Continuous. Stop just long enough to change equipment.
1st 100 – Pull, no paddles; 2nd 100 – Pull with paddles;
3rd 100 – Swim with paddles and fins (no buoy); 4th 100 – Swim with fins (no paddles)
2 x 200 #1 Swim / #2 Pull
4 x 100 Swim. Interval for 15 sec rest. Choice.
8 x 50 Think 4 x (2 x 50). Interval for 20 sec rest.
Mix it up (kicks, swims, different strokes).
~ Main Set is 1600 and workout is 2000 to this point~
16 x 25 Think 4 x (4 x 25). Interval for 10-15 sec rest.
In each set of 4, #1 build, #2-3 fast, #4 easy
Cool Down (100-400)
50 Kick or Drill/ 50 Swim
Grand Total through the Main Set is 2400. Add Cool Down for your final yardage.
Wednesday, Aug 29
Warm-Up (1000)
300 Swim, choice
300 Pull. Increase effort each 100.
200 Kick, choice.
200 Drill. 1st 100: 25 R only free/25 L only free/25 3R-3-3L-3/25 swim .
2nd 100: Repeat same drills back or free
Main (1400)
3 x 100 moderate (long and strong) on interval for 15-20 sec rest
2 x 100 same interval, but 100s faster than 1st set
1 x 100 faster than other sets
200 Pull, recovery
Repeat set of 3 x 100, 2 x 100, 1 x 100. Can change to another stroke.
Cool-Down (100-200)
(4-8) x 25 Perfect stroke
