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, Nov 5
Warm-Up (1100)
300-400 Swim. Mix strokes. Include some drills.
400-500 (8-10) x 50. Mix it up. Do some drill/swim and some just swim.
Time yourself on 3 of the 50s.
100-200 (4-8) x 25. #1-4 build, #5-8 sprint.
Main (1600)
400 Swim. Get your time. Calculate time per 100. See chart.
300 Swim. Stop each 100 to check time. Keep same pace.
300 Pull. Get time. Same pace?
200 Swim. Get time each 100.
200 Pull. Same as above.
100 Swim. Same.
100 Pull. Same.
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25. Good streamline on push-off.
Main Set if you are swimming in the meet …
1. What is your longest race? For 400 and above, figure average per 100. For 200s, figure
average per 50. Swim 100 or 50 at pace you want for race.
2. Swim easy 50.
3. Pick a 200 that you are doing and swim 50 at race pace. If not 200s, do first 50 of 100.
4. Easy 50.
5. Pick a 100 or 50 that you are doing. Swim a broken 50. Swim 25, rest exactly 10 sec,
swim another 25.
6. Swim another broken 50.
7. Easy 50.
If time, starts or turns.
Friday, Nov 7
Warm-Up (800-1000)
300-400 Mix up swim/drill/different strokes
400-500 (8-10) x 50 Rest about 15. Not necessary to wait for lane.
Time yourself on a few to check pace and get heart rate up. D/S or S.
100 Choice. Try for distance pace free, or 1st 100 of 200.
Main
Do a few dives. From blocks or from side.
Relays!
Free relay (25 each). Can use starting block or not. Repeat.
Back relay (25 each).
*** or Fly relay (can swim either). 25 each.
Free relay (50 each).
Time everyone on 50 choice.
More time on blocks, turns, or long cool-down.
Wednesday, Nov 12
Warm-Up (1000)
100 Swim
200-300 (25 drill/25 swim)
100 Swim
~Fins~
200-300 (50 kick/50 swim)
~Fins off~
200 (2 x 50 choice, 2 x 50 free) Descend 1-2. Rest 15 after each 50.
Main (1600)
200-400 (2 x 100) or (2 x 200) Pull. Rest at least 20. Get lane together.
200-400 (2 x 100) or (2 x 200) Swim. Rest at least 20. Get lane together.
400 (4 x 50) pull, free. Interval with 15 sec rest. (4 x 50) swim, choice.
400 (4 x 100) swim. #1,3 50 non/50 free; #2, 4 all free
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25 count strokes
Friday, Nov 14
Warm-Up (1000)
200-300 Swim, choice
200 Pull, free
100 Pull, choice
200-300 Kick, choice
100 free Goal: 1:15, 1:45, 1:50-1:55, 2:05, 2:30-2:50
Main (1600)
800-1200 Longer set with more rest. I’d like each lane to maintain a little faster pace.
(8-12) x 100 free. Times: number to do/goal/interval
L4: 12/1:15/1:45, L5: 11/1:45/2:15, L6: 10/1:50-1:55/2:15
L7: 9/2:05/2:40, L8: 8/2:30-2:50/3:20
200 25 drill/25 swim, choice
200 (4 x 50) choice. Interval for 15 sec rest
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25, count strokes
Monday, Nov 17
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Drill/Swim by 25
200 (4 x 50) Can chg stroke after 2, rest 15
200 (2 x 100) free, rest 20
Main (1600)
(2-3) x 100 free on interval for 15-20 sec rest. 1st 100 with paddles (no buoy).
100 Pull, no paddles
(3 x 50) non-free on interval for 15 sec rest. Same for each 50 unless IM switch.
50 easy
(3 x 50) free on interval for 10-15 sec rest
50 easy
(2-3) x 100 free on same interval as above. 1st 100 with buoy, no paddles.
100 Pull
200 Swim, can mix it up.
200 Swim, one stroke.
Cool-Down (100-200)
(4-8) x 25
Wednesday, Nov 19
Warm-Up (1200)
800-1200 Go on 3rd person. Keep lane relatively together.
2 x 100 Swim
2 x 100 Pull
2 x 100 Swim
2 x 100 Kick
2 x 100 (25 drill/25 swim)
2 x 100 Swim
Main (1600)
300-400 Swim free. Stop each 100 to get time to check pace.
300-400 2 x 200 or 2 x 150. Pull #1, Swim #2
300-400 (3-4) x 100 Swim. Free on 1:30, 1:55, 2:00, 2:15, 2:50
300-400 (6-8) x 50 . On :55, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50. Work these.
#1-2 same stroke, descend / #3 easy / #4-5 same strk, desc /#6 easy / #9-10 same strk, desc
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim.
Friday, Nov 21
Warm-Up (1000)
Stop after each 200 to be sure the lane is together. Rest 20 betw/ 200s (go on 4th touch).
200 Swim (75 free/25 choice)
200 Pull (75 free/25 choice)
200 (50 drill/50 swim), choice. Fins ok.
200 Kick, choice.
200 Swim (25 choice/75 free).
Main (1500)
300 Swim, free. Stop each 100 to check time. Keep steady pace. Get your time.
300 (6 x 50), choice. #1-2 same str, same pace, #3 easy, #4-5 same str, same pace, #6 easy
Set interval for at least 10 sec rest.
300 Pull, free. Time should be faster than swim.
300 (6 x 50), free. #1-3 swim; #4-6 pull
300 (50 kick/50 swim)
200 Swim. One stroke or IM.
Cool-Down (100-300)
100-300 easy swim
Thinking ahead about giving thanks.
1. Give thanks for the role models in Lane 8.
100-300 Swim, free.
100-200 Swim, choice.
100-200 Pull, free.
2. Give thanks for the coaching and
encouragement in Lane 7.
~Fins ok~
200 25 kick on right side, free
25 kick on left side, free
50 change 6 with 3 strokes
50 4 rt only, 3 strokes, 4 lft only
50 swim, free
200 25 kick on right side, back
25 kick on left side, back
50 change 6 with 3 strokes
50 4 rt only, 3 strokes, 4 lft only
50 swim, back
3. Give thanks for “let’s go and get it done” ladies of lane 6. Fins ok. Continuous swim.
400 (100 non-free/200 free/100 non)
4. Give thanks for the one and only Lane 5. It is a diverse and unique group with its own rules.
300-400 (4 x 100 free) on 1:30, 1:55, 2:05,
2:20, 2:45
5. Give thanks for Lane 4. They are fast, but sometimes have to adapt to a different pace. We never know who or how many for this lane.
2 x 50 choice on :55, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30
2 x 100 choice on 1:50, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30
2 x 50 choice on :55, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30
2 x 100 choice on 1:50, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30
LANE 8: 2 x 50 ON 2:00 ; 1 x 100 ON 3:00
Total: 1600-2500
Give thanks for this wonderful
group of friends!!!
Thanksgiving Workout, 2014
I have used variations on this workout for several years. I believe the original idea came from Mike Collins.
Appetizer (700)
Swim 300, Kick 200, Pull 200
Set I – Veggies (900)
Succotash (A mixture of Strokes)
Swim 4 x (25/25/50)
• 25s on :40, :45, :50
• 25s are different, non-free
• 50 is choice on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
Yams
Swim 4 x (75/50)
• All free
• 75 rest 10
• 50 rest 15 before repeating
• Try to descend last two 50s
Set II – Turkey (450)
Swim 6 x 75
• Go on 4th touch
• #1 fly/back/brst #2 all free
#3 back/brst/free #4 all free
#5 fly/back/brst #6 all free
Set III – The Stuffing (300)
4 x (25 kick, 50 swim)
• 25s are kick underwater dolphin on back as far as you can, then back kick
• 50s are choice
• Go on 4th touch
Set IV – Pumpkin Pie or Pie with Whuppin’ Cream
(200):
Swim 8 x 25
• 2 fast, 1 easy, 2 fast, 3 easy on :40, :45, :55
