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, Dec 10
Warm-Up (1200)
200-300 Swim
200-300 Pull. 100 with paddles/100 without paddles/100 up to you
200-300 Kick. Fins ok.
200 Swim with fins.
~Fins off~
100 (4 x 25) . Kick ½ way, swim rest. Choice.
Main (Total 1500)
Technique Check-Up: (800)
100 25 swim/25 left arm only/25 swim/25 right arm only. Be sure to roll back to center
with each one-arm stroke. Don’t stay on your side.
100 Same thing with paddles.
100 Swim free. Concentrate on good pull on both sides.
100 Combo drill: catch-up with fingertip drag. Be sure to count 1-2 in superman position.
Don’t rush it.
100 Swim free.
100 Count strokes for each 25. Try to stay at same count.
200 Swim free, long and strong, good pull.
Pick another stroke. No free. Back in lanes 4, 5; fins ok. Fly in lane 6; fins ok.
*** in lanes 7, 8. (300)
Back: 100 25 swim/25 left arm only/25 swim/25 right arm only. Be sure to roll back to center
with each one-arm stroke. Don’t stay on your side.
***: 100 25 *** pull with fly kick/25 swim/25 *** pull with free kick/25 swim
Fly: 100 25 3right only-3 left only/ 25 swim think about kick hands in, kick hands out/
3 right-1 full-3 left-1full/25 swim
Each lane: kick 100 of that stroke.
~Fins off~
4 x 25 swim. Rest 10. Think about the stroke.
Return to usual lane. (400)
(4-8) x 50 Odds choice (can be free). Evens free. On: 55/50; 1:10/1:00; 1:20/1:10;
1:30/1:20; 1:55/1:45
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim
Friday, Dec 12, I didn't coach. I left early to go to Zone meet in N. Virginia.
Monday, Dec 15
Warm-Up (1000)
200-400 Swim. 75 free/25 choice
200-400 (1-2) x 200 Pull. Get lane together after 1st 200.
200 (25 drill/25 swim), choice
Main (1600)
600 (12 x 50) choice
3 (same stroke) on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:55
1 easy
3 (same stroke) on :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:45
1 easy
3 (same stroke) on :50, 1:00, 1:10, 1:15, 1:40
1 easy
200 free, long and strong. Use hips, glide
400 (8 x 50)
Pick a stroke for 4 x 50. Fins on except for breaststroke.
On : 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:55
#1 Kick; #2 drill/swim; #3 swim; #4 swim
Pick another stroke for 4 more. Repeat #1-#4.
~Fins off~
200 Pull. 75 free/25 back
200 (4 x 50). Descend 1-2, 3-4. On :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:45
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim
Wednesday, Dec 17
Warm-Up (600-1000)
300-500 Continuous. 100 swim/100 pull/100 swim/100 pull/100 swim
~fins on~
100 25 kick free on rt side/25 kick free on lft side/50 swim free
100 25 kick back on side or back/25 swim back/25 kick back/25 swim back
100 freestyle drill: 25 catch-up / 25 3 kicks on front;3 k on lft; 3 k on front; 3 k on rt /
25 4 rt arm only-4 lft arm only/ 25 swim
100-200 100 IM drill or 200 IM Kick/Drill
Main (1600)
300 (3 x 100) free on 1:35, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 2:40; stop if you miss the interval.
200 (4 x 50) choice (all the same stroke) on :55, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
~fins on~
200 (25 Kick/25 Swim)
~fins off~
300 (6 x 50) free on :45, :55, 1:00, 1:15, 1:40. If you miss the interval, stop and rest 1. Do not
start late. Remember how many you made.
100-200 Pull, recovery
200 (2 x 100) Pull on 1:35, 1:55, 2:05, 2:15, 2:40
200 (4 x 50). #1, 3 Easy; #2, 4 fast. Choice.
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25
Monday, Dec 22
Several people did the 400 kick for time. I got splits while rest of the workout continued.
Warm-Up (1100)
200-300 1st 100 – 75 free/25 catch-up; 2nd 100 – 75 choice swim/25 choice drill;
3rd 100 – 75 free/25 fingertip drag
300-500 freestyle. 200 pull/100 swim/200 pull
***Those who wanted to do 400 kick for time, move to lanes 3,4.
Everyone else in lanes 5-8.***
200-300 choice. 50 kick/50 swim
Keep fins on.
Main (1500)
*Back or back/free, *** or ***/free, fly or fly/free, or IM: (600)
150-200 Kick
Fins off.
100 Pull (50 if ***)
200-300 (4-6) x 50. IM do 25 switch. Rest 15.
*Free (900)
400 (4 x 100) Pull (odds with paddles; evens w/o paddles)
300 (1 x 200) Swim; (1 x 100) Swim. Moderate effort for each.
200 (4 x 50) swim. Descend 1-2, 3-4
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25 great technique
Wednesday, Dec 24
For the last workout before Christmas, I try to do something different. This year I used "Twas the Night Before Christmas" as
the basis and pretty much murdered it.
'Twas the day before Christmas, when all ‘round the pool
lots of creatures were stirring, all lookin’ quite cool.
The kickboards were stacked by each lane with care,
in hopes that the coach soon would be there.
*SWIM 200400 WARM-UP
*PULL (1-2) X 200. REST 15
The swimmers had been nestled all snug in their beds,
but they got up for a workout to clear out their heads.
Now wearing their goggles, fins and a cap,
they forgot all about a long winter's nap.
*100 KICK. REST 15. 2 X 50 KICK. REST 10.
*200-300 OF 25 DRILL/25 SWIM
*100 SWIM WITHOUT FINS
When out on the deck there arose such a clatter,
Swimmers stopped to see what was the matter…
When, what to their wondering eyes should appear,
a cart full of fins and buoys - no tiny reindeer.
"Now Slackers! Now Talkers!
Now, Leaders and *Gawkers!
On, Backstrokers! On, Flyers!
On, Freestylers and Breaststrokers!
Choose a stroke as you may!
Watch the clock on the wall!
Now swim away! Swim away!
Sprint away all!"
*(3-5) X 100 FREESTYLE. INTERVAL FOR REST 15.
*2 X 100 NON-FREE OR 25 NON-FREE/25 FREE. ADD 15 TO INTERVAL.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard from the pool
just swimming, not talking, twas really quite cool.
As I turned my head ‘round to check on the time,
Time for Relays; no more of this rhyme!
*RELAYS WERE 25 EACH. WE DID TWO FREESTYLE SWIM, ONE FREESTYLE PULL, ONE BACKSTROKE, ONE BREASTSTROKE.
Oh my, I really got behind on posting.
Monday, December 1
This is a freestyle technique day.
Warm-Up (1200)
100-200 free swim
100-200 choice swim, mix it up
200 (3 x 50 free, 1 x 50 choice). Steady pace. On :50, 1:05, 1:15, 1:30, 1:50
~fins on~
200 (50 catch-up with stick / 50 catch-up without stick/50 swim with fins/50 swim no fins)
~fins off~
100-200 pull free
200 (4 x 50 pull free) on :45, 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:45)
Main (1600)
~fins on~
200 (50 chg 6 with 3/50 swim/50 kick 3 on rt, kick 3 on front, k 3 on lft, k3 on frnt/50 swim)
~get paddles, no buoy, keep fins on~
200 (25 rt only with paddles/25 lft only/25 rt only no paddles/25 left only/100 swim)
~no fins, buoy or paddles~
200 (3 x 50 free, 1 x 50 choice). Steady pace. On :50, 1:05, 1:15, 1:30, 1:50
200 Count strokes. (2 x 25 pull w/ paddles and buoy; 2 x 25 pull w/ no paddles;
2 x 25 swim w/ paddles; 2 x 25 swim). Rest 10.
200 (2 x 100 free). Rest 15. Even pace.
200 (2 x 50 free; 2 x 50 choice). On :50, 1:05, 1:15, 1:30, 1:50
200-400 (2 or 4) x 100. Descend 1-2, 3-4. Rest extra 30 after #2. Set interval for 15 sec rest.
Cool-Down (100)
2 x 50 easy
Wednesday, Dec 3
Warm-Up (1100)
5 x 100 Keep lane together. #1-2 Swim free; #3-4 Swim 75 free/25 non; #5 Choice
2 x 200 or 2 x 100 Pull. Get lane together before #2
200 (50 kick on back/50 swim choice)
Main (1600)
16 x 25 on :30, :40, :45, :50. Odds – good push-off; streamline; kick; no str before flags
Evens – time yourself. Steady pace. If non-free, do 1-4, rest 2, swim 4, rest 2, swim 4.
8 x 50 #1-4 steady pace, free; #5-6 choice, descend. #7-8 choice, descend
On :50, 1:05, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
200 Pull
4 x 100 on 1:30, 1:55, 2:05, 2:20, 2:50
200 Pull
Cool-Down (100)
2 x 50 easy
Friday, Dec 5
Warm-Up (1000)
100-200 Swim, free
100-200 Pull, free
100-200 (25 swim/25 drill) Drill for 1st and 3rd:K3 front-K3 left-K3 front-K3 right-K3 front
Drill for 2nd and 4th: fingertip drag
100-200 Swim (25 free/25 non)
100-200 Pull, (25 back or ***/25 free)
100-200 Swim, choice
Main (1600)
2 x 100 free, even pace. On 1:30, 1:55, 2:05, 2:20, 2:50
4 x 50 (2 free, 2 choice). On :55, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
2 x 100 free
4 x 50 choice. Descend 1-2, 3-4
2 x 100 choice. Add 15 sec to interval.
4 x 50 free. Keep same interval or drop 5 sec
2 x 100 free pull
Cool-Down (200)
200 Swim
