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.
Friday, Mar 13
I think this was a good change for workouts. Swimmers enjoyed the 50s.
Warm-Up (650-900)
100 Swim, choice
~Fins on~
300 (100 free swim/50 free kick with brd/100 back swim/50 back kick)
100-200 kick choice
~Fins off~
150-300 (1- 2) x (25 drill/50 swim/50 drill/25 swim), choice drill and choice stroke.
Main (1300-1800)
200-300 (4-6) x 50. 2-fly/back, 2-back/***, 2-***/free. Sub free where necessary.
On: 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
100 free. Wide entry, lift shoulder and elbow before pulling.
200-300 (4-6) x 50. Odds 25 choice/25 free. Evens free.
On: :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:30, 1:50
100 free swim with paddles.
200-300 (4-6) x 50. All free. Steady pace. On: :50, 1:00, 1:05, 1:20, 1:40.
100 Pull.
200-300 (4-6) x 50 Pull.
200 300. Any stroke. Long and strong.
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25
Monday, March 16
Warm-Up (600-800)
600 (200 swim/200 pull/200 drill swim by 25)
200 (2 x 50) pull / (2 x 50) swim. Go on 4th touch.
Main (1400-1800)
600 (3 x 200) on 3:00, 4:00, 4:30, 5:15, Lane 8 – each person rest 20-30 sec.
#1, 2 freestyle. On all three, swim at anaerobic threshold for 150. Sprint last 50.
#3 choice.
400-600 (4-6) x 100. Odds are choice; evens are free. On 1:50/1:35; 2:15/1:55;
2:30/2:10; 2:30/2:20; 3:00/2:50
400-600 (8-12) x 50. (2-3) sets of 4 x 50. Descend 1-3, 4 easy.
On 1:00, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim.
Friday, March 20
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Free swim
200 Free pull
~Fins on~
•50 Free drill. Kick face down with hands on your thighs. Turn one hip approximately 45 degrees, eyes still on the bottom. After 8-10 kicks, rotate to the other side. Drive the rotation with your hands which are on your thighs. It should be a quick move to rotate. Turn head as little as possible to breathe. Do not lift your head. Do not breathe every rotation.
•50 drill (three and glide). This is the same at change 6 with 3 strokes. Kick 6 on side, stroke, stroke, stroke, kick 6 on other side.
~Fins off~
50 free drill (as above). Change 6 with 3 strokes.
50 free swim, use hip to drive hand in and glide.
Swim 200, mix it up
Pull 200
Main (1600)
200 (4 x 50) free. Think about “anaerobic threshold” pace
Lanes 4-6: 4 x 100 free or 50 non/50 free on 2:00, 2:20, 2:20
4 x 100 free or 50 non/50 free on 1:30, 2:00, 2:10
Lanes 7-8: 400 free to establish average 100 for repeats. I’ll get times.
Everyone:
200 (4 x 50) #1 drill, #2-3 drill/swim, #4 swim. Go on 4th touch.
300 (3 x 100) on average +10. Switch lanes as needed.
200 swim choice, moderate.
Cool-Down (100)
Monday, Mar 23
Warm-Up (800-1000)
200-300 free swim, use hips to rotate and extend hand
200-300 free pull, use hips
200 (4 x 50) free, increase effort on each one; go on 4th touch or rest 15
~fins on~
100 (50 hands at sides, rotate hips 8 kicks on each side, about 45 degrees) /
50 hands extended, same rotation, 8 on each side)
50 back swim, rotate hips
~fins off~
50 back swim, rotate hips
Main (1600)
300 Long and strong. 100 free/50 back/100 free/50 back
~fins on~
200 (4 x 50) 25 kick/25 swim on :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:50
200 Kick. 50 back/50 free or fly
~fins off~
300 Long and strong. PULL (100 free/50 back/100 free/50 back)
400 (4 x 100). #1 25 3R/3L fly, 75 free #2 25 free, 25 3R/3L fly, 50 free
#3 50 free, 25 *** pull w/ fly kick, 75 free #4 IM swim or drill
Go on 4th touch or rest 15 sec
200 (4 x 50) choice on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 2:00
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim
Wed, Mar 25
Warm-Up (800-1050)
200-300 Swim. 100 free/100 choice/100 free
~Fins on~
100 change 6 with 3 drill. Kick 6 on side, 3 strokes, kick 6 on other side. 50 free, 50 back.
Stretch your body and arm for streamline position. Turn hips 45 degrees. On free, face down. On back, face up.
200-300 Swim with fins. 100 free/100 choice/100 free.
200 IM Kick/Drill. 25 Kick/25 Drill for fly, back, free, ***. Continuous. Choice drills. Do
*** last. Take off fins for ***.
~Fins are off now~
100-150 Swim. If you go non-free or IM; you go 100. If you go free, go 150.
Main (100-1500)
600-900 (4-6) x 150. Odds: 100 swim/50 pull. Evens: 100 pull/50 swim. NO PADDLES.
Each 150 is continuous. Stop just long enough to get buoy or to take off buoy.
Ln 4: 2:15 or 2:30, Ln 5: 3:00, L6: 3:15, L7: 3:50, L8: do 4 on 4:20
200-300 (8-12) x 25. Count strokes. 4 are free; 4 are another stroke; 4 are free.
200-300 Pull
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim
Friday, Mar 27
Warm-Up (650-1000)
200-300 Swim. 75 free/25 non-free
~fins on~
250-500 4 x (75 Kick/50 Swim)
100 50 back/50 free (Change 4 with 3. Kick 4, take 3 strokes)
~fins off~
100 Swim, choice
Main (1500)
800-1200 (8-12) x 100. There is a pattern of what equipment to use.
#1 paddles and buoy, #buoy, no paddles #3 no paddles, no buoy, #4 paddles, no buoy.
Repeat these four 100s. Remember, it is: paddles & buoy, buoy only, no toys, paddles only
1:40, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, 2:50
200 Easy swim. 25 non-free/25 choice
100 Count strokes for each length. Continuous. Can you hold the stroke count?
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 50 choice, all one stroke. #1 moderate swim, #2 slower than #1, #3 count strokes
#4 comfortable stroke and speed
Monday, March 30
Warm-Up (700-1000)
100-200 free swim
100-200 free pull
100 choice swim
~Everyone stop~
Everyone to lane 7-8. Line up along wall or lane line, facing me. Use lane 6 if needed.
(1) One arm outstretched, hand on wall or lane line; other arm at your side. Put your face in the water, looking at the bottom. Practice taking a breath and exhaling completely, then turning just your head to get a small bite of air. Keep one goggle in the water. Do this 10 times.
(2) Back to usual lane, put on fins. Kick 25 on side (stay on one side). Face down, turn head to breathe. Keep one goggle in the water.
(3) Repeat kick on other side.
(4) Swim 25 catch-up. Quick breath, keep opposite hand just under the surface.
(5) Think almost catch-up as you swim another 25. Quick breath, opposite hand stays up.
(6)Fins off. Swim 25. Stop.
(7) Repeat swim 25. Total: 150
250-350 (5-7) x 50. Odds free with perfect breath, evens choice
Main (1400)
200 Free pull. Think about breathing.
300 (50 free/25 non-free) x 4
200 Swim choice. Can mix it up.
300-700 (3-7) x 100. #1-2 Pull free, #3-4 Swim free, #5 Pull, #6 Swim free, #7 Swim choice
On 1:50, 2:05, 2:15, 2:30, 2:50.
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy swim (50 choice/2 x 25 choice) x (1-3). Rest 5-10
Wednesday, April 1
Warm-Up (1000)
100-200 free swim. Head down, exhale.
100 free (25 R/25 L/5R-5L/3R-3L . Keep one goggle in the water.
100-200 Swim free. Think about breathing.
100 (2 x 50) backstroke. Breathe in on one arm, out on the other. Exhale completely.
Go on 4th touch.
200 Pull (75 free/25 back)
100-200 (2-4) x 50 . Swim choice. Go on 4th.
Main (1600)
200 (8 x 25) Count strokes. Odd: back, *** or fly. Even: free. Rest 5-10.
100 (4 x 25) free. Count strokes. #1 catch-up, #2 almost catch-up, #3-4 glide 2. COUNT.
100 free. Swim the 100 and count strokes on each 25. GLIDE.
400 (2 x 100, 1 x 200). Free, count strokes each 25. Set interval.
~Fins on~
400 (8 x 50). #1-2 Kick, #3-4 Drill/Swim, #5-6 Swim, #7-8 Kick.
~Fins off~
400 (8x 50). Choice. Same stroke for 2 in a row. Descend 1-2, 3-4, etc.
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim.
Friday, Apr 3
Warm-Up (1000)
400 Swim 100 -200 free. Pull 100-200 free.
200 (4 x 50) #1-2 One are half way on each 25, swim rest of each 25, free.
#3-4 Same thing backstroke
~Fins on~
200 50 free drill: kick 3 on side, kick 3 with both arms extended, kick 3 on other side
25 free swim
50 Kick ½ backstroke. Swim rest of each 25 backstroke.
25 back swim
50 25 back/25 free Swim
100 Kick 50 fly. If you do not use a brd, do NOT use your hands ;
~Fins off~
200 100 Swim free/100 swim choice
Main (1500)
300 (3 x 100) 50 pull with paddles / 50 swim
~Stop after each group of 3 for 30-60 sec~
300 (3 x 100) 50 pull without paddles/50 swim
300 (3 x 100) Swim free for #1-2, choice for #3
~Fins on~
300 (3 x 100) 50 Swim/50 Kick; #1-2 free, #3 choice
300 (3 x 100) Swim, choice
Cool-Down (100-200)
(4-8) x 25
Main Set: Lanes 4-5 do all 3 of each set.
Lane 6 Stop after 3 Swim/Kick
Lane 7-8 Do 2 x 100 in each set. If #3 is choice, you can do #2 as choice.
