Here are five warm-ups, main sets, and cool downs to get you through the winter break. I\u2019ve tried to include a lot of variety, but also several freestyle-based choices. Mix and match from day to day. Please send me an email if you have questions about how to modify sets or if you\u2019d like to learn about group classes or one-on-one lessons to learn strokes you need work on.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t know a stroke you may either substitute one you do, or do only the kick.
\nYou don\u2019t need a clock for most of these sets, but adding a time element can hone your pacing skills.<\/p>\n
Definitions:<\/p>\n
Rest<\/strong>: 10-30sec rest after each distance. For example: 400swim\/20sec rest\/300pull\/15sec rest\/200IM\/30sec rest\u2026just don\u2019t let the rest go on, and on, and on. You can\u2019t swim while holding the walls. Warm-up Sets (1000yd)<\/strong>: 1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Free focus 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 IM focus 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Breathing focus \u2013 breathe less, swim better \u2013 you can feel your entire stroke better when breathing is taken out, and if you catch a few waves in a row in your race you better be able to hold your breath and keep swimming! 4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 IM focus 5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Free focus Main Sets (1500yd)<\/strong>: 1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pacing\/distance focus \u2013 could be easy or hard, depending on need 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Switching \u2013 may substitute stroke drills where desired 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pacing focus \u2013 threshold, similar to Sprint distance race pace 4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kicking \u2013 may substitute stroke drills where desired as long as the kick remains strong and steady 5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pacing focus – varied Cool Down Sets (500yd)<\/strong>: 1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10×50 Easy \u2013 25back\/25breast Here are five warm-ups, main sets, and cool downs to get you through the winter break. I\u2019ve tried to include a lot of variety, but also several freestyle-based choices. Mix and match from day to day. Please send me an email if you have questions about how to modify sets or if you\u2019d like to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[79,80,85,81,82,84,83,78,60,75,77,74,76,73,16],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/2012-09-25_06-34-08_557.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=221"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221\/revisions\/234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaycoaching.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nIM<\/strong> \u2013 Individual Medley
\nIM order<\/strong> \u2013 Fly, Back, Breast, Free
\nReverse IM order<\/strong> \u2013 Free, Breast, Back, Fly
\nBuild<\/strong> \u2013 start slow and end fast
\nPull<\/strong> \u2013 Upper body focus \u2013 use hand paddles to add upper body resistance, or use a buoy to take the kick out of the stroke and isolate the core and upper body
\nFast<\/strong> \u2013 not a sprint or max effort, perhaps a pace you could hold for twice the distance specified
\nDolphin Kick<\/strong> \u2013 Fly kick, both feet together \u2013 try to make it start from your chest with the legs finishing like a whip, like snapping a tight sheet
\nChoice<\/strong> \u2013 any stroke or combination of strokes, or drills
\nSKP<\/strong> \u2013 Swim, Kick, Pull
\nMath Sets<\/strong> \u2013 For example: 3x(4×50) \u2013 do what\u2019s in the parentheses first(four 50s), and then do it again, and again(that\u2019s the 3x)
\nSwitching Sets<\/strong> \u2013 Moving from one stroke to the next in IM order, but for only two or three of the four strokes. There can be a focus such as turns, stroke drills, underwater kicking, etc.
\nTimed<\/strong> \u2013 use your watch or the pace clock
\nMin-max<\/strong> \u2013 minimum strokes\/maximum effort. Everyone asks, \u201cHow is this possible???\u201d. Generally, you stretch as far as you can and pull as hard as you can. Count strokes per length and take as few as possible.<\/p>\n
\nNote \u2013 these are easy to cut in half if you\u2019re short of time or sleep<\/p>\n
\n500 Choice build (swim or pull)
\n10×50 Free as 25kick\/25swim<\/p>\n
\n400 Reverse IM \u2013 50kick\/50swim of each stroke
\n300 Free pull (buoy or paddles)
\n200 Build non-free (fly, back, or breast only)
\n100 Easy choice<\/p>\n
\n400 Free \u2013 breathe every 3,5,7,5 by 25 (breathe every 3 strokes for 25yd, every 5 strokes for 25, and so on\u2026and yes, 7 is possible)
\n300 Pull 75back\/25breast, repeat
\n200 Fast free, breathing every 3 to 4 strokes (if you already breathe every three normally, go to four or five)
\n100 Easy choice<\/p>\n
\n250 Free\/100 Back kick
\n200 Back\/100 Dolphin kick
\n150 Breast\/100 Free kick
\n100 Fly<\/p>\n
\n3×300 Free SKP (100swim\/100kick\/100pull)
\n1st<\/sup> 300 \u2013 Easy
\n2nd<\/sup> 300 \u2013 Build within each 100 (100swim slow to fast, 100kick slow to fast, \u2026)
\n3rd<\/sup> 300 \u2013 25fast\/25slow throughout
\n100 Easy choice<\/p>\n
\nNote: 1500yd main sets are good for up to Olympic and Half-IM distance triathlon training.<\/p>\n
\nHold the same pace throughout, choice of one stroke only
\n500\/400\/300\/200\/100<\/p>\n
\n4x(3×50), 10sec rest after each 50
\n1st<\/sup> 50 \u2013 25fly\/25back
\n2nd<\/sup> 50 \u2013 25back\/25breast
\n3rd<\/sup> 50 \u2013 25breast\/25free
\n4×100 IM, 30sec rest after each 100
\n500 Free \u2013 steady pace<\/p>\n
\n200 Free time trial at maximum sustainable effort, timed
\n1min rest
\n200 Easy free
\n4×25 Building slow to fast within each 25, 10sec rest each 25
\nTake half your 200 time trial and add 10sec \u2013 this is your 100 pace
\n10×100 at this pace, no more than 30sec rest<\/p>\n
\n8×75 \u2013 25 fast dolphin kick, 25 very easy free, 25 fast back kick
\n200 Easy free
\n500 as 4×125, no rest \u2013 100 free kick\/25 easy free swim, focus on keeping legs straight\/narrow and toes pointed
\n200 Easy free<\/p>\n
\n2x(5×100) Free \u2013 1st<\/sup> 100 easy, 2nd<\/sup> add one fast 25, 3rd<\/sup> include two fast 25s, 4th<\/sup> has three fast 25s, 5th<\/sup> is all fast (Hint: make the easy 25s very easy to start. Also, if done correctly, each 100 should be faster than the prior one.)
\n20×25 Min-max free leaving every minute<\/p>\n
\nNote: a long cool down allows your heart rate and blood pressure to drop gradually<\/p>\n
\n2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 500 Free \u2013 build down from fast to slow, taking off a little effort each 50
\n3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5×100 Easy choice
\n4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20×25 Choice, easy form focus, 5sec rest at each wall
\n5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 100 Single-arm fly
\n100 Back pull
\n100 Easy breast
\n100 Free pull
\n100 Elementary back (both arms recover overhead)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"