Main Set Shortest Day – December 22, 2011

How to celebrate the shortest day of the year (Winter Soltice is at 5:30 UTC on December 22, 2011)?  With short sets of 25s!   Have fun.

MAIN SET:  2000 SCY
Swim five rounds of the following, taking 20 to 45 seconds break between rounds.
4 X 25 Fly/Breast Combo on :30 (1 breast/1fly on first 25, 1 breast/2 fly on 2nd 25, 1 breast/3 fly on 3rd 25, 1 breast/4 fly on 4th 25)
4 X 25 Backstroke on :35
4 X 25 Breaststroke on :35
4 X 25 Freestyle on :30 or :25

Focus points (with video clips to give you excellent images to take to the pool):
Round #1:  Solid pushoffs and super-streamlined arms and hands on every pushoff
Round #2:  Fast kick to propel you into a forward-moving breakout.  (On breast, focus on long legs and feet together for first stroke.)
Round #3:  Focus on what your hands are doing on the pushoff and breakout.  Point them straight ahead…no resistance on the palms.
Round #4:  Focus on maintaining good form and rhythm in all your strokes…don’t let the hands get stuck anywhere.
Round #5:  Championship finishes in all strokes (fingertip touch, touch under the water, head down, extended body)

One of my swimmers finished the set, swam a 50, and came up saying, "Wow, I can’t believe how far I got on my pushoff after the turn."