Main Set Tuesday – January 3, 2012

100s!  Just a few, but three different ways to attack descending intervals.

Set 1 (long course):
9 x 100 –
 – 3 on 1:30
 – 3 on 1:20
 – 3 on 1:10
Obviously, as the intervals get faster… so the swimmers must swim faster.  Pretty simple.

Set 2
9 x 100 –

 – 3 sets of the following order
  – 1 on 1:30
  – 1 on 1:20
  – 1 on 1:10
This allows athletes who are having a tough time making 3 straight on the fastest interval a better opportunity to make three on the fastest interval.

Set 3
10 x 100 –

 – This is the "math" set.  Swimmers will need to think of these 10 100s as 5 sets of 2 to keep things simple.  Pick an overall interval, then split up the 2 100s within that interval, varying the slow and fast so the athletes are REALLY challenged on the last 2 faster 100s, but are allowed to get more rest on the slower intervals.  For this example, we’ll use the overall time of 3:00, which means the 2 100s will add up to 3:00.
 – 1 on 1:40
 – 1 on 1:20

 – 1 on 1:45
 – 1 on 1:15

 – 1 on 1:50
 – 1 on 1:10

 – 1 on 1:55
 – 1 on 1:05 (which should be very difficult to make)

 – 1 on 2:00
 – 1 on 1:00 (which means… this is an all out sprint, but since there’s not another 100 after it, this should become nearly a goal time at the end of a tough set)

Three different ways to do some 100s, and if you do them all in the same practice… it’s a quick 2,800 meters.  Nice set.