09/23/03 CCB Masters T-15s and 200s

09/23/03 CCB Masters T-15s and 200sI know that Dave isn't keen on timed swims, but we'll continue to do them with our Masters team because I feel that, for most of them, a timed swim is JUST what they need to train for their compeitions. About 70% of our Masters are triathletes. When they compete, they swim anywhere from 400 yards in a sprint triathlon to 2.4 miles in an Ironman swim. Most of them compete at international distances, which means their swim is 1500 meters or about .9 mile. (That's BEFORE they get on the bike for 26 miles and then run 6 miles.) When we started the team in January 2003, a lot of the members wanted to do a triathlon but had never done one because they were daunted by the swim. The timed swims have given them confidence that they can swim continuously for the length of time required in their race. The fact that we do these timed swims every month, without fail, helps them get over the nervousness that you feel when you stand on shore before the start of a long open-water swim. It also lets them feel the stages that their shoulder muscles and respiratory system will go through in a long swim. They learn to deal with all the factors. So this week is T-15 week.For those doing the T-15, warmup is 400 yards easy swimming. After the T-15, they take their pulse, then do an easy 100 or 200. We typically do something easy after the swim. Today we put on fins and did:1 X 200 Head-Lead "IM"2 X 25 Head-Lead Dolphin Kick on Your Back (build speed over the 25)2 X 25 Free with 6 dolphin kicks into the breakout2 X 25 Hand-Lead Dolphin Kick on Your Back (build)2 X 25 Free with 6 dolphin kicks into the breakout1 X 200 Hand-Lead "IM"Then repeat the 25s as listed above.WARMDOWN: 5050 EZ swimTotal Yardage: 2000 - 2200, depending on T-15 swimFor those who did not do the T-15 today, we did a freestyle practice:WARMUP: 400MAIN SET:Swim 8 times through the following:1 X 200 Free, except that 7th lap is backstroke. Count strokes. Get your time, and try to descend your time on each 200.2 X 25 Free @ N-2 Use these as active recovery. Stretch out. Do 3 to 4 bobs between 25s.WARMDOWN: 200 EZTotal Yardage: 2600