Main Set Wednesday - Aerobic Distance & Olympic Event

Several swimmers on Barbara's masters team are preparing for a 4.75-mile lake swim this month and were looking for a long aerobic set today.  They did 70 rounds of the main set with no break, while other swimmers did 4 or 5 rounds.   Everyone did the olympic events at the end.

MAIN SET:  5250
70 X 75 with no break
Goal:  Stay aerobic for the entire set.
Swim the set as 12 rounds of the following:

2 X 75 Back/Breast/Free on 1:20 (or approx. 10 seconds rest)
2 X 75 Freestyle, sighting once per length on 1:20 (or same sendoff as Back/Breast/Free)
2 X 75 Freestyle, using a slightly bumped-up breathing pattern on 1:15 (or :05 less than your previous sendoff)

NOTE:  On the final 2 rounds (the final 12 X 75), the distance group dropped their sendoffs by :05 (1:15 on back/breast/free 75s and sighting 75s; 1:10 for freestyle 75s).  

OLYMPIC EVENT:  KEIRIN (an olympic cycling race)
The "race" is 100 total yards.  Fins are optional and it's OK if slower swimmers wear fins and fasters swimmers do not wear fins.  A group of 4 swimmers start at the same time, swimming two abreast in each lane, and swim 85 yards at a VERY slow pace and so that no swimmer is ahead of any other swimmers when they reach the 85-yard mark, at which time all swimmers SPRINT/RACE the final 15 yards to the finish. Hold several heats of this event, then have the first-place finishers in each heat compete in a semi-finals or finals event.     

NOTE:  In our group, we had several beginner swimmers who didn't want to race, but who were happy to serve as a fifth swimmer -- the "rabbit" -- who kept the other swimmers at a slow pace for 85 yards.