New Year's Set #2

New Year's Set #2

LONG practices are a tradition on New Year's Day, so why change things? Well, long can either mean the distance traveled, or the length of time taken. So why not change the practice into the toughest sets EVER? Start out the year with something that gives your swimmers an understanding of the performance demands that will be required in this Olympic Year.

To celebrate the '08 in 2008, we're going to increase our standard set, and put a little mix to it. First, here's the ENTIRE practice:
?? x 100s on 3:00
8 of the 100s stroke under a goal time.

Practice lasts for however long it takes you or your swimmers to accomplish the goal. The most important part about this set is the "goal time." It HAS to be something VERY challenging, and a miss is a miss.

Here's the twist this year: The 8 x 100s can be accumulated through yardage added up. There will be various goals for a 50, 100, and 200. The swimmer will get partial -- or multiple -- credit for a distance made. Here's an example for breaststroke:
50 - 28.0
100 - 1:02.00
200 - 2:14.00

The swimmer could swim 4 x 200 on 3:00, swimming all of them in 2:13.9, and finish the entire practice in 12 minutes. If that happens, then YOU, as the coach, just got SCHOOLED by your swimmer. He/she has been holding back in EVERY practice, and at least now you know what the potential of the upcoming year is going to hold.

A more realistic scenario would be:
200 under 2:14, the swimmer gets credit for 200 yards (600 to go).
On the 3:00, the swimmer goes an easy 50 or 100.
On the 6:00, the swimmer attempts another 200 and goes 2:13.9. Barely making the cut-off, but still gets credit and stands at 400 yards (400 to go).
On the 9:00, the swimmer goes an easy 50 or 100.
On the 12:00, the swimmer, still tired from the 200's goes another easy swim.
On the 15:00, the swimmer shifts to a sprint 100, swims a 1:01.5, and gets credit for another 100 (300 to go).
On the 18:00, easy swim.
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This continues and the swimmer misses the next couple attempts at the 100s and eventually switches to 50s.
After about 90 minutes of all out sprinting, the swimmer completes the 800 yards of very fast swimming.

The year has started, or ended (whenever you do your New Year's celebration), without the swimmer being able to brag to his/her friends about the 10,000-yard practice, but with the understanding of JUST where they stand, and what changes they need to initiate to accomplish their goals in the next year.

Enjoy.