November 4, 2008 - Election Day Practice

Here's a practice created by our local state representatives.  Should be interesting to try, but pay attention.

600 Warm-up.  This is pretty standard, so nothing strange yet.

12 x 75 IM order by 25s... 6 on 1:10, 6 on 1:05. Sets of two, odds are fly-back-breast, evens are back-breast-free.  A good mix-it-up type of set that should make even those stroke-specific people a bit happy.  Everyone gets a little of what they like.

Next is a government CUT set.  We try to do something like this every week, but with the soreness of the swimmers increasing, we're going to reduce the amount of work they do... well... reduce the work, government style.

Last week we did 9 x 400 with a mix of pull, kick and swim.  This week we're going to governmentally reduce that workload... follow along.

The plan usually is to increase the workload as the season and the fitness level advances.  So, we had planned to do 12 x 400 the same way this week but, with the REDUCTION plan in mind, we really can't stick to that.   If we do only 11 x 400, however, we're really reducing what we had planned and, as such, are doing less than we did last week.  So... 

11 x 400 as follows:
1 - pull with snorkel on 6:00, alternate 50 free 50 breast
2 - swim freestyle, breathing every 3rd with double dolphins off each wall.  5:30
3 - kick on 6:30, holding under 6:00 on each one.
Repeat 1 - 3 three times, which leaves the two reduced 400s at the end.
10 - Because of shortages in the perceived effort level in the nine 400s previously performed, add an extra 200 to this one and perform it as 3 x 200 IM swum continuously.
11 - To make sure we have some extra yardage left over for our friends in the lane next to us, please add an additional 300 to the end of this one.  Also, this one is for time, and unless the "400" is performed in less than 5:00, you'll be fined with 2 additional 400s at the completion of the REDUCTION set.

There, now with the easily understood, and decreased-workload practice out of the way, your swimmers should be ready to perform at their top level.  Don't worry that they didn't get any speed work in, it should all come together soon... or should I say... it'll all "balance out."