Set of the Week - January 11, 2008

Over the holiday break, my stepson was working on a math project involving something called the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci series. The Fibonacci series is a string of numbers in which each number is the sum of the last two numbers: 0-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34, etc. When translated into squares, the Fibonacci numbers create a spiral that approximates the kind of spiral that often occurs in nature (think of snails, sea shells, or the arrangement of seeds and leaves on certain plants.). I got intrigued by this and wondered if the concept could be applied to swimming... and wondered whether doing sets based on the Fibonacci ratios would somehow feel "right."

Here are two ladder sets and two pyramids that I came up with, based on the Fibonacci series. Within the framework of yardage, feel free to do whatever strokes or drills seem interesting to you. Experiment and have fun!

IM LADDER: 1600
1 X 50 2L/2R Fly with fins
1 X 50 2L/2R Fly with fins
1 X 100 3L/3R Backstroke with fins
1 X 150 Backstroke with fins
1 X 250 Alternate Body-Dolphin Breast and Breast by 25
1 X 400 Freestyle pull, breathing every 2� every 3
1 X 250 With fins: Alternate 2L/2R Fly and Dolphin Kick on Your Back by 25
1 X 150 Backstroke with fins
1 X 100 Alternate Body-Dolphin Breast and Breast by 25
1 X 50 Freestyle, count total strokes and check your time.
1 X 50 Freestyle, take same number of strokes but decrease your time.

FREESTYLE/BACKSTROKE LADDER FOR BEGINNERS: 800
1 X 25 3L/3R Freestyle with fins
1 X 25 Freestyle with fins
1 X 50 3L/3R Backstroke with fins
1 X 75 Backstroke with fins
1 X 125 With fins, alternate 25 Backstroke/25 Freestyle
1 X 200 Freestyle pull, breathing every 2� every 3
1 X 125 With fins, alternate 25 Backstroke/25 Freestyle
1 X 75 2L/2R Backstroke with fins
1 X 50 Backstroke with fins
1 X 25 Freestyle build slow to fast
1 X 25 Freestyle build slow to fast

FREESTYLE PYRAMID: ?????
The pyramid is 2000 yards. Get your time on the first 100 and try to maintain that pace throughout to the top of the pyramid. If you do the pyramid more than once, try using different equipment on each round (e.g., paddles and pull buoy on first round, no equipment the second round, fins on the third round).
100
100
200
300
500
800

DESCEND PYRAMID: 2000
4 X 200
5 X 100
6 X 50
8 X 25
4 X 12.5
4 X 12.5