Swimming Set of the Week - February 26, 2010

This week's set offers a way to introduce some really fast swimming, but without destroying the nervous system.  

Got championships coming up in a month or so?  This set is a good way to ease into taper with some fast swimming interspersed with easy swimming.   It's also a good team-building set because with the generous sendoff, just about everyone on the team can use the same sendoff and do the set together.   E.g., our Masters team used a 2:00 sendoff, which worked for swimmers going around 1:00 for the fast swims, as well as those going around 1:35.  A group of slower swimmers used 2:15 for their sendoff.     The effectiveness of this set is enhanced if Coach uses a whiteboard/chalkboard to post everyone's progression of times on the up-tempo 100s.  A little accountability is a powerful incentive:)

Start with 600-1000 warmup.

MAIN SET:  1800
18 X 100 on a sendoff that gives 30 to 60 seconds rest.  Every 3rd 100 is up tempo, and the goal is to descend time every two up-tempo 100s, i.e., 3 & 6 are fast; 9 & 12 are faster: 15 & 18 are fastest.   

Don't do the set on a tight sendoff!  Take the recommended rest so you can go fast when you're asked to go fast.    Do all of the up-tempo 100s in the same stroke, but... IM is OK and it's OK to combine strokes, e.g., those training for the 100 fly could do each up-tempo 100 as 75 free + 25 butterfly.  Or, you could do 25 back + 50 breast + 25 free.  Just use the same stroke pattern on each up-tempo 100.  The slower 100s are choice (kick, pull, drill, easy swim); just make the sendoff.