Swimming Set of the Week - July 3, 2009

With all the talk this week about stroke count, stroke rate, dps, and efficiency, here's a short set that lets you play with all those elements.  Four lengths for July 4th. 

This set is appropriate at any time during the season, but especially during taper.  You can swim it in any stroke.  

Start by swimming a couple of 25s with good form but at a fairly relaxed stroke rate and pace.   Make sure you're swimming with nice rhythm and flow, and not drilling.  Count your strokes and decide which count will be your starting point for the true part of the set...let's call it your "N."  

OK.  Now swim 4 X 25 on a sendoff that gives you an equal ratio of swim time to rest time.  For example, if you swim the first length in 20 seconds, you would do 4 X 25 on a 40-second sendoff.   Use the following stroke counts:
1st 25:  N
2nd 25:  N + 1
3rd 25:  N +2
4th 25:  N+3

Take all the strokes you're supposed to take!   Fit them in.   And keep track of your time on each 25.  Do a 50 or 100 recovery, then try the set again.  Do another 50 or 100 recovery and then try the set a third time, except that this time your stroke counts should be N+3, N+2, N+1, N.  On this third set, see if you can keep your times the same, no matter what stroke count you're using.

Have fun, and have a happy 4th.