Swimming Set of the Week - March 19, 2010

Got championships?  This week's set can help you taper, but can also be a good anaerobic set at any point in the season.

Start with a standard warmup, then...

MAIN SET:  1800 (scy)
Three times through:
1 X 300 (200 drill/swim by 25 + 100 turn drill)
3 X (75 on 1:15 or 1:30 + 25 easy double-arm backstroke on :45)

1st round = no equipment
2nd round = fins
3rd round = your choice of no equipment, fins, or fins & paddles

Descend time on the 75s within each round to MAXIMUM EFFORT on #3.   The last 75 in each round is RACE PACE (or above race pace if you're wearing equipment).   If you want to know if you're truly hitting race pace, take your best 100 time (or your goal 100 time for the upcoming meet), turn it into seconds, divide by 4, then multiply by 3.  If you're not coming close to that time when wearing no equipment, you're not truly swimming at race pace.    E.g., if your goal time in the 100 free is 1 minute, your time on the final 75 with no equipment should be right around 45 seconds (60 seconds divided by 4 = 15...multiplied by 3 = 45 seconds.  On the 75s, try to put into practice the focus points you work on in the 300.  It's OK to switch strokes each round.

On the focus 300s, don't go into LaLa Land!  Pick something in your stroke that you want to focus on, and use a drill or sculling to work on that aspect.  For the final 100, work on your turns.  E.g., for free and back, do a mid-pool flip on each length, working on a tight tuck and speed.  Or, if you're doing breaststroke, practice The World's Most Effective Drill for a Faster Breaststroke Turn.  Don't know what that is?  Pick up a copy of Go Swim Breaststroke Turns & Pullouts with Dave Denniston or Go Swim the 7 Competitive Turns with Steve Haufler.  For a dynamite freestyle-flip drill, pick up Go Swim Freestyle with Kara Lynn Joyce.