IM/Free Ascend/Descend Set with Cornell University

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Jake Lichter, Assistant Men’s Swim Coach, Cornell University

This was a great workout because our guys attacked the first 200 like it was the only one. We had a hand full of swimmers go sub 2:00 with the fastest guy going 1:55.8. It was a challenge for them to maintain the effort as they Ascended because we limited by how much they could slow down. By the time they got to #8 & #9 they were able to recover enough to be able to give a best effort on the final 200 free with most guys under 1:50 and a 1:43.4 as the fastest. OTB = Off the blocks

15:00 Dynamic Dryland

Warmup:

400 Fr-IM
4 x 100 IMO Drill on 1:30
8 x 50 on :50
fly/back
back/breast
breast/free
free/back

16 x 25 IMO Dec 1-4 on :30

20 x 50 kick on 1:00
4 hard 4 ez
3 harder 3 ez
2 harder 2 ez
1 hardest 1 ez

6 x 75 on 1:10
fly/back/breast
back/breast/free
free

10 x 200 on 3:00
Odd: IM Ascend 1-5
#1: OTB For Time #2: No more than 10 seconds Slower #3: No more than 5 seconds slower
Even: Free Descend 1-5
#10: OTB for Time
200 loosen

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Underwater Excellence

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM. We did this kick set recently and our swimmers were very engaged. We timed the underwater 25s (we keep team records on this) and asked for an elite effort on the green parts. We ended up with several lifetime best 25s underwater and an excellent overall group effort.

The intervals on the ez Swim were deliberately large so that the last person would finish before we had to dive on the next 25.

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Breaststroke Fartlek Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

These non-stop 6:00 swims repeated the instructions within the 6:00. At about 5:00, coach would yell “Go!” signifying a FAST 50 breast starting immediately.

The instructions on the second round are 5 cycles kick, 4 cycles Swim, 3 cycles speed drill (head up, narrow pull, narrow kick) and repeat.

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Speed Spectrum and Active Recovery

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM pool. The goal was to really push ourselves to hold some aggressive times in practice. The main group did the top set while the distance crew did the bottom set.

If done in a SCY pool, I would probably change the goal on the 150 to “beat your best 200 time by :20”

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Steal the Underwater Bacon

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Swimmers are divided into an even number of lanes with each lane serving as a team.. Lane 1 competes with Lane 2, lane 3 competes with Lane 4, etc. On the coach’s “go,” one swimmer in each lane pushes off to begin an underwater dolphin kicking length. As they push off, a coach throws one of our orange hockey pucks (we frequently use as bottom markers, but you can use anything that rapidly sinks) into the pool between each pair of lanes. The swimmers in each pair of lanes race dolphin kick to the puck and try to grab it off the bottom first. If you have the swimmers evenly matched by dolphin kicking ability you will get some excellent races!

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Working Toward the 500 Free with Derek Young

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Derek Young, Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club

Senior Performance –Friday January 10, 2020 (500 freestyle)

1 x 200 (315) w/ snorkel + 12 x 50 (45) FR/BK x 25 (max UWKs) + 3 x 100 (150) kick, descend 1-3

1 x 200 (315) w/ paddle head + 4 x 100 (145) R/L/6 kick switch/swim x 25 + 6 x 50 (130) kick, fast

9 x 50 (115) deadstart sprint FR/stroke x 25 w/ fins

3 x 50 (1) drill + 1 x 50 (55) 500 pace + 2

3 x 50 (55) drill + 1 x 50 (45) 500 pace + 1

3 x 50 (50) drill + 1 x 50 (35) 500 pace

1 x 200 2ABD

 

6 rounds:

1 x 125 (215) red

1 x 50 (50) 500 pace

1 x 25 (45) easy (+1 x 25 each round)

 

3 x 150 (3) FR, FR/BK x 75, BK x 150

 

Broken “500” as

                100 + 50 + 100 + 50 + 100 w/ personalized rest

 

1 x 200 social kick w/ friends

———–

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4-part Freestyle Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

We did four rounds of this set with the same basic structure, changing the intervals and instructions a bit each round. FPA = Fastest Possible Average. SCY.

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Getting Ready to Go Fast

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

LCM. The purpose of this set was to get us primed and ready for our main set. We did this in about 8 feet depth – the blastoffs involve sinking down to the bottom, pushing off, and exploding vertically through the surface while dolphin kicking. After the 5 sprint cycles, swimmers continued the rest of the 50 smooth.

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New Year’s Eve with All Star Aquatics

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Chris Schlegel, AllStar Aquatics

Tue Dec 31 ’19 – 12:00 pm

25 Yards Default interval: 1:30 per 100

——————————–

#NDG sets

“Work WORKS”

1x

20 x 25 Choice on :30 [Every 5th Whole 25 UWD]

Rest 2:00

1x

+Gear of Your Choice

20 x 50 on 1:00

[1-5 DPS, 6-9 Descend 10 Hold]

Rest 2:00

1x

20 x 75 on 1:15

[O – FR, E – NO FR]

[Last 25 = Build to 100% + 2x UWDs or Pullout]

Rest 4:00

1x

20 x 100 on 1:20

[Every 4th = 100 IM RACE]

Rest 2:00

1x

+Snorkel + Pull Buoy

20 x 25 Freestyle Pull [Vertical Body + OPEN HIPS] on :30 Rest 1:40

20 x 25 Social Kick on :40

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Swimming is the #FunnestSport, Particularly when Shared

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Morgan Cordle, 757 Swim

Jonathan Kaplan, Chris Bushelman, Jessica Laird, and Steve Medei, SwimRVA

This past Saturday, we brought our three teams together in Richmond, VA for a combined long course practice. We had three groups (Sprint, IM/Stroke, and Distance).

*********

Chris Bushelman led the warmup, which allowed everyone to make a new friend and get to know each other:

**********

Coach Morgan Cordle led the IM/Stroke Group:

**********

Coach Jonathan Kaplan led the Sprint Group:

——-

Initial Speed for 50 free

4 x HVOs

4 x Dive 30m sprint w specific breath placement

*count breaths to come on bottom

*150 easy after each and rest 1:30-2:00

—-

Sustained Speed for 50 free

(Cone at approx 20m)

With fins, Swim medium tempo no breath to the cone, take a breath, and then sprint 10 cycles no breath, take a breath then finish to the wall. 150 easy after each and rest 1:30-2:00

——

100 Finish Speed and Tempo

3 rounds of Countdown Sprints w/Fins

followed by 4 x 25 breath restrictions (breath count goes lower each round)

For an explanation of countdown sprints, check out this article from SwimSwam featuring Coach Jonathan

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Coach Ryan Woodruff led the distance group:

After the workout, we had breakfast together at the pool and had some time for socializing.

Thank you SwimRVA for hosting us all! This was a great idea.

Short Axis with Partner Pulls

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

The 300 is done with a stretch cord with belts on both ends. Each swimmer wears a belt and hangs onto the cord about eight feet from the opposite belt end. Swimmers drag each other a 25 at a time. Follow up with the FPA (Fastest Possible Average) swims. SCM.

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10-minute Race Pace Rounds with a Quote

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

For this set we split the group up into distance and mid/sprint to do these sets in parallel. This allowed me to time both groups by myself on a single watch. Both groups commented that they thought the race pace set was tough but they liked it.

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The Aqua Decathlon

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

We took this challenge head-on and made a competition out of it. I prepared a spreadsheet ahead of time that allowed us to quickly determine a winner (as determined by % off of best time in a 200 free, 200 IM, and 100s). Excellent challenge that got ‘em going!

Another issue of “the wake-up swim” was published this week. Check out the archives here to see what you’ve missed or you can sign up here.