Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set worked well this morning when we had swimmers of a variety of abilities and paces, often mixed in the same lane.
SCY

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set worked well this morning when we had swimmers of a variety of abilities and paces, often mixed in the same lane.
SCY
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This is a two part SCY workout. The first set was freestyle and had two options — long swims for the distance group, 75s for the middle distance kids. We did a 200 ez before the second part, which proved to be quite a challenge.
Part 1
Part 2
This set was first published here in May 2018.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This SCY set allowed us to keep the group together on the same 5:00 interval. Each group/lane swam different distances (as indicated at the bottom of the dry-erase board) based on their ability.
We started each new round together. Swimmers were instructed to descend (swim faster) across the three swims even if/when the distance might stay the same.
This set originally appeared on this blog in May 2018.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
I had our distance group try this set earlier this season. The idea was for them to do 6 swims of indeterminate length on a 9:00 interval. Swimmers could decide their distance using the guide written below. The instructions were to either go farther or go faster from swim #1-3 and again #4-6.
The set ended up just being O.K. The swimmers gave it a good effort, but I didn’t give them enough rest to really do a good job going faster/farther. Next time I would do it differently in one of two ways:
1. Tell them that they need to get at least :40 rest (i.e. be done before the 8:20 mark), or…
2. Swim for a certain amount of time (like 8:00) and have them increase the distance swum 1-3 and 4-6. This would allow them to swim a distance that isn’t a multiple of 25 (stopping mid-pool when coach yells stop at the 8:00 mark) and they could then return to the wall to start the next repeat.
We’ll be better next time!
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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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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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set in a SCM pool, but it would work just as well in a SCY pool. Overall, our distance crew had a good day with this one.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Challenging set for our milers.
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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).
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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:
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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
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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
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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)
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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.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. The interval pattern on this makes for a good challenge. First you have to descend and then hang tough as the interval gets faster!
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This sort of “go until you fail” set is tough, and it seems to get the best out of a motivated athlete.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set in SCM
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Yesterday’s post was a fly set for our true Flyers. Today’s set was for the portion of our group that is primarily distance-free focused whom I also wanted to challenge with some fly.
This set was for SCM, and we had a “roll the dice” component just like the Flyers. In the case of the distance group, we rolled two dice and added the numbers rolled together to determine how many 50s we would do at the end of the set. The 50s were fly/free by 25 and hitting P1000 turned out to be a tough yet appropriate challenge.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this one recently to get some swimming done and hit a little of each stroke before doing some quality swims off the block.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
500 Free Race Pace Challenge Set. Intervals were for SCM for swimmers whose best times are sub-5:00. 50s were do-able, 100s were challenging, and the 150 turned out to be a very tough swim at this point in the season.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This distance set was designed for a medium intensity day — I wanted the swimmers to descend the 600s without going all out. It was also an opportunity to get a better individual sense of how effort relates to heart rate.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
6,400 SCM
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
9 x 400 IM done as…(SCM)
#1
12 x 25 fast @:30 (4 each fly/bk/br)
1 x 100 free strong & steady @1:20
#2
4 x 100 IM @ 1:30 Descend 1-4
#3
1 x 400 IM @6:30 (descend #3-6-9)
#4
8 x 25 fast @:30 (4 each fly/bk)
1 x 100 breast strong & steady @1:30
1 x 100 free strong & steady @1:20
#5
2 x 200 IM @3:00 descend
#6
1 x 400 IM @6:30
#7
4 x 25 fast fly @:30
1 x 100 strong & steady bk @1:25
1 x 100 strong & steady br @1:30
1 x 100 strong & steady fr @1:20
#8
1 x 400 IM ez @6:30
#9
1 x 400 IM fast
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. This one requires one stopwatch per swimmer. In each set, the fast parts add up to a 400. Stopping and starting a watch with each fast part will give total 400 time at the end of the set.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set was originally published here in March 2017
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
LCM. The purpose of the first three was to get us in the groove for the fast 400s.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We spent some time today trying to hone in on well-aligned long-axis rotation in freestyle.
Definitions of terms:
20-1-20-3-20-5 = 20 kicks on side, 1 stroke, 20 kicks, 3 strokes, 20 kicks, 5 strokes and repeat.
FPA = Fastest Possible Average
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Ryan Woodruff
I don’t really number my sets like that, but sometimes it is hard to come up with a name.