Tag: Distance

Kick & Distance Free Set With the Greensboro Community Y

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Brad Herndon
Head Coach
Greensboro Community YMCA Makos

I keep getting great ideas from this page, so I wanted to give back…not even sure what’s originally ours anymore, but here’s our toughest set so far this season, based on how kids worked it and feedback we got:
Distance Free set for our National/National Prep groups, faster intervals were for our National kids, slower for National Prep – set took a little over 58 minutes for Nat, a little under 1 hr 10 minutes for Nat Prep.  The goal was to build kick each swim with the same amount of effort used on the 25 x kicks.
Note arrows on the left, kids went all the way up to 500 yard free for time, which they only did once (fastest boy 4:59, fastest girl 5:27), then went back the other way down to 2 x 25’s Kick (Total set yardage = 4000, 1500 kick, 2500 swim)
 
 

10 Awesome Distance Workouts

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Here are some of our recent most popular distance workouts…

1. Open Water Preparation with Coach Tyler Fenwick
2. Not Sure If They Liked It, But It Was Good For Them
3. Big Set with Coach Mathieu Leroy, France
4. Just A Glorious Little Distance Set
5. Working 500 Pace with the Twin River YMCA
6. Can you survive “The Hurricane”
7. Pacing the 1500 Like a Pro
8. Lucky Sevens
9. They Said I Should Instagram This One
10. CAUTION! For Milers Only

Challenging Set from Coach Chris Flamion, B.R. Ryall YMCA

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Chris Flamion
B.R. Ryall YMCA Swim Team

Wanted to share a set that my assistant coach has been using for nearly a decade.   The whole set started when one of his athletes was a a meet, swam the 100 Free, hopped out and right up onto the blocks for a 500 Free.  The set is named after the athlete and he still gets asked about the set from time to time.  The athlete recently finished 14th at Trials.

We use this about 5-6 Weeks out from Championships as a bit of a gut check, and to really show the athletes where they are.  We record all the times from the set and compare them year to year.

Most of the 100s are within 3-4 seconds of lifetime, and the 500 varies heavily but normally within 20 seconds.  We do occasionally get some lifetime best in the 500s
6 Rounds:

100 Free All Out From a Dive @ 3:00
500 Best effort @ 7:00

IM Variant: We started doing variants as some of our Senior Group don’t swim the 500, or any free.  We wanted the IMers to force to sprint their worst stroke as they will rarely do it on their own.  100s were really good, most within 1 or 2 seconds, and the 400IMs were universally within 15 seconds
6 Rounds:

100 Worst Stroke @ 3:00
400 IM Best Effort @ 7:00

Sprint Variant: This was also all new this year and put the sprinters in some of the highest lactate levels I have ever seen.  50s started within a seconds of Lifetime and dropped off dramatically.  200s started within 10s and a handful held it, most faded pretty badly.
9 Rounds:
50 Free All out Dive @ 2:00
200 Best Effort @ 4:00

Parallel Sprint and Distance Sets

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

We did the following parallel sets this morning.  The structure allowed me to focus on the sprinters for a few minutes, and then shift my focus to the distance swimmers, making me able to time everyone’s race pace swimming. LCM.

Distance Group
5 rounds of:
1 x 500 free B3, paddles, snorkel, buoy optional @ 7:30
3 x 100 @ 1:30
   Round 1 – descend to P1500
   Round 2 – at P1500
   Round 3 – descend to P1500 -1
   Round 4 – descend from P1500
   Round 5 – Fastest possible average

Sprint Group
5 rounds of:
3 x 35m sprints timed to the head, swim 15m easy @ 2:20
1 x 300 free B5, paddles, snorkel, buoy optional @ 5:00

We used these pace cards for determining race pace.

Hitting race pattern while fatigued.

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

The primary purpose of this set was in the 4 x 100.  We are challenging ourselves to get out agressively on #1 and then hang tough through that fatigue on #s 2-4.  Most of our swimmers were able to achieve the stated objectives, but really had to work to make it happen. In my opinion, that means the bar was set at exactly the right height.

True distance set.

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Followed up the distance set above with some mile pace swimming.  They were able to make the 100 no problem, and we got some very good swims faster than mile pace on the 300.  200 wasn’t as good… psychologically the most difficult part?

Distance With Drills and the Freeway Set from Coach Edie Rogers

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Edie Rogers
Charlottetown Bluephins
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

1. Distance with drills

4 x 500 free on 7:30 SCM
#1 All open turns with no breathing for first 2 cycles
#2 Every 4th length long arm dog paddle
#3 Easy down, fast back
#4 Flip mid-length and no breathing for first 2 cycles after the flip

2. Freeway set:
Start 3 swimmers in a lane at 2 second intervals. Swim continuously for approx 400 metres or any length you like. The third swimmer must pass the 2 ahead before getting to the wall. The lead 2 swimmers must slow their pace to let this happen, the last swimmer is then the leader for the next length, and so on……

6 Motivational Tips for Swim Coaches

200 Free Mania

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Just make it on the first 1 X 200. Hold that time on the 2×200, 3 X 200, and 4 X 200. From there, get faster on the 3X200, faster on the 2 X 200, and all out on the last 1 X 200

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The Alpe d’Huez Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Coach Doug Allen

800-600-400-200 drop the interval by:02 each base hundred
200-400-600-800 hold the prior 200 interval each base hundred

Editor’s note: Our goal for this year is to provide coaches around the world with a free new idea or set EVERY DAY this year! Can you help us reach that goal? Please send submissions to swimmingwizard@gmail.com.

 

Hittin’ P500

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
 
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300s are steady swim on an interval that elicits only mild fatigue.  Then HIT the P500!!!

Editor’s note: Our goal for this year is to provide coaches around the world with a free new idea or set EVERY DAY this year! Can you help us reach that goal? Please send submissions to swimmingwizard@gmail.com.

 

Divide and Conquer

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Delano Ducheck
Orca Swim Club

Swimmers get to practice some math skills while they swim

 Divide and Conquer
1×800 @ :60 SR 
1×400 @ :60 SR Faster than 800 time /2
1×200 @ :60 SR Faster than 400 time /2
1×100 @ :60 SR Faster than 200 time /2
1×50 @ :60SR Faster than 100 time /2

SR = seconds rest

Editor’s note: Our goal for this year is to provide coaches around the world with a free new idea or set EVERY DAY this year! Can you help us reach that goal? Please send submissions to swimmingwizard@gmail.com.

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Late Season Full Practice

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
 

This is a full practice.  Started of with some kicking and IM followed by some moderately challenging freestyle.  A small prep set leads into the main set which works around 200 race pace
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Kicking and IM Set
12 x 100
odds kick @ 2:00, 1:50, 1:40, 1:30, 1:30, 1:30
even swim IM @ 1:30, descend 1-3 and 4-6

Aerobic Freestyle Set
300 free @ 4:00 Goal: Beat 1/3 of your best 1,000 free time
5 x 100 free @ 1:20 descend to P500
600 free @ 8:00 Goal: Beat 2/3 of your best 1,000 free time
5 x 100 free @ 1:20 descend to P500
900 free @ 12:00 Goal: Beat your best 1,000 free time
5 x 100 free @ 1:20 descend to P500
300 EZ Backstroke swim

Prep Set for Pace 50s
12 x 25 @ :40
# 1 – sprint UW kicks and 1st 2 cycles
#2 – ”     ” and 1st 4 cycles
#3 –  ” ” and 1st 6 cycles
#4 – easy, minimum cycle count

Race Pace Set
30 x 50 @ 1:00
     1 at P200 +4
     1 at P200 +2
     1 at P200
     2 at P200 +4
     2 at P200 +2
     2 at P200
     3 at P200 +4
     3 at P200 +2
     3 at P200
     2 at P200 +4
     2 at P200 +2
     2 at P200
     1 at P200 +4
     1 at P200 +2
     1 at P200
     3 at P-1

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