Tall Pauls Favorite Workouts and/or Sets

[The Fortress]

My apologies because I forgot to include the line "without whining or complaining"!

Are you asking me to depart from the stereotypes about my kind? lol.

[Paul Smith]

I coached this morning at Cactus:

SCY
warm up = 600 (or 10 minutes) rotate thru 25 swim/25 kick/25 swim/25 scull

16 x 100's
odds free @ 1:30
even's IM/Stroke or kick @ 1:45

Main set
200 @ 2:30 fast
4 x 50's @ :40 pace
2 x power kicks @ :30 (kick as hard/far as you can underwater, swim easy free to wall if you surface for a breath

100 easy

200 @ 2:30 pace
4 x 50's @ :40 fast
2 x power kicks @ :30

100 easy

400 hypoxic pull (2 breaths per length)

Kick
25/50/75/100/75/50/25 each length is smooth to far side flags/fast into wall

[Paul Smith]

I coached this morning at Cactus:

SCY
warm up = 600 (or 10 minutes) rotate thru 25 swim/25 kick/25 swim/25 scull

16 x 100's
odds free @ 1:30
even's IM/Stroke or kick @ 1:45

Main set
200 @ 2:30 fast
4 x 50's @ :40 pace
2 x power kicks @ :30 (kick as hard/far as you can underwater, swim easy free to wall if you surface for a breath

100 easy

200 @ 2:30 pace
4 x 50's @ :40 fast
2 x power kicks @ :30

100 easy

400 hypoxic pull (2 breaths per length)

Kick
25/50/75/100/75/50/25 each length is smooth to far side flags/fast into wall

Quite a few people have asked about the send off's on these workouts being pretty quick and I want to make sure that people know I'm only posting the "Group 1" intervals...there is always at least one other....usually two groups. Case in point the workout listed above from this morning:

Group II
200 @ 2:45
50's @ :45
25's @ :40

Group III
200 @ 3:15
50's (2 instead of 4) @ :50
25's @ :45

Group IV
200, 50's & 25's all on 15 seconds rest

[Paul Smith]

I coached this morning at Cactus.

We had two groups today, one of the regulars is a St. Olaf grad and he does an annual tribute workout:

After warm up
60 x 25's fly/no breathers @ 1:00
After each each block of 10 one of the group has to climb up on the blocks and sing the St. Olaf fight song...which was VERY entertaining for the 100+ age group divers and their parents on deck for a competition!

For the rest of the team it was a middle distance day...90 minute...SCY. I want to thank Chris as I "poached" a set from a workout he posted on JM's thread,

Warm Up:
300 swim
200 pull
100 kick
50 scull

Main set #1
1 x 300 @ 4:00 negative split
2 x 200's @ 2:40 (#1 cruise/#2 fast)
3 x 150's @ 2:00 (#1 50 fast/100 easy, #2 100 fast/50 easy, #3 fast)
5 x 100's @ 1:20 best average

100 easy

Main set #2
11 x (3 x 50's @ 1:00) as follows:
#1 cruise
#2 200 pace
#3 fast from a dive

100 easy

4 x power kicks @ 1:00

[pwb]

I coached this morning at Cactus.
Main set #1
1 x 300 @ 4:00 negative split
2 x 200's @ 2:40 (#1 cruise/#2 fast)
3 x 150's @ 2:00 (#1 50 fast/100 easy, #2 100 fast/50 easy, #3 fast)
5 x 100's @ 1:20 best average

100 easy

Main set #2
11 x (3 x 50's @ 1:00) as follows:
#1 cruise
#2 200 pace
#3 fast

100 easy

4 x power kicks @ 1:00

This was a lot harder than it looks on "paper" ... the killer was diving each of the fast 50s.

I'm glad I'm taking the rest of the weekend off ... and kicking back tonight to watch the #1 Longhorns (hopefully) defeat Missouri. I just feel so bad for the football team to have to endure so many #1 tower lighting ceremonies in Austin for the swim team ... they deserve another.

[pwolf66]

60 x 25's fly/no breathers @ 1:00

Oh.......My........Lord........

That is a lactic acid set from hell there. Sure the first 20 or so go by pretty smooth but after that.......

[Paul Smith]

Swam the Sunday workout at Brophy with Coach Rankin.

SCY
Optional 30 minute warm up

Main set #1
3x the following:
200IM @ 3:45 (25kick/25 swim)
100 @ 2:00 50 3 x 3 (3 strokes/6 kicks)/50 catcu up free
4 x 25's @ :30 descend 1-4

Main set #2
6 x 400's
#1 @ 5:30
#2 @ 5:15
#3 @ 5:00
repeat

9 minute kick; 50 free/50 stroke

16 x 25's @ :25 stroke

16 x 25's @ :20 free

And for the record I sucked and bailed on most of the workout!

[Paul Smith]

Monday noon workout at Brophy w/Coach Rankin

SCY
Open 20 minute warm up

8 x 50's @ :50

6x the following:
4 x 100's
200 back recovery
Round #1 @ 1:35
#2 @ 1:30
#3 @ 1:25
#4 @ 1:20
#5 @ 1:15
#6 @ 1:10

[Paul Smith]

Swam this morning with Coach Vic and the Las Vegas Masters team.

SCY
15 minute choice warm up

Swam a series of drills for a total of about 300 yards

Swim
100 @ 1:20
200 @ 2:40
300 @ 4:00
400 @ 5:20
500

Swim
5 x 100's descend 1-5 on coaches "go" (about 2:00)
400IM recover
300 swim fast
200IM recover
100 swim fast

Kick
6 x 50's @ coaches "go" (about 1:10)

Note; saw a few "old dogs" a few lanes down. Sam Franklin & Keith Dennison

[Paul Smith]

Laura and I got a little altitude training in this morning with Coach Liz Hobbs at Northern Arizona University.

SCM
15 minute choice warm up

4 x 50's @ 10 sec rest 25 drill/25 swim
4 x 50's kick @ 10 sec rest 25 easy/25 fast
4 x 25 swim @ 10 sec rest descend 1-4

Swim 5x the following
3 x 100's swim @ 1:30
1 x 100 kick @ 2:15

Pull 2x the following
200 @ 3:00
4 x 50's @ :50 descend 1-4

[Paul Smith]

I coached the Saturday morning workout at Cactus today.

SCY

Warm-up
400 choice (75 swim/25 kick)
4 x 100 IM's reverse order @ 1:45
400 pull breath left side down/right side back
8 x 50's @ :40

I had a different Main set planned but after seeing Patrick show up had a change in plans...given his beloved Texas Longhorns sitting atop the college football standings I told the group we would swim the UT set that was posted recently on YouTube:

3 rounds of the following
3 x 100's @ 1:10 (no descending, fast as possible on the first one then hang on)
1 x 50 @ 1:30
300IM @ 4:00 fast (UT went on 3:20 so I was "nice" here)
1 x 50 @ 1:30
* No break between each of the 3 rounds other than the 50 @ 1:30
** The interview with UT coach Kim Bracken (the men's and women's team did this workout together for the first time in years) questioned the hard intervals and her reply was that a lot of folks would not make the interval but had the easy 50 to roll into...in her opinion it was important psychologically for the swimmers who didn't make the interval(s) to be doing the set with swimmers that did so in a sense they could see first hand it was attainable with hard work.

Kick
400IM 25 cruise/25 fast

4 x 25's underwater @ 15 seconds rest

4200

[knelson]

** The interview with UT coach Kim Bracken (the men's and women's team did this workout together for the first time in years) questioned the hard intervals and her reply was that a lot of folks would not make the interval but had the easy 50 to roll into...in her opinion it was important psychologically for the swimmers who didn't make the interval(s) to be doing the set with swimmers that did so in a sense they could see first hand it was attainable with hard work.

I also think it's great to try intervals that seem "impossible" at first blush once in a while. Lots of the time you really can make them and it gives you added confidence. Complacency in training is never a good thing!

[Paul Smith]

Swam the Sunday workout at Brophy with Coach Rankin

SCY

20 minute choice warm-up

4 x 50's kick @ 1:00
4 x 50's drill @ :55
4 x 50's stroke or IM @ :50
4 x 50's free @ :45

Main Set
24 x 100's or 75's @ 1:30 every 3rd fast

6 minute "social" kick

16 x 25's kick @ :35 descend 1-4

4 x 200's @ 3:30 (100 back/100 breast w/pull buoy)

[Paul Smith]

Monday's are distance day's at Brophy, swam with Coach Mark on deck:

20 minute choice warm up

10 x 75's
- odd's swim choice @ 1:15
- evens kick and/or drill @ 1:30

Main

4 x 300's @ 4:15
100 drill (finger tip drag)
3 x 300's @ 4:00
100 drill (3 x 6 switch = 3 strokes then 6 kicks on side/repeat)
2 x 300's @ 3:45
100 recover
1 x 300

[Paul Smith]

I coached this mornings workout at Cactus...Wednesday's are speed days:

SCY

Warm up
400 every 4th length kick

Set #1
2 x 100's @ 1:30 (#1 cruise, #2 @ 80%)
4 x 75's @ 1:15 (50 swim/25 scull

2 x 100's @ 1:30 (#1 @ 80%/ #2 cruise)
4 x 50's @ :50 stroke or IM

2 x 100's @ 1:30 (#1 first 50 easy/2nd @ 80%, #2 opposite)
4 x 25's @ :40 power kick

Main Set
200 Fast
easy 100
200 Fast broken :10 at the 50 (has to be a different stroke)
easy 100
100 Fast
easy 100
100 Broken :15 at the 50 & :15 sec at the 75 (different stroke)
easy 100
50 Fast
easy 100
50 broken :15 @ the 25 (different stroke)
easy 100
4 x 25's Fast choice no interval, rest was about 1:30

[The Fortress]

I like that main set, Paul. Do you swim when you coach or just coach?

[Paul Smith]

Hey Fort....I stay on deck when I coach. At Cactus we'll have 8 lanes with 3-4 per lane running on at least two different intervals (I always post the fastest groups send off's) and as much as I like to think I'm a good multi-tasker there's no way I could manage it. Plus I like to stay on top of the swimmers calling times, abusing, poking fun at, threatening...anything to keep them pushing harder.

On the road again, had planned on spending the night in Sedona and swimming with the team there but finished up early and went on to Flagstaff. Swam this morning with Coach Liz.

SCM
15 minute choice warm-up

4 x 50's @ 1:00 5 drill/25 swim
4 x 50's @ 1:00 kick
4 x 50's @ :50 descend 1-4

Set #1
4 x 6 x 75's @ 1:10 or 1:20
- Round 1 = #1 25 fast/50 cruise, #2 25 cruise/25 fast/25 cruise, #3 50 cruise/25 fast....repeat cycle
- Round #2 IM rotation = #1 25fly/25 back/25 breast, #2 25 back/25 breast/25 free, #3 25 breast/25 free/25 fly, #4 25 free/25 fly/25 back, #5 fly/back/breast, #6 25 back/25 breast/25 free
- Round #3 Pull
- Round #4 50 VERY fast/25 easy repeat

Set #2
6 x 100's kick w/fins @ :15 sec rest
- 25 head up flutter with front scull/25 on right side/25 dolphin on back/25 on left

Set #3
2 x 200 easy + 3 x 50's (1 build, 1 easy, 1 fast)

[Smith by Marriage]

Please don't let Paul fool you. The sets he GIVES and the sets he actually DOES are miles apart (literally!). Here is a typical workout that Paul would participate in:

Warm Up: hang out on deck in Speedo shaking his arms around and bit and gossipping with anyone who will listen.

Set 1: slowly pull the 10 tons of gear out of bag and organize by lane while others are swimming.

Set 2: finally get in, and start sculling during the set, just to get in teammates' way.

Set 3: put on every scrap of gear that he can and start the "real" set with everyone else, but go last and only work the very last part, passing everyone by and annoying them beyond belief.

Set 4: Warm down a 50, then lay on deck and tan while the rest of the team finishes up that last 2,000.

Any of you that have actually swam with Paul, KNOW I'm not kidding!

[The Fortress]

Excellent. My kinda guy!

[Paul Smith]

Had a chance to swim with the Cactus group instead of coach today, Coach laura on deck:

SCY

Warm up
200 swim/200 kick/200 pull

Main Set: this was done in two groups, one doing free the other IM both on the same intervals...I did the IM version for some stupid reason.
4 x 25's @ :30 IM order
1 x 50 @ 1:00 choice build
1 x 400IM fast
100 easy

4 x 50's @ 1:00 IM switch (25 fly/25 back, 25 back/25 breast, etc.)
2 x 50's @ 1:00 choice build
1 x 300IM fast (we did it dropping the 100 free)
100 easy

4 x 75's @ 1:20 IM switch (50 fly/25 back, 50 back/25 breast, etc.)
3 x 50's @ 1:00 choice build
1 x 200IM fast
100 easy

4 x 100's @ 1:45 IM switch (50 fly/50 back, 50 back/50 breast, etc.)
4 x 50's @ 1:00 choice build
1 x 100IM fast
100 easy

100 kick
4 x 25's power kick @ :40

PS; enjoyed having a "ringside seat" watching Patrick swim circles around us all!