Betsy's 1 Hr Workouts

[Betsy]

Introduction.
I coach 3 mornings a week at a 25 meter pool with an average of 25 swimmers in 5 lanes. I coach 2 evenings a week at a 25 yard pool with an average of 12-14 swimmers in 5 lanes. Both workouts are for one hour. They are mixed groups with competitive swimmers, triathletes, and people who just want a good workout. Ages range from 20 to 87, with an occassional teen-ager dropping in. My emphasis is on techinique and pace. I swim 3 days a week with a coach at a Y pool. I use some sets that I learn from my coach, Laura Peter. I also write a workout for myself for Saturday mornings. The workouts that I coach are 2500-2800 meters for the fastest lane, scaled down for other lanes. In the yard pool, they are 2700-3000 yards for the fastest lanes. For my personal workouts, I aim for 2500 yards and try to boost it to 2700 in the fall.

[Betsy]

Mon evening, Aug 31, Yard pool
*Warm-Up (700): 200 Swim; 200 alternate 25 catch-up/25 swim; 150 alternate 25 drill/25 swim (choice); 3 x 50, choice, count strokes, rest 15 sec between 50s

*Main Set (2100): 4 x 150 #1 freestyle 50 swim/50 3 Rt arm, 3 Lft arm/50 swim
#2 Repeat above backstroke or freestyle #3 free 50 swim, 50 change 3 w/ 3, 50 swim
#4 Repeat above back or free. (Change 3 with 3 is 3 kicks on side, 3 strokes, 3 kicks on other side.)
5 x 100 Pull. Set interval for 15 seconds rest. Paddles optional.
400 Continuous, 75 free/25 non-free
6 x 50 Pull. No paddles. Count strokes.
2 x 100, choice, descend. Set interval for at least 20 sec rest.
2 x 50 easy

*Cool Down (100-200)
100 choice (IM?) easy, 100 free easy

[Betsy]

Wednesday morning, Sept 2, yard pool
The 25 meter pool is closed this week for maintenance. A group from the workout are meeting at the yard pool. I'm writing the workout, but am not coaching on deck. I'm swimming with them.
*Warm-Up (1100). 5 x 100. Set slow interval, 15 sec rest when going slowly for warm-up. Don't try to go fast yet. Alternate 100 swim and 100 pull. Freestyel.
12 x 50 as 4 x (2 x 50 kick, 1 x 50 swim). Set interval for 15-20 seconds rest on kicks. Keep same interval for swims. I wore fins and kept them on for all 12 50s.

*Main Set (1400). 5 x 200. No interval; make sure last person in lane gets 15-20 seconds rest. #1 Free or back (50 change 6, 50 chg 6 with 3 strokes, 50 chg 3, 50 chg 3 with 3 strokes). Chg 3 is 3 kicks on side, chg 6 is 6 kicks.
#2 Free, back, or fly (25 rt arm only/25 lft arm only, 50 3 rt/3 lft, 50 3 rt, 3 full, 3 lft, 3 full, 50 swim)
#3 Free 100 catch-up, 100 swim. Or, Breaststroke 100 breast pull w/ dolphin kick, 100 swim
#4 Choice. 50 drill/150 swim
#5 200 swim.

8 x 50 #1-2 descend, #3 easy free, #4-5 descend, #6-8 easy. Set interval for 15 seconds rest.

[Betsy]

Wed, Sept 2, evening workout, yard pool
*Warm-Up (1200)
300 Swim
300 (25 drill/75 swim) x 3. Choice
300 Pull. 100 w/ no paddles. 200 paddles optional.
300 (25 catch-up, 25 3/4 catch-up, 25 swim) x 4

*Main (1600)
400 Swim. Timed. Ask everyone what they want to average per 100. Give them their goal time. Everyone start together; I'll call out times.
400 Pull. Recovery.
8 x 50. Odd numbers are fast free or non-free; even numbers are easy free. Interval should give 20 seconds rest. Freestylers will get more rest and should put some effort into this.
(2-4) x 100. Moderate pace; hold time steady when you're tired. Interval for 15-20 sec rest.

*Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim.

[Betsy]

Friday, Sept 4, Yards
This is a workout where I swam with the group. Our usual pool is closed and we met informally. The intervals are for me (I'm 68).

Warm-Up (1000)
300 Swim
300 4 x (25 kick/25 drill/25 swim). Continuous.
200 Kick
200 Pull

Main (1600)
400 2 x 200 free. Hold pace. On 3:30
400 4 x 100 pull. On 1:45
400 8 x 50 on 1:10. Odds non-free; evens are free.
400 16 x 25.
4 x (2 same stroke – good effort, 1 easy);
4 easy for Cool-Down.

[Betsy]

Saturday, September 5, Yard pool
I swam Sun, Mon, Wed,Fri, Sat this week and was tired today. I'm just getting back to a good workout after nationals in Indianapolis.

Warm-Up (1000)
600 200 Swim, 200 Pull, 200 Kick
400 8 x 50 (25 drill/25 swim) Choice – mix it up. On 1:00.

Main (1500)
300 Continuous: 100 free, 100 choice, 100 free. Rest 30 sec.
300 Continuous: 100 choice, 100 free, 100 choice. Rest 30 sec.
300 3 x 100 Pull on 1:30 or 1:40. (I did 1:40, faster lane did 1:30)
300 6 x 50 25 swim/25 kick, choice. On 1:00. (I liked doing the kick last
instead of kick/swim.)
300 4 x 75 Count strokes each 25. Choice. On 1:30.

Cool-Down (100)
100 Easy swim

[Betsy]

Monday, Sept 7, Labor Day, Yard pool
The only pool open today was the Y. 5 of us met to swim together. I got there early and got in 300 before we started.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
300 (25 K/25 D/ 25 S0
300 6 x 50 Kick on 1:05
200 Pull

Main (1500)
3 x (3 x 100, 4 x 50). We did the 1st and 3rd sets free on 1:50 and 1:00.
We did the 2nd set choice on 2:15 and 1:10.
I used the last 4 x 50 as cool down.

[Betsy]

Wednesday, September 9, Yard Pool

Warm-Up (1000)
400 75 Free/25 non-free or 25 drill
300 6 x 50 Swim/Drill on 1:00, 1:10, or 1:20
200 Pull
100 4 x 25, count strokes, rest 5-10 seconds


Main (1600)
100 Swim, time yourself. Moderate pace to be used later.
200 4 x 50. Just stop long enough to read the next drill.
25 Rt only/25 Lft only
50 4 Rt/4 Lft
50 4 Rt/2 full strokes/4 Lft/2 full
50 Swim
300 Time yourself. Aim for 3 x time on 100 above
400 4 x 100 Pull on 1:20, 1:35, 1:50, 2:00, or 2:10
300 Time yourself again. Can you duplicate time from 1st 300?
200 4 x 50 Choice on 1:00, 1:10, or 1:20
100 Easy

[Betsy]

Friday, September 11, Yard Pool
I swam with the group today.
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
400 2 x 200 Pull. Rest 15 sec.
200 Drill/Swim by 25, choice
200 4 x 50 Kick on 1:00 or 1:15

Main (1500)
First set is all free. After that, the 50s and 100s do not have to be the same stroke.
Intervals are what my lane did. There was one faster lane and one slower lane. I'm not sure what interval they did. On the "Choice" sets I did the 50s backstroke and the 100s free.
4 x 50 Free on 1:00
4 x 100 on 2:00
3 x 50 Choice on 1:15
3 x 100 on 2:00
2 x 50 Choice
2 x 100
1 x 50 Choice
1 x 100

Cool-Down (100-200)
2 x 50 easy
100 easy

I liked the workout, but it was hard. I think I'm tired from getting back to training regularly after tapering for nationals.

[Betsy]

Monday, Sept 21, meter pool
I was away last week at the USMS Convention.
Warm-Up (500-1200)
100-300 Swim
100-300 Pull
200-300 (4-6) x 50 Kick on 1:00 or 1:05, 1:10 or 1:15, 1:20 or 1:30, 1:45
100-300 (4-6) x 50 w/ fins. 50 drill, 50 d/s, 50 s/d, …

Main (1500)
500 2 x (5 x 50) Chg 6 is 6 kicks on side, change to other side.
50 Chg 6 Chg 6 w/ 3 means to take 3 strokes as you change sides.
50 Chg 6 w/3 1st time – free
50 Chg 3 2nd time - back
50 Chg 3 w/ 3
50 Swim
500 5 x 100 Pull on 1:35, 1:55, 2:10, 2:10, 2:30
500 10 x 50 1-4 choice, 5-free/back, 6-9 choice, 10-free/back
Interval for 10-15 seconds rest
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25 Count

[JMiller]

Monday, Sept 21, meter pool
I was away last week at the USMS Convention.

Hi Betsy! How was the convention from your perspective? I like your work-outs! Keep posting!

[Betsy]

Monday evening, Sept 21, Yard Pool
This is the workout for the evening group. It is a modification of one the morning group did on Sept 14.
Warm-Up (1200)
300 Swim
300 3 x 100 Pull. 1st 100 no paddles, #2-3 paddles optional.
600 12 x 50 on 1:10
4 x (#1 25 catch-up / 25 almost catch-up
#2 25 almost catch-up / 25 swim
#3 Swim)

Main Set 1 – Freestyle (600)
300 Moderate, get time, figure average per 100
200 Moderate, keep average per 100 same
100 Moderate, should be same as average above

Main Set 2 – Choice (600)
2 x (100 Kick, 100 Pull, 100 Drill/Swim)
1st time through, all one stroke. 2nd time through can be a different stroke.
No interval. Make sure last person in lane gets 15 seconds rest (time to change equipment).

Challenge
200 free, same time that you did on 200 in set 1.

Cool Down (100-200)
(4-8) x 25, count strokes. Rest 5-10 seconds.

[Betsy]

Wed, Sept 23
I used the same workout for the morning group (meters) and the evening group (yards).
In the yard pool, the fastest lane did 5 repetitions in Main Set 1.
Warm-Up (800)
300 4 x 75 (50 free/25 back or breast) Rest 10 after each 75.
300 4 x 75 (25 kick/25 drill/25 swim) Continuous. Fins ok.
100 Swim easy. Think about push-off, streamline, dolphin kick to surface.
100 Choice. Count strokes each length. Think about good push off.

Main Set 1 (900-1200)
(3-4) x (200 free pull, 100 swim choice).
I had a hard time setting intervals here. I wanted 15 sec rest after the pull and 15-20 after the swim.

Main Set 2 (300-600)
(6-12) x 50 as (2-4) x (#1 fly/free, #2 back/free, #3 breast/free).
Fly can be “butter-flutter.” Swim fly as long as it feels good (2-3 strokes), switch to free. I learned the term "butter-flutter" from Emmett Hines.


Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy swim.

[Betsy]

Tuesday, Sept 24, Yard pool
This is a workout I did today at the Y with Coach Laura Peter.
I got there early and did 500 on my own:
200 swim, 200 pull, 100 kick
Then we did:
500 swim for warm-up
5 x 100 kick. Odds are free, evens are back. Interval with 10-15 sec rest.
5 x 100 pull. Each 100 is 50 free, 25 back, 25 breast.
4 x 200. Alternate 200 IM drill and 200 free swim.
Cool-down easy swim.

I particularly liked the pull set.

[Betsy]

Friday, September 25, meter pool
Warm-Up (900)
200 Swim, 200 Pull, 200 Kick
12 x 25 Free
1: finish 2: finish and recovery 3-4: catch, finger tips/wrist
5-6: finger tips w/ paddles 7-8: catch and finish w/ paddles
9-10: count strokes; no paddles; finish, recovery, ride the stroke
11-12: count w/ buoy
*The stroke work went very well! Accelerating at the finish seemed to help.

Main (800-1200)
Ln 4 12 x 100 on 1:40
Ln 5 11 x 100 on 2:00
Ln 6 10 x 100 on 2:10
Ln 7 9 x 100 on 2:15
Ln 8 8 x 100 on 2:30

Drills (100-500)
10 x 50 Fins ok. See below.
Free or Back
1: chg 6, slow motion
2: chg 6 w/3
3: chg 3
4: chg 3 w/3
Breast
5-6: 25 free/25 breast short pull, long glide
Choice
7-10

[Betsy]

Monday, September 28, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1200)
600 3 x (100 swim, 50 drill, 50 kick)

300 6 x 50
#1-2 free: 25 kick on side/25 swim Body position!
#3 free: chg 3 (slow motion stroke)
#4 back: 25 kick on back/ 25 kick ½ way swim ½
#5 back: kick ½ each length, swim other ½
#6 25 back/25 free Good form!
300 Swim. 100 free, 50 choice, 100 free, 50 choice


Main (1400)
800 2 x (4 x 50, 1 x 200 Pull, 1 x 200 Swim). No rest between sets.
Choose lane by 50 interval if you want to go non-free.
Ln 4 :55, 3:20; Ln 5 1:05, 3:45
Ln 6 1:15, 4:10; Ln 7 1:30, 4:20; Ln 8 1:45, 5:15


600 8 x 75 #1-2 Pull, #3-4 Swim (free/choice/free)
#5-6 Pull (free/choice/free), #7-8 Swim (free/choice/free)

Cool-Down (300)
100-300 25 drill/25 swim

[Betsy]

Wednesday, Sept 30
Warm-Up (1200)
300-600 200 Swim, 100 Pull (no paddles), 100 Swim, 200 Pull (paddles okay)
Just stop for buoy, no need to keep lane together.

300 4 x 75 Drill/Swim/Drill No fins.
#1 4 right only/4 left only. Keep pull shoulder width.
#2 Almost catch-up
#3-#4 Choice stroke, choice drill

300 Swim 150, rest 10 sec; swim 100, rest 10 sec; swim 50


Main (1200-1500)
900 3 x 100 Swim, descend on 1:40, 1:50, 2:10, 2:15, 2:30
3 x 50 Kick (fins okay) on 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:10, 1:30
3 x 100 Pull, descend same intervals
3 x 50 Kick (fins okay)

300-600 (6-12) x 50 on: 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:20, 1:30.
Swim fast and use extra time for rest.
Do 2 - 4 times: #1-#2 descend, #3 easy, recovery


Cool-Down (100-300)
4 x 25 Easy
200 Easy

Comments from swimmers. Hard workout. The first 3 x 100 got the heart rate up, and it never really came down. That was the purpose.

[Betsy]

Friday, Oct 2, meter pool
Surprisingly, none of the oldest age groups or the newest swimmers were there today so we divided up the lanes to get the intervals right.

WARM-UP (1000)
400 Swim, choice
12 x 50
4 drill on 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:20, 1:30
4 drill/swim drop interval 5 sec
4 swim drop interval another 5 sec


MAIN (1500)
3 x 100
2 x 100, 2 x 50
2 x 50, 100, 2 x 50
4 x 50, 100
300
Intervals for 100, 50
1:45, :55
1:55, 1:00
2:05, 1:10
2:15, 1:15
2:20, 1:20

COOL-DOWN (300)
50 Easy
200 Kick
30 Easy

[Betsy]

Monday, October 5
Warm-Up (1200)
100-300 Swim
200 Fins ok.
50 kick on side; 50 chg 6; 50 chg 3 w/ 3; 50 swim
200 4 x 50 kick free w/ brd or back w/ arms extended
200 50 1-arm opposite breathe
50 free swim, roll
50 back – 25 4 rt only, 4 lft only (1-arm at side)
50 back swim, roll
200 2 x 25 count strokes w/ fins
6 x 25 count strokes: 1-fly or free, 2-back, 3-breast, 4-free, 5-6 choice
100 Swim, choice


Main (1350)
Set 1 Do the following 2 times. First time free. Second time choice.
1000 50 25 count/25 swim Choice. Get time on 2nd 25.
100 25 count/25 swim (get time)/50 swim
150 25 count/25 swim (get time)/100 swim
200 25 count/25 swim (get time)/150 swim

Set 2
200 Swim. One stroke, choice. Keep pace as above.
100 4 x 25 sprint
1 x 50 Sprint


Cool-Down (250)
5 x 40 Easy

[Betsy]

Monday, Oct 5, Yard Pool

WARM-UP (1000)
(2-4) x 150 (100 Swim/25 fists/25 max dps)
100-200 Swim
200 Kick (50 free with board; 50 free w/o board on side; 100 choice) – fins

Main #1 (1000)
200 Pull – think about a long stroke. Rest 10 seconds.
175 Swim, rest 10; 25 catch-up drill, rest 10
150 Pull, rest 10
125 Swim, rest 10, 25 3/4 catch-up drill, rest 10
100 Pull, rest 10
75 Swim, rest 10, 25 drill, rest 10
50 Pull. Fast.
2 x 25 Sprint, rest 10 between sprints

Main #2 (750)
10 x 75 on 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30. Choice. 25 fast/25 easy/25 fast

Cool Down (250)
250 easy – choice