So yesterday I was on the phone with coach and I said, "Can I swim hard and fast tomorrow? Pleeeease?" His response.... Sure. What do you want to do?
This was like magic to my ears. YES! I love dreaming up swim sets... Hmmm, let me think... something descending... 200's... yes... descending 200's.... 12 of them... on a descending interval too... why not...
So we came up with 12 x 200's descend 1-4. I like descend 1-4 way better than descend 1-3. 1-3 is easy b/c it's just easy/mod/hard. Descend 1-4 is a whole 'nother ballgame because you have that 4th one that is harder than hard. So really it goes easy/mod/hard/really hard. That's what I feel like I've been missing this year- the extra gear required to do the really hard... But I'm working on getting it back. This is the good stuff.
Nalani and I did this set together this morning and we loved it. And we nailed it. Didn't really say much once the set got started... we knew what to do so the only words uttered were "5 seconds" when we had 5 seconds til it was time to go again... but I have to say, right before #8 we both agreed that this set was awesome. And we still felt that way after #12. :)
Anyway, if you want to try this at home, think about it this way... how fast can you do a fast 200? Add ~10 seconds and that is your goal time for the easy ones. Add ~30 seconds and that is your interval to go on for the first 4... SO, for example, if your fast 200 is 3:00, your set would go like this:
4@3:30 descend from 3:10-3:00, straight into
4@3:25 descend from 3:10-3:00, straight into
4@3:20 descend from 3:10-3:00.
The fun part about that is trying to figure out the math while you're swimming hard... trying to hit 3:04 when you're going on the 3:25 and when do we go again? And what should my watch say when I hit the wall? And when do we go again? That is why I would call out the "5 seconds"... lol. It can get confusing, especially when your brain stops having the capacity to do math with that lack of oxygen. :)
If next Wednesday is also a Choose Your Own Adventure swim I'm already thinking up a great set of 30x100's with varying intervals...
4 comments:
Yes, you ARE bat shit crazy. Today at the pool when Matt was making fun of all my little swim toys he said your coaching co. should be called, "bat shit crazy coaching." It totally has a ring to it, no?
12x200 & 30x100...Holy Molly!
Can I choose my Wednesday swims? Some drills, 6x100 with a lot of rest, maybe few reasonable hard 50s, maybe one reasonable hard 200, c/d.
I love how YOU beg for it and then there's Nalani there with you; the unsuspecting victim. She's a good friend! Although, I'm sure she was happy to do it too...you HI peeps are off the hook. And dude, get a watch! I draw the line at doing math in the pool!
I'm in for the 200's!! I think I'll do that tomorrow! Whoo Hoo!! Let the fun begin!
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