Stroke Rate - Group Workout

Objective: Average swimmers slow from sprinting speed to cruising speed by slowing their stroke rate. But most of the top endurance swimmers actually speed up their stroke rate as they switch from a six-beat kick (while sprinting or surging) to a two-beat kick (while cruising). Some call it "easy speed" (though by now you should realize that there is nothing easy about swimming at any speed!)

Total Distance = 1600-2000? meters

Set 1 - Warm-up; Dist = 400 meters
8:00 Minutes - Training Cat: EN1
Build to EN2 pace

Set 2 Vertical Kicking Drill; Dist = about 8 minutes, call it 400 yards
8 x (45" vertical kicking 15" resting)
1 & 2: focus on minimal knee bend, count 3 kicks per second
3 & 4: rotate one quarter turn to right every other third kick
5 & 6: rotate one quarter turn to the left every other third kick
7 & 8: rotate in alternate direction every third kick

Set 3 Freestyle; Dist = 400 meters
4 X 100 Freestyle Swim on 2:00 - Training Cat: EN3
First 100: find stroke rate (coach should have set approximate rate) with your 2-beat kick. Next 3: Speed up stroke rate on eace successive 100 by lowering the tempo trainer by .01 second.

Set 4 - Pack Swimming/Drafting Practice Set; Dist = 400 meters
4 X 100: 100m Team Time Trial - Organize the pack to achieve the fastest 100m team time trial time trial time - which is the time the fifth swimmer in the group touches the wall.

Set 5 - Cool-down; Dist = 400 meters
8:00 Minutes - Training Cat: REC.

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