Monday, December 22nd.

Endurance work continued. I am still taking the intermediate lanes:
200 free EZ
200 kick choice
10X50 on 1'05
8X100 on 2'10 keeping the same pace
50 kick EZ
100 pull EZ
4x200 4'20 keeping the same pace

Yvonne did very well: she kept 1'45 for the 100's, 3'30 for the 200.

Wednesday, December 17th

I took again the 2 first lanes at 6.20am, and the 3 middle lanes at 8.15 (ie, everything but the fastest and the slowest). Here is what they did:
200 free EZ
3 x (100 swim, 100 pull), #1=bk, #2=br, #3=fly 1-arm
4x100 reverse IM, 15'' rest before fly. On 2'30/2'45/3'
2x200 free on 4'/4'15/5' (fastest lane -Jean-Claude et cie.-= 3'30sh; Robin et al.=1'53sh per 100s)
2x300 free on 6'/6'15/7'30
200 kick choice ez
100 swim ez

Friday, Dec. 12th, morning

Continuing with the endurance work...

200 free EZ
200 breast
200 backstroke
4x50 pull free on 50''/1'05/1'10
4x (3x100 free PACE on 1'30/1'50/2') + (2x50 not-free on 1'/1'10/1'15 faster) + 4x25 IM order on 45''/1'
100 EZ
FINS ON: 100 ALL-OUT Free (Martin 57'', Olivier 59'', Simon 1'02, Jen 1'12, Sylvie 1'13)
100 EZ

3200 m.

Wednesday, December 3rd

Again worked with the 3 fast lanes at 6.20, and with the extreme lanes at 8.15. They did basically the same workout:

200 easy
4x50 not free with 10'' rest
4x50 kick on 1'15''
FINS: 4x(à kick free on 1'
FINS: 4x100 free ALL-OUT on 2'(Olivier)/2'10 (Jen)/2'30 (Sylvia)
NO FINS:
4x100 1'30:1'45:1'50
1' rest
4x100 1'40:1'50:2'
1' rest
4x100 1'30:1'45:1'50
1' rest
100 choice easy
4x50 not free with 10'' rest
4/5/6x100 IM or not-free on 2'/2'10
100 easy

Monday, December 1st

This is my first day taking the early-brid and morning groups. I really like it, as they are just a fun crowd to be involved with. I took the 3 fastest lanes at 6.20, the 2 fastest lanes at 8.15

warm-up: 400 reverse IM + 200 kick choice (600)
6x200 free, keeping pace, LONG push-offs. 3' for Martin's lane, 3'15 for Rob/Pilar/Sylvie, 3'40 for the other fast lanes.
200 choice not free
200 kick choice not free
10x100, 25 fly, 50 free, 25 choice not free
(or 10x75: 25 ch not free, 25 free, 25 choice not free)
100 choice EZ
(6.20: 8x50 kick)
(3800 m./3550)

At 6.20am Jen, Michelle and Anne did some fly technique. We are continuing doing that for the next weeks.

Sunday; November 30th

Good crowd, ready to swim. 4.05 to 5.30pm, nice time frame.

200 pull free
200 kick choice
5 x100 free on 1'45/2'10 - several lanes. Just a warm-up
6x100 kick, 1 free, 1 choice on 2'30/2'45
3x400 on 6'45'' (Olivier, Patrick, Kathleen and Eric), 7'20 (Dave, Jean-Claude, Sylvia, Elise, Jessica). Other lanes swam with fins.
100 easy not-free
8x75 not free on 1'45 (faster lane), 2' others
4x50 free (50''-1')
4x50 free (1'-1'05)
-------------------
3800 m.

I am back!

Hey all,

I am back from Europe. Back to the pool and back to the blog. First thing to do: go at the Metropolis to watch The Stars :-)

From Europe

Out in the Old Continent until the 22nd. Have fun without me ;-) Can anyone post your practices, please?? I would like to swim a little bit ;-)

Broken Social Scene

NOHING TO DO with swimming, sorry... but even though I was sick as a dog, I went to Broken Social Scene on Halloween. How AWESOME was that!!!!!!

Wednesday, 29/10

Sick and in bed. No voice. Fun fun fun. Drinking water.

Tuesday, 28/10 7.20pm

Longer set of IM:

"Competition warm-up"
12x100 IM on 2'15/2'15/2'30
Fly technique

Feeling sick... do I have a cold??

Monday, 27/10, 8.15am

I decided to make them pass my "freestyle test" (ALL OUT: 800 + 2x200) to see in what kind of shape they are on this beginning of the season. After a "competition warm-up" (see practice from last Friday), here are the results:
800 (splits on 200's between parenthesis)
------
These 4 guys are much faster swimmers than this, but they will learn to swim a longer distance race (check the last split from Laurence...):
Jean-Claude 3'45/7'29'' (3'44)/11'18'' (3'49) / 15'08 (3'48)
Laurie 3'45 / 7'34 (3'49) / 11'25 (3'49) / 15'08 (3'48)
Laurence 3'45 / 7'29 (3'44)/11'18 (3'49)/14'45 (3'27)
Josée 3'45/7'29'' (3'44)/11'20'' (3'50) / 15'07 (3'47)
-------
Robin X-tired today! :-)
Fiona 3'50 / ? / 12'06 / 16'15
Rosalind 3'31 / ? / 9'58 / 13'40 (3'42) Awesome job!
-----
These 2 girls lost count and swam around 1,000m....
Nicole 4'46 / 10'/ ? / --- (sorry, lost it)
Lorraine 4'46 / 10'/ ? / --- (sorry, lost it)

200 (splits on 100 between parenthesis)
------
Jean-Claude 1'43/3'35 (1'52)
Laurie 1'45/3'37 (1'52)
Laurence X (left)
Josée 1'43/3'37 (1'54)
Robin 1'53/3'53 (2')
Fiona 1'53/3'54 (2'01)
Rosalind 1'46/3'33 (1'47) --- GREAT!!
Nicole X
Lorraine X

100 (splits on 100 between parenthesis)
------
Jean-Claude with fins: 1'27
Laurie with fins: 1'28
Laurence X (left)
Josée with fins: 1'34
Robin NO fins: 1'40 -- GREAT!!!
Fiona NO fins: 1'57
Rosalind X
Nicole with fins: 1'55
Lorraine with fins: 1'57

Luis: Friday 24/10

Working 45' upstairs at the gym. No time for swimming, but I need to build up the strength on my shoulders and back, so it was good. And I started with the abs... I am so lazy with that. 5' per day...

Friday 24/10,7.20pm

3rd. practice of the day... exhausted, but ready to go. Dave, Patrick, Kate, Meredith, Eric and the 2 new swimmers (Olga and... I forget her name :-() are all waiting for me and ready to go.
I decided it would be a good idea for everyone to KNOW exactly where we are are in terms of fitness/speed at this moment in time, which is the beginning of the season. So they did a "competition work-out" followed by some as-fast-as-you-can sets:
WARM-UP
----------------
200 EZ
200 kick
10x50 25 FAST choice, 25 free EZ on 1'10''
6x50 free on a 400 meter pace
(1200 m.)
Eric, Dave and Patrick:
1x800 free:
Patrick: 3'06 / 6'16 (3'10) / 9'27 (3'11) / 12'42 (3'15)
Dave: 3'25/6'50 (3'25) / 10'22 (3'32) / 13'58 (3'36)
Eric: 3'35'' / 7'23 (3'48) / 11'14 (3'51) / 15' (3'46)

2x200 free:
Dave: 3'11 / X
Patrick: 2'56 / 3'
Eric: 3'26 / 3'26

Kate:
200 breast: 3'49, 100 IM: 1'34 and 1'39, 50 br: 48''

Meredith: 200 IM: 3'11 and 3'11, 100 IM: 1'31, 100 bk: 1'28'' (split = 43''), 50 fly: 41'', 50 bk: 42''

The 2 new swimmers worked on technique with fins, learning to swim free and back stroke. Improving fast!!!!!

Friday 24/10,8.15am

Replacing Troy. Took the 3 intermediate lanes.
200 EZ
2x(100 free pull, 100 free kick)
10x50 free on 1'05/1'15
the 2 fastest of these lanes did: 6x200 free on 4', the other the same but with fins. and then 8x50 kick without fins

the 2 fastest did:
100 ez with fins
FINS: 6x50 free ALL-OUT on 1'15 Laurence swam around 35-36 all the time, Jean-Claude couple of 37s, Laurie 37 and more. Quite good.

Friday 24/10,6.20am

Today I am replacing Troy with the 6.20am group. I took the 3 fastest lanes, Robyn the other 2.
Not lots of people showed up today; I guess the beginning of the winter season affects everyone ;-)

This is what they did:
200 EZ
10X50 free on 50''/55''/1' (long tunrs!)
4x50 kick choice on 1.15/1.15/1.30
10x50 specialty not free on 1'/1'05/1'15

the 2 fastest lanes did:
6x200 (75 sp, 50 fr, 75 sp) 4'/4'15
100 EZ
4X50 kick choice as before
6x75 free on 1'15 LONG turns

The slowest lane (where Anne B., Sylvia and Tina were) did fly technique. They loved it! ;-)

Luis: Thrusday 23/10

Swam at Downtown. Got there late because of stupid Metro schedule. 6.30-7.45am.
warm-up
8x (100 free on 1'55 + 50 sp on 1'05 FAST)
Kept 1'26-1'28, and 46'' for breastroke. Technique still there for free, not gliding enough for breastroke.

Monday, 20/10, 8.15am

Took the intermediate group at 8.15am, in replacement of Robyn. They swam lots of technique, focusing on the rotation of the body: 

200 easy 

10x50 free on 1'/1'15/1'20 with LONG turns. 

FINS ON: 

200 one-arm, lots of rotation 

4x(3x100) - #1 = right-arm, #2 = left-arm, #3 = SPRINT (Lisa = around 1'21'') 

100 EZ 

200 sliding on the side 

FINS OFF: 

200 rotation 

50 FAST 

100 easy 

(2650) 

Friday 17/10, 7.30pm

Rather diverse group today! 10 swimmers in total, with some fast ones (Meredith, Patrick,...) and 3 beginners (first time with the team) 

200 free 

10x50 free on 1'/1'05'' 

4x150 

5x(3x100) 

TO FINISH 

Thursday, 16/10 7.30pm

Intermediate group. Non-free workout for the first time of the season.

500: 5x(50 swim, 25 underwater, 25 kick on the back)
5x50 kick on 1'30:1'30:1'45
6x75 50 not free, 25 free on 2'/2'10/2'15
5x50 kick on 1'20/1'20/1'35
4/6/6 x 100, 25 free, 50 not-free, 25 free LONG TURNS on 2'10/2'15/2'30
4/6/6 x 100, 25 not-free, 50 free, 25 not-free LONG TURNS on 2'10/2'15/2'30
2/5x50 kick on 1'15/1'15/1'30

2900/2850

Tuesday, 14/10 7.30pm

([Canadian politics digression] another minority gov't... is that good news or bad news????)
I took today the 3 intermediate lanes. The "intermediate fast" lane was highly populated, and everyone was rowing hard and fast. This week the work on endurance started, so for the next 4 weeks our swimmers will be doing lots of longer distance freestyle.
200 swim choice
200 kick choice
200 pull choice
10/9/8 x 50 free on 55''/1'/1'05'' LONG PUSHOFFS
(Keeping a 400 meter pace: )
4x100 free on 1'45''/2'/2'15''
2x200 on 3'30''/4'/4'30''
1x400
100 EZ
200 kick choice
5/8/8 x 75 fins underwated (25 underwater + 10'' rest) on 1'45''/1'45''/2'
100 EZ

(3250/3200/3000)

Workouts for Thanksgiving

For those of you who are having too much turkey and apple pie, here is one workout for this long week-end. I give 3 options for times... choose the one that best suits you:
200 free NICE and EASY (right, Dave? ;-))
200 kick choice
200 pull free
10x50 free on 50/1'/1'05
(1100 m.)
1x400 (6'/6'30/7') + 2x200 (3'/3'20''/3'45'') + 4x100 (1'40''/1'50''/2')
(2300 m.)
100 easy
4x50 (50''/55''/1') + 4x150 (2'20''/2'30''/3') + 2x200 (3'/3'20''/3'45'')
100 easy
(3300 m.)

Have fun!!

Thursday, 09/10 7.30pm

Extreme lanes - FAST = Ilka, Tara, Troy (after swimming with the youth team), Sia (with fins). Beginners': Betty, Louise et Raphael.
Fast lane worked on long turns ("kicking until your feet are farther than the flags, 2 strokes before the wall and 2 after without breathing"). Nobody really succeeded in all that: all of them were very good AFTER the wall, but all of them were also breathign right before turning. (I understand, it is HARD to do, but...).
6x50 free on 55''
6x50 free long turns on 50''
4x75 IM with no breast
3x100 free FAST on 3' (bests: Troy and Ilka on 1'10'', Tara = 1'18'')
50 easy
3x200 free long turns on 3'20''
200 kick social ;-)
5x200 free on 3' (Ilka and Troy were around 2'43'' for all of them)
100 easy
8x50 kick on 1'20''
(3500 m.)

The beginners' lane worked some continuous freestyle, and some fly technique. Louise is looking very very good!!

Tuesday, 06/10-7.30pm

Today I took again the extreme lanes, and Martin took the intermediate ones. Ilka, Melissa and Rob were in the fast one, Louise, Betty and Rafael in the beginners'. The fast lane worked well and fast:
200 swim choice
200 kick choice
10x50 on 55''
6x100 IM on 2', long push-offs.
5x200, 25 fly, 150 swim, 25 choice on 3'20''
200 kick social
10x50 kick fly with fins, 5 on the back 5 on the side on 1'
3x50 free on 50''
3x50 free on 55'
(total = 3700m.)

With the beginners' lane we did lots of freestyle techinique. At the end we started doing laps counting the strokes, and they were amazed to feel how much better they are feeling in the water. Happy for them!!

Friday, 03/10 7.30pm

7 swimmers - lots for a Friday night practice!! (+ Rob who came to relax for 10' :-)) Worked hard on their endurance + technique free-style (Meredith, Eric, Dana, Troy, Pierre, Dave, Margaret)

200 free nice and easy
10x50
200 kick
5x200 broken by 50's, 10'' rest on each 50. Meredith swam last one on 2'45'', Dave on 3'09''. Troy did 6 of them, reaching 2'22'' for the fastest one. Good job!!!
Then lots of freestyle technique.

Thursday, 02/10 7.30pm

Today Martin took the extreme lanes, I took the 3 middle lanes. Lots of people (around 16).
10 x 50 swim free 1'05''
200 kick
3x100 free on 2'/2'10/2'20 counting strokes
5x100 25 SPRINT, 75 DPS (Distance per stroke = 1 fewer than counted)
200 choice
5x100 75 DPS, 25 SPRINT (Distance per stroke = 1 fewer than counted)
200 NO-FREE nice and easy
5x50 not-free on 1'10''

Tuesday, 30/09-7.30pm

Martin and I decided to start shaking things up in the 7.30pm group: I took the "extreme" lanes (the fastest and the slowest) and Martin took the intermediate swimmers (we'll switch around on Thursday, just to keep them wondering what is going to happen next ;-)). The fast lane lived up to the expectations, featuring Chris (the guy visiting from Toronto), Fiona, Tara, and Sia in flippers. They swam:
600 reverse IM (4x(50 swim + 50 kick + 50 pull))
4x100 kick on 2'10'', 1 free, 1 best (Tara LOVED this)
4x(5x50 PROGRESSIVE 1 to 5) #1 and #3 freestyle on 50'', #2 and #4 not-free, on 1' Good effort here
100 free nice and easy
200 kick backstroke with fins, nice and easy
2x(200 PACE with 30'' rest, 100 FAST with 30'' rest, 100 sprint with 2' rest). #1 = IM, #2=free
200 easy

The slowest lane had Leslie, Louise, and Rafael. They swam lots of free and backstroke correction. It is time for Leslie and Louise to make the jump to a fastest lane... we'll see how it happens. Rafael still has serious improvement to do with his stroke (mainly with the breathing part) but he's showing great improvement. Looking forward to having him swimming straight in the water, as he is strong and could potentially be fast.

Friday 27/09, 7.30pm

Sorry guys, I can't make it tonight. Joe Cyr will deliver this practice:

For intermediate and fast swimmers (depending on the days, different fast swimmers have been coming on Fridays: Meredith, Patrick, Dave, Sia, ...) For them, here is the practice:

200 free nice and easy
200 kick not free
10x50, 25 NOT free + 25 free on 1'10''
20x50 free, PROGRESSIVE 1 to 5 (start "normal", go faster till number 5. DO it again for 6 to 10, 11 to 155, 16 to 20). 5 on 1'05'', 5 on 1', 5 on 55'', 5 on 55''
(1900)
5x100 kick FINS choice, on 2'
5x100 free pull on 2'
200 EZ
(3100)

If there is a slower lane (Dana, Stephanie?)
200 free nice and easy
200 kick not free
10x50, 25 NOT free + 25 free on 1'30''
10x50 free, PROGRESSIVE 1 to 5 (start "normal", go faster till number 5. DO it again for 6 to 10, 11 to 155, 16 to 20). 5 on 1'20'', 5 on 1'15''
(1400)
5x100 kick FINS choice, on 2'30''
5x100 free pull on 2'30''
200 EZ
(2600)

Friday 27/09, 8.15am

Replacing Troy for the late morning group-had the development lane (Juan and Kathy), and the fast lane (8 swimmers there, quite busy).

Slow lane: free and back technique (catch-up, fins, swimming on the side)

Fast lane:
reverse IM, 50 swim, 50 kick, 50 pull
10x50, 5 on 1', 5 on 55''
10x100 kick FINS, 25 underwater, 50 on their backs EZ, 25 underwater on 2'30''
2x400 - 200 pace, 30'' rest + 100 pace, 20'' rest + 100 FAST, 2' rest.
100 easy

Thrusday 25/09, 7.30pm

Today I had the 2 slowest lanes. First lane worked a lot on fly technique, lane #2 also, with a bit of work for the legs at the beginning. Dave was not happy about that (wanted more action ;-)) but I hope he will be happy when his technique gets him faster.

So lane 1: 200 free, 200 back, free technique (catch-up, swimming on the side with fins), fly technique (first 4 exercices of fly)

Lane 2: (Kate, Ira, and Dave)
reverse IM, 50 swimm, 50 kick, 50 pull.
10x50 on 1'15'', 25 FAST, 25 easy
4x100 kick free on 2'30''
first 3 exercices of fly technique
10x50 free, 5 on 1', 5 on 1'05''

A couple of workouts for the future

For FAST lanes

#1
Warm up
600 Im reversed... done 50 kick/50 pull/ 50 swim of each stoke

4x100 kick alternate 100 IM/100 Best on 2:00


(200 pace with 30 seconds rest )
5x (100 fast with 20 seconds rest )
(100 maximum speed 1 minute and 30 seconds rest)
So the above is 5 times 400 the first and fourth times should be crawl...the second and fifth time best...and the third time IM

200 EZ

6x50 best sprint on 1:15 with a minute rest after the third one

200 ez

6x100 pull crawl within 3 seconds of desired 400 pace on 1:40

200 ez

4500m

#2

Warm up: 400m Im reversed: done nice long stoke
6x50 kick fly/bk
bk/br
br/cr on 1:00
200 swim choice

Breast set 5x100 swim on 1:45
1 minute rest
4x100 swim on 1:40
1 minute rest
3x100 swim on 1:35 /// try and keep the same time throughout, preferably under 1:30 Ann 1:25 Luis

4x75 pull fly/bk/br
bk/br/cr
on1:30

Crawl pace: 6x50 crawl swim 105% of 400 time i.e. Your best 400 split less 2/3 seconds
on 1:00
100 breast EZ
5x100 crawl swim 100% of 400 splt on 1:45
150 back EZ
3x200 Crawl swim 95% of 400 split on 3:15 Best 400 split + 8/12 seconds

warm down


-----------

Tu. 23/09, 7.30pm

Crazy amount of people today. I guess swimmers are coming back from vacations! I took the 2 "slowest" lanes: lane 1 had 4 swimmers, lane 2 had 5. Ira came back and swam in lane 2.
Lane 1 worked on free technique and fly technique-almost there!!
Lane 2:
3x(100 swimm + 100 kick + 100 pull), #1 and 3 free, #2 NOT free.
4x50 free ALL-OUT on 1'45''. Dave (fastest): 41-42'' for all of them
200 easy
10x125 free swim on 2'45'' (Dana and Charlotte swam 10x75 instead). Progressive 1-5. Fastest: Dave on 2'01
200 easy

Fr. 19/09, 7.30pm

Patrick, Dana and Stephanie came to keep me from being lonely. They swam:

Patrick
------------
200 easy
400 Reverse IM
6 x 50 free on 1'05''
6 x 300 free with flippers, on 6'. Number 1 and 2: 200 easy, 100 FAST. 3 and 4: 150-150. 5 and 6: 100 easy-200 fast.
100 easy
200 backstroke
----------- 3,100 M.

Dana and Stephanie worked on their fly-breastroke technique. The first 3 drills are beautifully understood and successfully applied.

Th. 18/09, 7.30pm

Martin prepared a circuit of 3 sets of around 20' each. The idea was to get the swimmers to go through the circuit, with Martin and me going back and forth between lanes.
Didn't actually work with all the pool. Why? Because in the first 2 lanes there is a huge amount of diversity: 10 swimmers showed up today, with 6 of them being total beginners (they are learning to reacd their times), 3 swimmers than can swim, but are not very fast yet, and Dave, who is actually getting there with his freestyle. So, the first lane worked on free technique, with some fly technique with fins at the end, and lane 2 (3 girls with fins, Dave without fins) did:

300 warm-up = 75 free/75 back, 50 free/50 back, 25 free/25 back
3 x
2x50 pull, 25 breast-25 free
3 x 100 free progressive 1-3
5x200 free on 4'
(Kick, FINS) 5 times:
100 streamline on 2'30
4x25 SPRINT on 30''