Week 32: Coach’s Notes, Upcoming Events, and Workouts of the Week

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    chucifer
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    Week 32: Coach’s Notes, Upcoming Events, and Workouts of the Week

    Swimmers,

    Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend or participated in the community with the various rides and runs! It was a weekend of bizarre weather, but at races and through social media, we saw a bunch of you crushing it, so kudos!

    As with last week, we are stopping warmups at 6 AM for the UDC sessions and 7:10 PM for our Wilson sessions to provide more time for the main set. This shortened warmup time is to primarily mimic races with minimal warmup opportunities so that your bodies are used to the need to get going quickly, however, if you feel that 10 minutes of warm up is insufficient for your current fitness, we recommend that you arrive early to practice and either use resistance cords, light calisthenics, or, if possible, get into the pool. Warmups will be continue to be either a choice of the suggested warmup or an opportunity for you to practice your own open water warmup. If you need suggestions for an open water swim warmup, see the info section below.

    On Monday this week, we will be providing our last chance (since we only offered this last week on Wednesday and Friday morning) at threshold testing for this pre-race phase with a 1000 yard (or meter) time trial, a break, and then a 100 yard (or meter) time trial. We offer this opportunity because we want everyone to know their Threshold Pace (TP), especially going into race season. The Threshold Pace is particularly important because it gives you a close estimation at the speed and effort level you should be trying to go in a Sprint or an Olympic distance race. Granted, with sighting, turns, open water conditions and a lack of walls, you might be slightly slower than your time trial, however, you should become more familiar with the effort level so that you understand what is needed to achieve your goals at your upcoming race.

    Our recommendation for pacing the 1000 is to ease into the time trial. The first 500 should feel relaxed and you should focus on breathing out hard underwater so that you will take full breaths and not go into oxygen debt. The next 300 should be a build and the last 200 should be as strong as possible. If you’re unable to make one of our sessions this week, but would like to do this time trial on your own, please follow this link so that you can enter in your time: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1miz2skr2KbpwW9of_sVPEnV3jR5AZEIXWDOVL1oGpGw/edit?usp=sharing

    Once you have your 1000 time trial time, take that duration and divide by 10 for your Threshold Pace. This pace should be used to determine what you should expect to achieve for longer distance intervals per 100. As a prime example, on Wednesday this week, we will be doing a challenge set of longer intervals of 500s (less for MOP and BOP swimmers). The suggested interval will be TP+60s. This means that if your TP is 1:30 (because you swam 15:00 on your 1000 time trial), we are expecting you to start the second 500 exactly 8:30 after you started your first 500. (1:30 x 5 + 0:60). The unwritten expectation is that you are completing your 500’s in approximately 7:30 and you are getting close to 60s of rest. It’s completely okay to finish faster or slower to get more or less rest, however, if you are consistently getting much more or much less rest than the written pace, it may be time for a new threshold test.

    The same is true for shorter intervals. Knowing both of your time trial times, your interval pace up to 200m should be up to 10s-15s faster than your TP depending on your effort level and definitely slower than your 100 time trial pace. The reason for this is simple: it’s easier to swim a shorter distance than a 1000. This means that for shorter distance sets such as 100s on TP+10s, the unwritten expectation is that you should be getting more than 10s of rest per 100; up to 10-15s more depending on effort level and number of intervals. Again, its okay to finish a little faster or slower to get a little more or less rest, however, if you are consistently getting much more or much less rest, it may be time for a new test.

    Questions? Feel free to post on our Facebook page or, as always, you can email us at masters@dctriclub.org

    Happy Swimming!
    -Your Masters Coaches

    For day to day announcements and interaction, we use Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/212967452505458/

    General Information:

    Recommended Gear: https://www.swimoutlet.com/dctmasters/ **Please come to practice with a swimmer’s snorkel and paddles. Please use resistance cords at home or right before practice.**

    Core Exercises: 3 minutes of front plank and 3 minutes of superman exercises three days a week. If you can’t hold a front plank for a minute, go for 30 seconds. If 30 seconds is too much, go for 15 seconds and repeat that until you get up to a total of 3 minutes
    How to do a front plank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7IuxfKFDzE (If you would like an easier version, try a high plank by supporting yourself with your hands. For an even easier version, plank from your knees)
    How to do a superman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6PJMT2y8GQ

    Sighting Steps:
    There are multiple times that you can sight, but effectively, the best time to sight is right at the moment when one of your arms is right at the beginning of the catch. Once in that position, in one fluid motion, pull hard and *slightly* downward and lift your whole head out of the water, not just your eyes.
    Once your head comes out of the water, take a quick mental snapshot of what you’re seeing and immediately put your head back down into the water with your nose pointed down. Do NOT keep looking forward with your head in or out of the water. If you do so, you create a severe amount of drag and can slow your momentum down significantly.
    Once your head is back in a normal swimming position, review your mental snapshot to see if you are able to identify what you saw. If the answer is yes, then continue swimming. If the answer is no, repeat the sighting steps until you understand what you’re seeing.
    As for adding breathing to this motion, you can breathe before or after your sighting. I recommend sighting first, then turning your head and breathing in as you lower your head into the water. I recommend this method because it limits the lateral motion that can happen with your head if you breathe then try to lift your rotating head to sight.

    Seasonal Reminders:
    We are continuing to do ‘Deck Ups’ and as detailed previously the goal of this skill is to help acclimate you to the rigors of getting out of the water and into a vertical position to mimic transitions in a triathlon. We would like you to, when directed, to get out of the pool (in a safe manner) at the end of the interval, stand up, and touch something a few feet away, then return to the pool safely. Remember, Do NOT, under any circumstances, jump into the water with a swimmer coming into the wall inside the flags. As always, our coaches will be guiding you through these workouts so please listen to them closely when Deck Ups come around! Further, please be sure that when someone else is getting out of the water, if you are behind them, to give them enough space in case they don’t make it out of the pool completely!
    With the region’s outdoor triathlon season starting, many of the swims are requiring wetsuits. If you haven’t had a chance to practice swimming with your wetsuit on, please come to practice ON FRIDAYS to gain familiarity with swimming with a wetsuit. Knowing how your body position changes with a wetsuit on is very important for those looking to maximize your race experience. If you would like to join us with your wetsuit, please arrive extra early so that you have time to put on your wetsuit. We expect that you will be ready to go when the practice starts. Please don’t forget any tools you might need to help you put your wetsuit on or to prevent chafing!
    With all of the sighting and Deck Ups, please be kind to your shoulders! Shoulder mobility and strength exercises can greatly help prevent injury! These skills are strength dependent and as such, if they become too much for you, please let a coach know! We understand the challenge and don’t have a problem giving you an adjusted exercises to better suit your needs! Mobility drills below!
    If you happen to be racing on any given weekend, please let the coaches know! We can adjust the workouts for you so that you can effectively practice skills, maintain your fitness, and prime your body for your race. Also, if you happen to have just raced on the weekend and you’re jumping right back into practice, please let a coach know as well! The coaches can adjust the workouts so that you can maximize recovery while maintaining your skills and your fitness without digging yourself into a training hole.

    Open Water Warmup Recommendations:
    If you have the opportunity to warm up in the water for more than 5-10 minutes: Swim out easy to a buoy (or a point) approximately 100-200m out and practice a turn around the buoy. On the way back, alternate between 20 easy strokes and 20 hard strokes with sighting. Do this again if you have the time available. If you don’t have any more time to warm up, relax and swim easy.
    Another good warmup if you have in-water time is to do a descending and then ascending ladder of easy strokes and hard strokes. Written out, this is 40 easy strokes, 40 hard strokes, 30 easy, 30 hard, … 10 easy, 10 hard, 20 easy, 20 hard… 40 easy, 40 hard.
    If you do not have the opportunity to warmup in the water for more than 5 minutes or if you are in a middle wave: Bring your resistance cords to the swim start and find a place to set them up. With enough time to put away your cords, perform 3×50** pulls with the middle 10-20 pulls hard and all other pulls easy (take a half to full step forward). Then, once you are allowed to get into the water for your wave start, get in as soon as possible and swim around easily in the start area with good form until the race start. (**This assumes you have been doing the recommended resistance cord pulls before practice and know how to use the cords. Reduce this value if you haven’t been doing the recommended exercises)

    Shoulder Mobility: Start this video at 6:10 and with the last exercise, you can do it against a wall (aka Wall Angel) starting from a superman position: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5BuC-bZ9WQ

    Upcoming Events:
    Club NTP/ODP/HIM Goal Races: July 7th & 8th, Williamsburg, VA http://www.rev3tri.com

    Workouts of the week:
    Monday
    Pre-Workout: 3×50 Resistance Cord Pulls. Bring your cords to the pool, get there early and crank through these before the workout.
    Warm Up:
    10 Mins On Your Own to practice your race day warmup
    or:
    300 EZ (BOP: 200)
    6×50 Descend on 10s Rest

    Main:
    If the test was not done last week:

    100 EZ
    1000 Time Trial **Get your time and tell a coach**
    200 EZ
    100 Time Trial **Get your time and tell a coach**
    100 EZ
    Join the rest of the lane with Main Set

    ***
    If the tests were done last week:

    Main 1: 5×300 (MOP:5×200; BOP: 4×200)

    #1: Anti Build 90-60% on TP + 30s
    #2: Swim 75% Full Sight every 8 Strokes w/40s rest
    #3: Pull 75% with Snorkel and Paddles w/40s rest
    #4: Build 60-90% on TP + 30s (depending on fitness)
    #5: Deck Up every 100 (shoes or wall) @ 75%

    Main 2: 14×50 on 1:00 interval or 15s Rest
    #1-#6 Sprint last 1/4
    #7-#10 Sprint last 1/2
    #11-#13 Sprint last 3/4
    #14 All Out


    Wednesday
    Pre-Workout: 3×50 Resistance Cord Pulls. Bring your cords to the pool, get there early and crank through these before the workout.
    Warm Up:
    10 Mins On Your Own to practice your race day warmup
    or:
    300 EZ (BOP: 200)
    6×50 Descend on 10s Rest

    Main: Challenge Set!

    6×500 on TP+60s (MOP: 6×400; BOP: 6×300)

    #1 With Snorkel
    #2-6 Build from 70-90%

    200 Warmdown

    Friday
    Pre-Workout: 3×50 Resistance Cord Pulls. Bring your cords to the pool, get there early and crank through these before the workout.
    Warm Up:
    10 Mins On Your Own to practice your race day warmup
    or:
    300 EZ (BOP: 200)
    6×50 Descend on 10s Rest

    Main:
    600 @75% Deck Up every 100 (Shoes or Wall) on 1:00 rest
    4×50 on 1:00 (or 15s rest). Focus on good form. Last one all out
    3×200 @ 80% on TP+30
    4×50 on 1:00 (or 15s rest). Focus on good form. Last one all out
    6×10 Descend 1-3; 4-6 on TP+15s
    4×50 on 1:00 (or 15s rest). Focus on good form. Last one all out

    200 Warmdown

    Longer Distance Swimmer Added Set: Add to any day after the main set. This is NOT a replacement for the main set.

    HIM:
    600 @ 75% sight every 8 strokes immediately into 200 Swim @ 85%
    Focus on maintaining form after every sighting

    IM and Longer:
    1000 @ 70% sight every 8 strokes immediately into 200 Swim @ 85%
    Focus on maintaining form after every sighting

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