Reply To: Training for only 50 and 100 Free
I do 20s for the 50 events. So I kill the swim at the opposite flags. Target time sub 9 seconds on a 30 interval. After using this for swimming and water polo for a year now I’m beginning to see that you can’t expect more than 6 all-out 20 yard efforts on a 30. Right now I’m trying 3 sets of 6 with a minute break. Some days I do the sets with progressively more rest: 6 on a 30, 6 on a 35, 6 on a 40 to focus on peak speed.
So without giving your sprinter a dedicated lane and practice session I would suggest having her do 20’s during some of the time the others are doing 25s for a longer race length (the 100 and 200). She can also do 37.5 yards at 100 pace during those 50s on a minute (when others are at 200 pace) and scull/flutter kick the last 12.5. This should still give her plenty of rest (20 seconds based on your times) and she can work on the turns without becoming too fatigued. And the flutter kick uses the heavily aerobic leg muscles for active recovery and she’s not swimming slow, etc.
You can drop a dive brick at half or tie a weighted rope to the lane line at half for reference points.
Of course, if she is improving within your current framework you might be fine!
Ryan
