Step It Up......

Ricks Blog Tune this week seems  to be very apt for the start of December and the fact with have got step it up and start training 100%...its the classic tune by the Stereo MC`S......" Step It Up." Listen as you read..dare you not to dance...;-)) Its Time for Ricks to stop partying , time to move on from this years swim ,Its time to get training , time to focus on next yrs 2 way channel relay swim...its planned for late June 2012..It seems a long way off.. but not really...we only have 4 months of hard pool and land training to do before we head back into open water in March..!! so its time to step up...!!  ( hope these training plans might help other  swimmers, we look at other blogs for sure for ideas..as we all know how hard and boring pool training can be for all of us.!!) happy training .Ricks

This Weeks Sessions ( Land Work is also being done twice a week..concentrating in Back, Shoulders,Core,Chest and Triceps don`t go mad, your not trying to be the next Arnie.!!!)

11/12/11 @ Perry Beeches (25m),

10 minutes stretching...IMPORTANT..!!!

Concentrate on good form on all strokes ALWAYS.!!

Warm Up 

800..( 200 swim kick pull swim ) choice stokes BUT no F/C on this set. Main Se t  3 X 1200 F/C  70% effort

1200 ( 3 x 400 of 6 minutes) 1200 (6 x 200 of 3 minutes) 1200(12 x 100 of 1min 30 ) try and make all the sets comfortable, want it done an even pace Warm Down..

6x2 ..breathing every 5..long stroke..counting strokes again 400m easy swim down

5 minutes stretching

10/12/11 @ Walsall Gala (33m pool)

10 minutes stretching

Warm up.

200( 3 x 2`s F/c to Back) 15r

200 (3 x 2,s F/c to Breast) 15r

200 ( 3 x 2`s Back to Breast ) 15r

Main Set..75% effort ( aim to hit 5.45 or better per 400m) 15r

2 x 400`s F/C Full

2 x 400`s Pull Buoy

2 x 400,s Paddle & Pull Buoy

2 x 400,s Full & Snorkel

2 x 400`s Paddles, Pull Buoy & Snorkel

Kick & Full Set ( fins , but NO Board)

200 (3 X 2`S  up  u/w Fly Kick back Full Fly ) 20r

200 (3 x 2`s  up back kick, back full stroke) 20r

200 (3 x 2`s  up f/c kick back full f/c use snorkel) 20r

400m easy swim down

5 minute stretch down.

Total.5600m.

8/12/11 Village leisure club (25m)

10 minute Stretching.

400m( 2x200`s choice stroke drills not F/C ) easy,nice and relaxed.

Main set...75% Effort (Aim to Hit 2.45 per 200) R15

10 x 200`s

2 x 200`s paddles

2 x 200`s Pull Buoy

2 x 200`s Pull Buoy and Paddles

2x 200`s Full with Snorkel

2 x 200,s Pull Buoy ,paddles and Snorkel

Kick Set 80% EFFORT 20R

4 X 100`S f/c  going off 2.00 minutes

400 easy swim done

5 minute stretch.

Total 3200m

6/12/11 Village leisure club (25m)

10 minute Stretching.

400m( 4x100 each stroke drills) easy,nice and relaxed.

Main set... (Aim to Hit 1.20 per 100) R15

21 x 100`s ( use Paddles and Snorkels for this set)

Kick Set...Fins, NO board

8 x 25`s U/W Fly Kick R20

Kick and Full set..(with fins) 20R

4  x 50`s (25 fly U/W,25 fly full stroke)

4  x 50`s ( 25 Back kick,25 back full)

4 X 50`s (25 kick f/c,25 f/c full..try snorkel on this set)

400 easy swim done

5 minute stretch.

Total 3700m

4/12/11 @ Perry Beeches (25m),

10 minutes stretching...IMPORTANT..!!!

Concentrate on good form on all strokes in this warm up

400m easy choice Full (at least 3 different strokes)

400m easy choice Kick (at least 3 different strokes)

300m reverse IM Full...(3 lengths on each stroke)

300m reverse IM Kick...(3 lengths on each stroke)

200m Full (25.f/c, 25 No 1 form)

200m Kick (25.f/c, 25 No 1 form)........(1800m)

Main Set...90% effort...F/C

3 x 100,s f/c (aim 1.10 or better) 30r after each 100

1 minute rest

3 x 200,s f/c (aim 2.20 or better) 30r after each 200.

100 easy swim down....(1000m)

Starts, Turns and Finishes set...important..!! (500m)

F/C drills...600m various...

200m easy swim down

5 minutes stretching

3/12/11 @ Walsall Gala (33m)

10 minutes stretching

200m full every 3rd length back

200m full every 3^rd length breast

200 Kick (2 f/c 2 back 2 breast)

3 x 2,s F/c full 1st length head up 2^nd length head up sculling (try and get chest high in the water with head up...work those legs)

3 x 2s F/c Pull 1^st length head up 2^nd length head up sculling (try and get chest high in the water with head up...work those arms...NO KICK)

Main Set 10 x 300`s F/C 70% effort.. 20r or of 4.45...

2 x 300`s Full

2 x 300,s Pull buoy

2 x 300 Paddles Full

2 x 300,s Paddles and Pull Buoy

2 x 300,s Snorkel Full

Think about stroke for the whole set..!! Tempo, catch. Bi breathing, kicking from the thigh not the knees, hip movement through the pull

Kick...8 x 100 (set done twice) with Fins No Board

100... (1ST L F/C, 2ND L Under water, 3RD L F/C)

100 ( F/C , U/W,Back)

100 (f/C .U/W, Choice)

400m Swim down Choice

5 minutes stretch

Total 5200m

1/12/11 Village leisure club (25m)

10 minute Stretching.

400m easy F/C...nice and relaxed.

Main set...1 hour timed and distance recorded swim.

It’s never fun but its great gauge of improved fitness through the winter...should be done at least once a month...learn your pacing...a good swim 4000m in the hour

400 easy swim done

5 minute stretch.

Total 4800m

Before we sign off , the Team would like to send a special get well message to Big ricks swimmer Nick “Mr Average “Platt...Who as you can see from the picture has had somewhat of a miss hap with his tiny feet ...! But Not to worry it’s not as bad as it looks,  Nick is that competitive and driven, after many yrs off  be always coming last in Rick's swims ( we keep telling  him it’s not a race.!!) he finally  decided enough was enough ..so he took the strange decision  to  have  some plastic surgery  done on his dainty size 5 feet in an effort to 1^st  beat the elusive  30 minutes barrier  at one the Great Swims one mile races, but even more important he also  hope the results of increasing the length of his Big Toe, he will at last be able to beat  fellow Ricks swimmers Mrs Platt and Keil “Chewy” Morris .!!!  Seriously we all wish him a speedy recovery.