This Main Set of the Month is brought to you by Troy Marcikic our new coach based out of Coronado!
Troy grew up a soccer player and he switched to swimming in high school. Within two years on the swim team, Troy was part of two top ten relays at Junior Nationals. He went to college at the University of California Santa Cruz, and he broke school records in the 50 freestyle and on relays three years in a row. He also helped his team (the Banana Slugs) to a tenth place finish at the Division III NCAA National Championships his junior year. Since graduating from UCSC in 2009, Troy has been coaching swimming with numerous programs. He’s worked with Nike Swim Camps, RSD Swimming in San Diego, Solana Beach Swim Masters, and for Cathedral Catholic High School. When he isn’t on deck, Troy can be found in the ocean surfing or paddling.
Main Set of the Month
June 2019
When training I like to throw a set into the mix that hits multiple energy systems. There is aerobic, anaerobic, as well as some active recovery happening throughout this set. The part that I like the most about this set is the pattern or flow of it, because there is always the option of customizing it to fit your needs of stroke, or where you want the intensity to peak.
1x
50 – 100 – 50 – 400 – 50 – 100 – 50 – 300 – 50 – 100 – 50 – 200 – 50 -100 – 50 – 100 – 50 – 100 – 50
In this version of the set, it is geared towards an IMer. The 50’s would be easy/aerobic freestyle on an interval with 5-10 seconds rest, the 100’s would be kick/swim (stroke) fast on a bigger rest interval, and the distance part of the set (400, 300, 200, 100) would be set up as follows:
400 – 25 stroke/50 free/25 stroke
300 – stroke/free/stroke
200 – stroke/free
100 IM
The stroke 25’s being fast and the freestyle being aerobic. Rest 5 seconds before going into the easy/aerobic 50 recovery
This set can be done with younger swimmers by breaking up the distance parts (400, 300, 200, 100) of the set into 100’s, 75’s, 50’s, and 25’s respectively, but the 50 recovery and the 100 kick/swim should be completed in full.
Masters swimmers with issues swimming other strokes can pick their favorite stroke and stick with that, or they can substitute gear such as paddles or fins into those distance sections and get some resistance work out of it.
Cheers,
Coach Troy
Sorry, but I don‘t understand this set.
Can you explain this set more accurate? I think my english is too bad. You swim all 50‘ 100‘ 200‘400‘… without rest? Or, you swim always free, than a kick, than a stroke? Sorry, I am too silly.
Bye Constanze
Hey Constanze,
I didn’t write in any actual intervals, only energy systems. The 50’s are always recovery, on an interval that would give you anywhere from 5-10 seconds of rest. For example, if you swim your recovery 50 in 30 seconds, then your interval would be :40. The 100’s are kick/swim x 25 fast, but on an interval that would give you closer to 15-20 seconds of rest. the 400, 300, 200, and 100 are broken up as you see in the original set, and those are all effort based, so there is no actual interval on those ones, because they lead directly into the recovery 50. Does that all make more sense?
Hey Troy,
thanks for your answer, things are getting a bit clearer now.
Nevertheless there are terms I still don’t get: What does “100 kick/swim (stroke)” mean? And what does “stroke” in “300 – stroke/free/stroke” stand for, just an arm stroke, or a full breast stroke or something else?
Thanks is advance for your help
Constanze
When I mention “Stroke” I mean anything but freestyle. Some coaches might say “choice.” So 100 kick/swim would be 25 kick/25 swim their choice of stroke for 100. Same thing for the 300 in terms of “stroke” being their choice of stroke other than freestyle. Thanks for your questions, it is probably helping other readers as well.