Hey, Coaches. Here’s a fun practice set that incorporates sprints and recovery — all while your swimmers have fun. I call it Drag Racing (and no, it doesn’t use drag chutes or socks, but you could try that too.) I use this in my Masters workouts, but it would be ideal for triathlon coaches, too.

Assign about four swimmers to a lane (3 or 5 would still work). Three swimmers line up on the right side of the lane (the slow lane), and one swimmer moves to the left side. The right side swimmers start an easy free 25, while the remaining swimmer sprints on the left, trying to pass as many swimmers as they can.

Then the lane rotates. The sprinter takes the end position, and the first swimmer on the right becomes the left lane racer. Each swimmer takes a turn at the left lane and then joins the right lane pack.

If you’re coaching in a 50 meter pool, I recommend lining up 6 or 7 swimmers, and challenging the sprinter to pass as many as they can. Tri coaches should find this beneficial in providing experience in passing and changing pace during a race. Your swimmers will love this set!