Practice + Pancakes: Stanford Women’s 400 IM Group (Video)

SwimSwam wants to give you an inside look at what a normal day-in-the-life looks like for any given swimmer, and how that differs from team to team or city to city. We send our head of production, Coleman Hodges, to be a fly on the wall at practice, then relay what he discovered back to you over pancakes. Or at least breakfast.

Time to complete the double. If you didn’t see it already, on a typical Thursday morning, Katie Ledecky, True Sweetser, Simone Manuel, and Lia Neal have a specified workout with Greg Meehan. On those days, Ledecky and Sweetser come back in the afternoon and swim an afternoon workout as well. And every Thursday afternoon, Greg Meehan‘s 400 IM group is in action.

Lets give this group a little bit of context before we delve into the main set. The 4 girls leading lanes (for most of the set) placed 1,2,4, and 14 at this year’s NCAAs. The 3 that were in the A final all dipped under 4:00. The 2 that went 1-2 have both held the American record (yards) at one point in this event. And that’s just the leading 4. So let’s see what battle Greg had these girls fight today.

Main Set:

(Pace +, Pace, Pace – by chunk for each stroke progression)

8×50 @ 1:00

2 fly, 1 kick strong, 2 fly, 1 kick fast, 2 fly

300 Free FAST

11×50 @ :50/1:00 (kick)

3 back, 1 kick strong, 3 back, 1 kick fast, 3 back

200 Free FAST

14×50 @ :50/1:00 (kick)

4 breast, 1 EZ, 4 breast, 1 EZ, 4 breast

100 Free FAST

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Mikeh
6 years ago

This practice was THE SAME DAY as Katie’s practice with Sweetser??!! Words fail. I don’t want to analyze it too much. I’ll just enjoy Ms. Ledecky while she’s here, competing and doing things no one else has ever done.

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
6 years ago

Wait a sec….was this the same day as the previous practice?

xyz
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
6 years ago

Apparently, yes, which makes it even more ridiculous.

Klorn8d
6 years ago

Imagine being a girl going 3:20 in a 300 lc free in practice and getting destroyed

dmswim
Reply to  Klorn8d
6 years ago

I was also impressed with Easin’s 1:02 100 free at the end, but again, next to Ledecky it looked pedestrian.

dmswim
Reply to  dmswim
6 years ago

*Eastin

Becky D
6 years ago

All that water — I wish! Tomorrow morning I’ll share one of the four 25-yard lanes allotted to our masters group with 5 of my closest friends, and love it just as much.

DMacNCheez
6 years ago

Don’t know where else to post this. Seems like Belichick runs his program like almost all swim teams do. I guess hardwork isn’t for everyone.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000935157/article/donta-hightower-playing-for-pats-not-for-everybody

Oops
6 years ago

Ledecky is stupid fast. 303, 200, 58… you’re kidding

Pat
Reply to  Oops
6 years ago

From a push. In the middle of a brutal practice.

Togger
Reply to  Oops
6 years ago

How many swimmers, of any ability, can go within 7 seconds of their 200 free PB in heavy practice?

And 7 seconds is a lot bigger proportion of her swim than it is most of us!

Scribble
6 years ago

Katie has a rockstar freestyle, but ugh, her breaststroke is painful to watch.

Becky D
Reply to  Scribble
6 years ago

It’s still faster than yours.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Becky D
6 years ago

lol loved that one

swimmerTX
Reply to  Becky D
6 years ago

Good one

Danjohnrob
Reply to  Scribble
6 years ago

Maybe her stroke isn’t pretty, but I was amazed how well she was keeping up with Eastin and Forde on breastroke! Apparently conditioning helps. Who would have thought that was true? 😉

Swammer
6 years ago

Oof

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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