Lets Focus on the Swim

I've been content for quite some time now with simply alternating between a couple of different swim workouts and feeling the progress, as opposed to timing/measuring it in any way like someone would with specific goals. Those workouts are:

Workout A - 2200 yds
Warm up: 600 choice

50 swim (rest :30 after each)
100 negative split
150 swim/drill/swim by 50
200 negative split
150 swim/drill/swim by 50
200 negative split
150 swim/drill/swim by 50
100 negative split
50 swim

250 pull, DPS or Kick (usually skip this)
200 cool-down
Sit in Hot-Tub

Workout B - 2500 yds 
Warm up: 600 choice

600x3 choice (rest :30-1:00 after each)
100 cool-down
Sit in Hot-Tub

Now those were all well and good, and there was definitely progression. Swimming felt more natural, and I felt stronger doing it. The problem was that I was going completely off of "feel" and not keeping any physical or mental stats on the amount of time it was taking me to do these workouts. What is my 100m time? I had no clue.

I feel like I've hit a point in my swim training where I could really push through and take things to the next level. What is the next level? Sadly, that means going under a 2:00min./100m average time for my sets of 500+ meters. My friend Bryan, Mr South-East Michigan High School Swimmer of the Year, tells me that doing 100s at a 1:30 pace would be a nice goal to shoot for. (yeah, real nice...) With a long winter ahead of me, coupled with nagging leg injuries, I have should have ample time to drag my ass into the pool and chip away at the seconds. Hopefully, this means a minimum of 3 days a week, but possibly 4.

Trouble is, I don't exactly know what to do to chip away at the seconds, other than swim a lot and try to swim a lot faster... There's got to be a more organized way. Right now, I'm looking at mixing in more light-weight training in addition to some "speed" workouts. By that, I mean hitting the weights at least twice a week, ideally 3 times, as well as alternating between distance-related swim-workouts and speed-related swim-workouts.

The distance-related workouts would be start at 2500 meters and increase over time. There would likely be a 500 warm-up in there at the beginning, followed by larger sets (800m-2000m, that ballpark), and then finishing with a 100-200m cool-down. Oh, and of course some quality time in the hot-tub. (yeaaaaahhh).

The speed-related workouts would focus on, well, speed. There would be the same 500m warm-up, but then I would think to follow it up with 100s, 200s or 500s done for time. The time goal would be established based on the performance of the previous speed workout. The end-goal, of course, would be to get as close to 1:30min/100m as possible.

Wait, lets try that again.

I WILL GET AS DAMN CLOSE TO A 1:30MIN/100M AS I POSSIBLY CAN.

There, that's a little better.

I established my speed-baseline the other day at the pool by doing the following workout:

200m - warm-up
500m - 9:15 (1:51min/100m avg.)
500m - 9:21 (1:52min/100m avg.)
500m - 9:28 (1:54min/100m avg.)
200m - cool-down

I was pretty surprised at the consistency of the times posted (1:52min/100m avg) and would've assumed there to be much more drop-off between the first and last sets. I felt like I was trying pretty damn hard, too.

There are a few things I think I can identify up front that would definitely help me get closer to my goal. Those things are:

1. learn to actively kick my legs - right now they often follow limply behind me only kicking every once in a while for some strange reason. there is no active thought on my behalf at all.
2. work on the form of my right arm - sloppy reach, and sloppier pull and sloppiest recovery.
3. learn to breath on both sides - this should also allow my right arm to develop a more dominant stroke.
4. lots of ab work - in addition to my legs following like dead weight, they would sometimes start to slump in the water which i'm sure does nothing to help my speed
5. hit the weights - still need to research swimming-specific weight-training exercises... (any recommendations?)
6. GET BACK TO DOING DRILLS - fist swimming worked wonders for my form, so did one-armed swimming and the "catch-up" drill.

I'm no swimmer and don't have much background in it at all. If you come across this post, I'd really appreciate any tips/advice/insight you might have on what has worked for you or what you think is not working for me.

Thaaaaaanks.