Speed builds your fitness and gives you top-end speed. For open water swimmers and triathletes, this can assist with getting out through waves quickly but also helps develop the efficiency of the heart and lungs. This is a great session for triathletes and open water swimmers to do to build their top-end speed.
Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, most weeks I will load three options up for you to do. Option A is for swimmers who are after a workout between 1,000 & 2,000 metres. Option B is for swimmers who are after a workout between 2,000 & 3,000m and Option C will be greater than 3,000m.
The inspiration for today’s workout comes from The Essential Swimmer written by Steve Tarpinian (RIP).
Option A
- 200m WU;
- 4x 50m Drill Swim;
- 10x 75m 30sec RI;
- 20x 25m (alt Easy/Hard) 30sec RI;
- 200m CD (1,850m)
Option B
- 600m WU;
- 8x 50m Drill Swim;
- 10x 75m 30sec RI;
- 20x 25m (alt Easy/Hard) 30sec RI;
- 200m CD (2,450m)
Option C
- 600m WU;
- 8x 50m Drill Swim;
- 10x 75m 30sec RI;
- 20x 25m (alt Easy/Hard) 30sec RI;
- 10x 75m 30sec RI;
- 20x 25m (alt Easy/Hard) 30sec RI;
- 200m CD (3,700m)
Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) covering 200m (Option A) or 600m (Options B & C). During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed. It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.
Next up is a drill/swim set. There are eight, 50m repetitions made up of 25m Drill, then straight into 25m normal swimming. Feel free to use fins whilst doing this set. Do the drills below once through for Option A and twice through for Options B & C:
I wrote an article about swimming drills previously. Click here to read and watch it.
There are two main sets, starting with a set of ten, 75m repetitions. Swim these at a steady pace and take a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.
The second set is made up of twenty, 25m repetitions. Alternate an easy pace on odd-numbered reps and HARD on even numbered reps. Take a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.
If doing Option C repeat the second set of both the 10x 75m and 20x 25m.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the cooldown (like the warm-up) can be any stroke you wish to swim. You can also stop and rest after any length. I encourage you to stop and stretch during the cool-down.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi Coaching.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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If you enjoyed this workout, here is a similar session I published 12 months ago.
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