Saturday Swim Session: Gale Bernhardt’s Endurance 11 Workout

Endurance is a critical component of fitness for triathletes and long distance open water swimmers. The reps within this session build your pace to develop the skill and mindset to finish an open water swim or swim leg of a triathlon fast. This is a great session for triathletes and open water swimmers to do to build their sustained 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 Swim Workouts for Triathletes written by Gale Bernhardt and Nick Hansen.

Option A

6x 75m (odds easy, evens Build) WU 20sec RI;
300m 20sec RI;
200m 20sec RI;
100m 20sec RI;
2x 200m -ve split, 30sec RI;
6x 75m (50m Free, 25m Back) CD 20sec RI (1,900m)

Option B

6x 75m (odds easy, evens Build) WU 20sec RI;
400m 20sec RI;
300m 20sec RI;
200m 20sec RI;
100m 20sec RI;
2x 300m -ve split, 30sec RI;
6x 75m (50m Free, 25m Back) CD 20sec RI (2,500m)

Option C

6x 75m (odds easy, evens Build) WU 20sec RI;
500m 20sec RI;
400m 20sec RI;
300m 20sec RI;
200m 20sec RI;
2x 300m -ve split, 30sec RI;
6x 75m (50m Free, 25m Back) CD 20sec RI (2,900m)

Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) swimming a set of six, 75m repetitions with a 20 second Rest Interval (RI). For the odd number reps swim them nice and easy. On the even numbered reps Build your pace, so each subsequent rep is quicker than the previous. Eg:

1^st rep Easy
2^nd rep Moderate Pace
3^rd rep Easy
4^th rep Fast Pace
5^th rep Easy
6^th rep Faster Pace

The main set includes three (Option A) or four (Options B & C) reps that get progressively shorter by 100m. Option A starts with 300m, Option B starts with 400m and Option C starts with 500m. Options A & B finish with 100m, and Option C finishes with 200m. They all have a 20 second Rest Interval (RI) between reps. Aim to maintain the same pace as the first rep right the way through the set.

The final set is made up of two, 200m (Option A) or 300m (Options B & C) reps swum negative split (i.e. the second half is faster than the first half) with a 30 second Rest Interval (RI).

For the Cool Down (CD) swim six, 75m repetitions. Swim these as 50m freestyle and then 25m backstroke with 20 seconds Rest Interval (RI) between reps.

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 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.

Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.

The 20 Most Popular Swim Sessions from www.CoachRay.nz

With over 200 articles covering swim workouts published when this ebook came out, I condensed it down to the Top 20 most popular swim workouts. As viewed by people like you, the readers of my website.

It’s no secret: most triathletes are weak swimmers. Improving your swim will make you a faster, more confident triathlete, and you’ll enjoy your time in the water.

Swim Workouts for Triathletes, 2nd Ed. will help you develop real swimming speed. This waterproof book of 75 swim workouts provides the structure, variety, and drills triathletes need to become more efficient and faster swimmers. Each workout is designed around a specific goal–endurance, speed, form, muscular endurance, or anaerobic endurance–making it easy to prepare for events of different distances and improve all-around swimming skill.

Supplement your current training plan with these workouts or use one of the book’s four swim training plans to prepare for triathlon’s most popular swim distances. You’ll improve your efficiency and feel for the water with illustrated technique drills. New 30-minute workouts help slower swimmers or those with limited pool time get up to speed.

Swim Workouts for Triathletes means no more swimming in circles. Take this waterproof book to the pool with you, and you’ll be swimming real workouts that will make you a faster swimmer and a better triathlete.

Tuesday Training Plan: 8-Week Swim Fitness Builder Training Plan (2 swims per week) – Start Any Time

This programme will build your swimming fitness and develop your confidence and speed in the water even more.
Designed for Beginner and intermediate triathletes and swimmers who are looking to improve their swimming fitness.

Thursday Training Plan – 4 weeks 30min/day Triathlon Training Plan (Running Pace and Cycling Power) no progression

Designed for Beginner and Intermediate triathletes who are looking to create consistency within their training after taking a break or losing motivation in their training. This is perfect for athletes who are short on time. It only takes 30 minutes per day during the week and a bit more time on the weekend.
The primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to have consistency within your training.

Tuesday Training Plan: 10k RUNNING Training Plan (BEGINNER 8-week Plan – Start Any Monday Reusable)

This 8-week programme will take you through challenging sessions that will build your fitness and speed to run 10km faster at the end of the programme.

Thursday Training Plan: Threshold CYCLING Training Plan (Intermediate 6-week Plan) – Start Any Monday + Reusable

The ability to cycle at a Threshold Intensity is a key determinant of cycling fitness. By enhancing your fitness whilst at Threshold Intensity by definition you will be a fitter, faster cyclist.

Designed for Intermediate cyclists and triathletes who are looking to enhance their ability to cycle at Threshold Intensity, you can use this programme as part of your base training to set you up prior to a specific Build phase or as the final 6 weeks prior to an event to maximise your fitness prior to it.

Tuesday Training Plan: 4 weeks to a Faster 1500m with only two 2km per week (25m/50m Pool)

As you follow the programme you will find yourself swimming your 1,500m faster. Now whether that is a PB or not will depend on how fast you have swum in the past, but it will definitely be faster at the end of the 4 weeks than it is now. With this programme people improve on average nearly 2 minutes, with some people improving by over 10%.

Garmin (.FIT) files for Top 20 Run Workouts From Coach Ray

Back in 2019 I had published over 200 run workouts on my website. I took the 20 most popular workouts and published them in this easy to read eBook. Normally this eBook sells for $27, by itself. I’m in the process of transferring all my ebooks from my previous e-commerce store to this website, I’ve decided to add Garmin (.FIT) files for all the workouts within this eBook into a package. I’ve also thrown in some Zwift (.ZWO) files but they can’t be produced for ALL these workouts, so the ones that can have a Zwift file generated have.

Top 20 Run Workouts From Coach Ray eBook

With over 200 articles covering run workouts published when this ebook came out, I condensed it down to the Top 20 most popular run workouts. As viewed by people like you, the readers of my website.
I’m in the process of transferring all my ebooks from my previous e-commerce store to this website, so for now I’m offering them for only $7. Although I believe I have tested things thoroughly, I’m doing them for only $7 (saving $20 from the normal price) just on the off chance there is some bug in the system and there is s delay in getting the ebook to you.

Zwift (.ZWO) & Garmin (.FIT) files for Top 20 Cycle Workouts From Coach Ray

I’m in the process of transferring all my ebooks from my previous e-commerce store to this website, so for now I’m offering them for only $7 ($17 bundled with the Garmin (.FIT) and Zwift (.ZWO files). Although I believe I have tested things thoroughly, I’m doing them for only $17 (saving $20 from the normal price) just on the off chance there is some bug in the system and there is s delay in getting the ebook to you.

Top 20 Cycle Workouts From Coach Ray eBook

With over 200 articles covering cycle workouts published when this ebook came out, I condensed it down to the Top 20 most popular swim workouts. As viewed by people like you, the readers of my website.