In the swim leg of a triathlon (or open water swim) there is often some variation in swim intensity. The start of the race will often start at a hectic pace, as people try and jostle for a good position or to get to the first turn buoy in a good position before settling into a more sustainable pace. the pace then picks up again towards the end of the swim. This set builds on that top-end speed you have to enhance your overall performance. This session is great for open-water swimmers and triathletes of all distances.
Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, and 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.
Read this article here for an explanation of Swim Intensity.
Option A
- 3x 150m (1st Pull, 2nd Kick, 3rd Swim) 20sec RI W/U;
- 100m Kick;
- 2x 50m on ½T+30sec;
- 4x 25m on ¼T+20sec;
- 200m 60sec RI;
- 2x 100m 30sec RI;
- 4x 50m 15sec RI;
- 100m Pull;
- 3x 50m Pull on ½T+20sec;
- 200m C/D (1,800m)
Option B
- 3x 150m (1st Pull, 2nd Kick, 3rd Swim) 20sec RI W/U;
- 100m Kick;
- 2x 50m on ½T+30sec;
- 4x 25m on ¼T+20sec;
- 2x (200m 60sec RI, 2x 100m 30sec RI, 4x 50m 15sec RI);
- 100m Pull;
- 3x 50m Pull on ½T+20sec;
- 200m C/D (2400m)
Option C
- 6x 150m (1st Pull, 2nd Kick, 3rd Swim) 20sec RI W/U;
- 100m Kick;
- 2x 50m on ½T+30sec;
- 4x 25m on ¼T+20sec;
- 3x (200m 60sec RI, 2x 100m 30sec RI, 4x 50m 15sec RI);
- 100m Pull;
- 3x 50m Pull on ½T+20sec;
- 200m C/D (3,450m)
For the Warm Up (WU) start with a three (Options A & B) or six (Option C) reps of 150m. The first (and fourth) rep is swum using a Pull Buoy; the second (and fifth) rep is kick (see the video below on how to do kick without a kick board); the final rep is regular swimming. Take a 20-second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.
Following the Warm Up (WU) cover a further 100m of kick.
Next up is a set of two, 50m reps. Start these on ½T+30sec. For example if your T-Time is 2:00 minutes. Half of that is 1:00 minute plus 30-seconds, means starting each rep every 90-seconds. For arguments sake you might do the first rep in 51-seconds, this will mean you get 39-seconds Rest Interval (RI) before the second rep. Hypothetically, you might do the second rep in 55-seconds, leaving a further 35-seconds prior to starting the next rep. For more on T-Times read this article:
Follow that with a set of four, 25m reps. These are done on ¼T+20sec. Using the T-Time of 2:00 minutes above, one quarter of that is 30-seconds, plus a further 20-seconds means you start each rep every 50-seconds.
The next sequence of sets is repeated once (Option A), twice (Option B) or three times (Option C). Each set is a total of 200m long.
Start with a single 200m rep, take a minute Rest Interval (RI) afterwards.
The next set is made up of two, 100m reps with a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.
The final set in this sequence is made up of four, 50m reps with a fifteen-second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.
Repeat this sequence the appropriate number of times before moving onto 100m swimming with a Pull Buoy.
The final set is made up of three, 50m reps. These are done on ½T+20sec. Using the T-Time of 2:00 minutes above, a half of that is 1:00 minute, plus a further 20-seconds means you start each rep every 1:20 minutes.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the Cool Down (CD) (like the Warm Up (WU)) 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 (CD).
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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