Building your ability to hold a sustained pace for the duration of your triathlon or open-water swim will enhance your performance. By including these faster 100’s will build your ability to repeat the intensity and hold your threshold pace in the event. There is also immense benefit to incorporating the other strokes into your training. By practising and developing the other strokes you will enhance both your feel for the water and the catch phase of you stroke. These are important skills to enhance as you advance your capabilities. 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
- 400m W/U;
- 100m K;
- 8x 100m on T+30sec;
- 100m PP;
- 8x 25m (alt F/S, choice);
- 200m C/D (1,800m)
Option B
- 400m W/U;
- 200m K;
- 12x 100m on T+30sec;
- 200m PP;
- 16x 25m (alt F/S, choice);
- 200m C/D (2,600m)
Option C
- 600m W/U;
- 300m K;
- 16x 100m on T+30sec;
- 300m PP;
- 20x 25m (alt F/S, choice);
- 200m C/D (3,500m)
For the Warm Up (WU) start with 400m (Options A & B) or 600m (Option 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 set of 100m (Option A), 200m (Option B) or 300m (Option C) kicking. Leave the kick board board at home for this workout, focus instead on Kick on Front as demonstrated in the video below.
The main set is made up of eight (Option A), twelve (Option B) and sixteen (Option C) reps of 100m. Swim these on your T-Time plus 30 seconds. For example if your T-Time is 2:00 minutes start each rep 2:30 after starting the previous rep. If it takes you 1:50 to swim the rep, you will get 40sec rest before your next rep. If the next rep takes you 1:52 you will get 38sec rest before your next rep. For more on T-Times read this article:
Next up is a set of 100m (Option A), 200m (Option B) or 300m (Option C) using pull buoy and paddles.
The final set includes eight (Option A), sixteen (Option B) or twenty (Option C) of 25m. Alternate between swimming freestyle and swimming another stroke of your choice. Rest as long as is needed between reps.
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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