Samuel Askey-Doran has come to the sport of triathlon from a strong swimming background. The Tasmanian focussed on 400m to 1,500m Freestyle in the pool, as well as the 10km Open Water Swim. Since turning his hand to Ironman, he has set the swim course record at Ironman Kona of 45:43. This is a workout he enjoys and has been using in his build up to the Ironman World Champs in Nice this year.
This week I’ll take you through the workout that Samuel has been using, in a fortnight’s time I’ll take you through three modifications of the workout that are suitable for the rest of us mere mortals with the normal three options I publish.
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 an article from Triathlete.com about workouts used by some Age Group athletes at the Ironman World Championships in Nice have used, you can read the article here.
- 1,000 WU;
- 3x
- 400 PP 15RI;
- 2x 200 Pull 10RI;
- 4x 100 10RI;
- 8x 50 FAST 25RI;
- 400 CD (6,200)
For the Warm Up (WU) start with a 1,000m swim. Include a mixture of strokes, but also towards the end increase the effort and speed by including some fast 25’s and 50’s to elevate the Heart Rate (HR) and prepare the body for the faster efforts to follow.
Complete three sets. Each set is made up of four, sub-sets that each total 400m.
The first sub-set is a single, 400m rep utilising a Pull Buoy and Paddles. Take a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI) prior to the next sub-set. Samuel swims this in 4:45min meaning he is starting his next sub-set on 5:00min.
The second sub-set is made of two, 200m reps utilising a Pull Buoy. Take a ten second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep. Samuel swims these in 2:15min meaning he is starting his next rep on 2:30min.
Next up are four, 100m reps also with a ten second Rest Interval (RI). Samuel swims these in 1:05min meaning he is starting his next rep on 1:15min.
The final sub-set is made up of eight, 50m reps swum as fast as possible. Take a 25-second Rest Interval (RI) prior to the next rep. Samuel swims these in 30-35 seconds meaning he is starting his next rep every 55-seconds.
Repeat all four sub-sets in order until you have completed all three sets.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 400m. The Cool Down (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.
Keep an eye out for the article in a fortnight that will cover a modified version of this workout for the majority of us.
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.
Download the Garmin (.FIT) files for this workout for FREE
Get my 24 week Ironman Swim PB Training Plan with 25% off
When you cross the finish line of your Iron-distance Swim, you will have swum faster than you have in previous attempts.
Designed for Intermediate Iron-distance Athletes who are looking to compete in an Iron-distance event, the primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to set a PB for the Swim during YOUR next Iron-distance event.
Starting 24 weeks before the YOUR next Iron-distance event, this plan progresses through phases to build you to your peak performance. Each week typically contains three swims each week. You will build up to: 4,000 metres swimming in a single session. Although not necessary, I recommend using a swim monitor (eg. Garmin Forerunner 735, 920 or 935) to track your sessions in the pool.
When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.
Prior to using this plan, you should be able to complete a swim of 1,500 meters or yards continuously, and 3,000 metres or yards total within a workout.
When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.