How well can you maintain your freestyle technique when the pace increases and the recovery gets longer?
This week’s Saturday Swim Session combines longer 100m repetitions with shorter 50m efforts. The first main set gives you an opportunity to establish your rhythm and swim strongly over 100m. You’ll then move into shorter 50m repetitions with a longer Rest Interval (RI), giving you the opportunity to increase your speed while maintaining good technique.
The aim isn’t simply to survive the workout. It’s to use the 100s to establish quality swimming before changing gears and producing faster, repeatable 50s.
Each Saturday I post a Swim Session, and most weeks I provide three options so you can choose a distance appropriate for your current training:
- Option A: 1,000–2,000m
- Option B: 2,000–3,000m
- Option C: More than 3,000m
You can find all my Saturday Swim Sessions and read my guide to Swim Intensity if you’re unsure how I prescribe swimming effort.
Today’s Goal
The goal of this workout is to develop your ability to increase your swimming speed as the repetition distance decreases.
You’ll begin with repeated 100m freestyle efforts before progressing to 50m repetitions. With the shorter distance and additional recovery available during the second main set, you should be able to increase your pace while continuing to swim with good technique.
Think of the workout as two distinct challenges:
100s — establish your rhythm and consistency.
50s — increase the speed while maintaining quality.
Why You’re Doing This Session
Swimming faster isn’t simply about trying harder.
You need to be able to increase your stroke rate and speed without allowing your body position, catch, breathing or coordination to deteriorate.
The 100m repetitions provide enough distance for you to settle into your stroke and develop consistent swimming. The shorter 50m repetitions then give you an opportunity to swim faster, with the longer 45-second RI providing enough recovery to maintain the quality of those efforts.
For triathletes and open-water swimmers, being able to change speed can be particularly useful. Race situations can require you to accelerate around a buoy, bridge across to another swimmer, find some feet or respond when the pace of a group changes.
Session Inspiration
This workout comes from the same Guide to Triathlon Swimming supplement published with Triathlon Plus, Issue 46, in October 2012 that inspired the previous Saturday Swim Sessions.
Option A is the original workout from the supplement, consisting of a 300m Warm Up, 6 × 100m, 12 × 50m and a 200m Cool Down for a total of 1,700m.
I’ve used that original workout as the foundation and developed two higher-volume options following the same structure.
Option B increases the main sets to 8 × 100m and 16 × 50m, while Option C extends them to 10 × 100m and 20 × 50m.
Today’s Workout
Option A – 1,700m
- 300m WU
- 6 × 100m, 30sec RI
- 12 × 50m, 45sec RI
- 200m CD
Option B – 2,400m
- 600m WU
- 8 × 100m, 30sec RI
- 16 × 50m, 45sec RI
- 200m CD
Option C – 3,200m
- 1,000m WU
- 10 × 100m, 30sec RI
- 20 × 50m, 45sec RI
- 200m CD
What You Should Focus On
The key to this workout is making the two main sets feel different.
During the 100m repetitions, concentrate on establishing a strong, repeatable freestyle rhythm. Avoid attacking the opening repetitions and then gradually slowing as the set progresses.
When you move onto the 50m repetitions, take advantage of the shorter distance and longer recovery to increase your speed.
The 50s should be as fast as possible while continuing to swim with good technique and staying consistent with pace (the last rep should be as fast as the first rep).
That final point matters. The goal isn’t to produce one or two exceptionally fast 50s and then fade badly. You want repeatable speed across the entire set.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Starting the 100s too aggressively: If the opening repetitions are too fast, you’ll accumulate unnecessary fatigue before reaching the faster part of the workout.
Swimming every repetition at the same pace: There should be a noticeable increase in speed when you transition from the 100s to the 50s.
Sprinting the first few 50s: You have 12, 16 or 20 repetitions to complete. Pace the opening reps so you can maintain quality throughout.
Ignoring technique when swimming faster: Speed doesn’t justify shortening your stroke, losing your catch or allowing your body position to deteriorate.
Cutting the Rest Interval short: The 45-second RI during the 50s is there for a reason. Use that recovery so you can produce quality speed repeatedly.
Tips For Completing The Workout Successfully
Use the 100m repetitions to establish your rhythm rather than proving how fast you can swim early in the workout.
If you’re timing your repetitions, look for consistency within each set. Your 100m times should remain relatively stable, while your 50m times should also remain closely grouped.
When the 50s begin, increase your speed deliberately. Think about maintaining a strong catch, good body position and purposeful stroke rate rather than simply thrashing your arms faster.
As fatigue develops, pay particular attention to your final few 50s. They’re a useful indication of whether you paced the set appropriately.
Workout Breakdown
Warm Up
Start with:
- Option A: 300m
- Option B: 600m
- Option C: 1,000m
Use mixed swimming and include a range of strokes.
Your Warm Up doesn’t need to be continuous. Feel free to stop and stretch as required so you’re properly prepared for the main sets.
Main Set One – 100m Repetitions
Complete:
- Option A: 6 × 100m
- Option B: 8 × 100m
- Option C: 10 × 100m
Take a 30-second RI after each repetition.
These repetitions are freestyle. Focus on consistent pacing and good technique.
Main Set Two – 50m Repetitions
Complete:
- Option A: 12 × 50m
- Option B: 16 × 50m
- Option C: 20 × 50m
Take a 45-second RI after each repetition.
These repetitions are also freestyle. Increase your speed from the 100m set and aim to maintain that speed throughout the entire set.
Cool Down
Finish all three options with a 200m Cool Down.
Unlike the two main sets, your Cool Down can include any stroke you wish. It doesn’t need to be continuous, and you can stop and rest or stretch after any length.
After Your Swim
Once you’ve finished, consider:
- Were my 100m repetitions consistent from first to last?
- Did I clearly increase my pace when I moved onto the 50s?
- Was my first 50 too fast, too slow or about right?
- Could I maintain my 50m pace throughout the entire set?
- Was my final 50 competitive with my first?
- Did my technique remain controlled as I increased my speed?
- What started to deteriorate first as I became fatigued?
If your final few 50s were substantially slower than your opening repetitions, don’t simply conclude that you need to get fitter. You may have attacked the early repetitions too aggressively.
The goal is repeatable speed.
Use the 100s to establish strong, consistent swimming. Then change gears for the 50s and see whether you can maintain faster swimming without sacrificing your technique as fatigue accumulates.
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