Swimming faster in a triathlon isn’t simply about swimming more metres. It’s about improving how efficiently you move through the water, developing the endurance to maintain your pace, and learning how to swim consistently when fatigue starts to accumulate.
This week’s Saturday Swim Session introduces three more workouts from my Triathlon Swim Performance Plan, designed for athletes preparing for Olympic-distance triathlons, Ironman 70.3 and T100 events.
Across the three sessions, you’ll complete 7,800m of structured swimming, with each workout targeting a different aspect of your performance.
- Qwik Kiwi Performance Swim Session 04 – Technique & Efficiency (2,500m)
- Qwik Kiwi Performance Swim Session 05 – Sustained Swim Endurance (2,800m)
- Qwik Kiwi Performance Swim Session 06 – Repeatable Speed & Pacing (2,500m)
Together, these sessions help you become a more technically efficient swimmer who can maintain a stronger pace for longer.
Today’s Goal
The goal of these three workouts is to develop swimming performance through a combination of technique, endurance and sustainable speed.
Session 04 concentrates on improving your freestyle technique through repeated Drill/Swim sets.
Session 05 challenges you to maintain your fastest sustainable pace across two substantial 1,000m repetitions.
Session 06 develops your ability to repeat strong 200m efforts with relatively short recovery periods.
The objective isn’t simply to complete the prescribed distance. It’s to finish each workout having developed a specific component of your swimming performance.
Why You’re Doing These Sessions
Session 04 – Improve Your Technique Before Adding More Speed
Swimming efficiency is fundamental to successful triathlon performance.
An inefficient swimmer wastes energy overcoming unnecessary resistance, often relying on greater effort to compensate for technical limitations.
Session 04 provides three separate opportunities to concentrate on your swimming mechanics.
Each Drill/Swim set allows you to practise specific movements before immediately transferring them into normal freestyle swimming.
The easy swimming between sets gives you an opportunity to consolidate those improvements without rushing.
By repeating the process three times, you can develop greater awareness of your stroke and reinforce the movements that help you swim more efficiently.
Session 05 – Develop Sustained Swimming Performance
Swimming 1,000m continuously at a strong pace requires a combination of endurance, efficient technique and effective pacing.
In this session, you’ll complete two 1,000m repetitions separated by a 60-second Rest Interval.
Your objective is to swim both repetitions as quickly as you can while maintaining consistent pacing.
This isn’t about sprinting the opening few hundred metres and hanging on.
Instead, establish a strong, sustainable rhythm that allows you to maintain your swimming speed throughout both repetitions.
The limited recovery gives you enough time to prepare for the second effort without allowing complete recovery.
For triathletes, this develops the ability to maintain a strong swimming pace over longer distances without unnecessary fluctuations in effort.
Session 06 – Build Repeatable Speed
The final workout combines technique development with six 200m repetitions.
Each repetition is followed by a 30-second Rest Interval.
The objective is to swim as quickly as you can while maintaining consistent times across all six repetitions.
Compared with Session 05, the shorter repetitions allow you to sustain a faster swimming pace, but the relatively short recovery periods still place significant demands on your endurance.
The challenge is to maintain your technique and speed as the session progresses.
Ideally, your sixth repetition should be just as fast as your first.
Today’s Workouts
Qwik Kiwi Performance Swim Session 04 – Technique & Efficiency
Total Distance: 2,500m
- 500m Warm Up (WU)
- 8x 50m Drill/Swim
- 200m Easy
- 8x 50m Drill/Swim
- 200m Easy
- 8x 50m Drill/Swim
- 200m Easy
- 200m Cool Down (CD)
Qwik Kiwi Performance Swim Session 05 – Sustained Swim Endurance
Total Distance: 2,800m
- 400m Warm Up (WU)
- 4x 50m Drill/Swim
- 2x 1,000m – 60sec Rest Interval (RI)
- 200m Cool Down (CD)
Qwik Kiwi Performance Swim Session 06 – Repeatable Speed & Pacing
Total Distance: 2,500m
- 600m Warm Up (WU)
- 10x 50m Drill/Swim
- 6x 200m – 30sec Rest Interval (RI)
- 200m Cool Down (CD)
Workout Breakdown
Session 04 – Technique & Efficiency
Begin with 500m of mixed swimming.
Include a variety of strokes and gradually prepare your shoulders, arms and body for the technique work ahead.
The Warm Up doesn’t need to be continuous. Feel free to stop and stretch when required.
Next comes the first set of eight 50m Drill/Swim repetitions.
Each repetition consists of 25m of a swimming drill followed immediately by 25m of normal freestyle swimming.
Use the following four drills, completing each twice:
These drills help develop body position, balance, rotation and coordination.
Feel free to use fins if they help you concentrate on the technical purpose of each drill.
Take a short pause between repetitions to prepare for the next drill.
Following the first set, swim 200m Easy.
Concentrate on incorporating the technical improvements from the drills into your normal freestyle stroke.
Repeat the eight 50m Drill/Swim repetitions, followed by another 200m Easy.
Complete the third and final Drill/Swim set before swimming another 200m Easy.
The repeated structure gives you several opportunities to practise your technique and then reinforce it through normal swimming.
Finish with a relaxed 200m Cool Down.
Session 05 – Sustained Swim Endurance
Begin with 400m of mixed swimming.
Gradually increase your swimming rhythm and prepare your body for the main set.
Follow this with four 50m Drill/Swim repetitions, completing each of the four drills once.
The main set consists of two 1,000m freestyle repetitions with a 60-second Rest Interval.
The objective is to swim both repetitions at the fastest pace you can maintain consistently.
Start the first 1,000m at a strong but controlled pace.
Avoid the temptation to swim the opening 100m or 200m too quickly.
Instead, settle into a rhythm that you can maintain throughout the repetition.
After completing the first 1,000m, take your 60-second Rest Interval.
Use this time to recover your breathing and prepare for the second effort.
Your second 1,000m should be completed at approximately the same pace as your first.
If you’ve paced the workout effectively, you may even be able to swim slightly faster during the second repetition.
However, the priority is maintaining a strong, consistent pace rather than producing one particularly fast repetition followed by a much slower one.
Complete the session with 200m of easy swimming.
Session 06 – Repeatable Speed & Pacing
Start with 600m of mixed swimming.
Take your time warming up and preparing your body for the faster efforts ahead.
Next, complete ten 50m Drill/Swim repetitions.
As with the previous sessions, each repetition consists of 25m drill followed by 25m normal freestyle.
Work through the four established drills twice, then repeat Kick On Side left and right to complete the ten repetitions.
Concentrate on good body position, effective rotation and maintaining a smooth, coordinated freestyle stroke.
The main set consists of six 200m freestyle repetitions with a 30-second Rest Interval after each.
Swim these repetitions as fast as possible while maintaining good technique and consistent pacing.
Your final repetition should be just as fast as your first (or slightly faster).
The first repetition establishes your target pace for the set.
From there, your challenge is to repeat that performance five more times.
Avoid swimming the opening repetition so quickly that your times progressively deteriorate.
The 30-second recovery provides a short opportunity to prepare for the next effort, but isn’t long enough for complete recovery.
As fatigue accumulates, concentrate on maintaining your body position, catch and stroke coordination.
Finish with 200m of easy swimming.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Rushing Through the Technique Work
Drills are only valuable when you concentrate on the movement you’re trying to improve.
Don’t rush through each 50m simply to get the distance completed.
Use the drills to improve your awareness of your stroke, then concentrate on transferring those improvements into your normal freestyle swimming.
2. Swimming the First Repetition Too Fast
This is particularly important in Sessions 05 and 06.
Swimming the opening repetition significantly faster than you can sustain usually results in progressively slower repetitions.
Instead, establish the fastest pace you can realistically maintain across the entire main set.
Consistency is more important than setting a personal best on the first repetition.
3. Allowing Technique to Deteriorate
As fatigue develops, swimmers often shorten their stroke, lose body position or increase their stroke rate without improving propulsion.
Concentrate on maintaining effective swimming mechanics throughout each repetition.
You want to swim faster through better propulsion and efficient movement, not simply by working harder.
4. Taking Longer Rest Intervals
The prescribed rest periods are an important component of Sessions 05 and 06.
The 60-second and 30-second Rest Intervals influence the pace you can sustain and the overall training stimulus.
Avoid extending the recovery periods simply to maintain an unsustainably fast opening pace.
5. Ignoring Your Swimming Times
Record your times for the 1,000m and 200m repetitions.
These provide valuable feedback about your pacing, consistency and swimming development.
Over time, you’ll be able to compare your performances and identify improvements.
Tips for Getting the Most From These Workouts
Focus on one technical improvement at a time.
During the Drill/Swim sets, identify a specific aspect of your stroke that needs attention.
It might be maintaining better body position, improving your rotation or developing a more effective catch.
When you transition from the drill into normal freestyle, concentrate on maintaining that improvement.
For Sessions 05 and 06, record your repetition times and compare them.
Ideally, your times should remain consistent throughout the main set.
If you’re significantly slower towards the end, consider whether you started too quickly.
As you become fitter and more technically efficient, you should gradually be able to maintain a faster pace across the same workout.
Remember that the objective is to swim as quickly as possible while maintaining good technique and consistent pacing—not to produce one exceptionally fast repetition.
Who Are These Workouts For?
These sessions are particularly suitable for triathletes preparing for Olympic-distance, Ironman 70.3 and T100 events.
They are designed for swimmers who are already comfortable completing approximately 2,000–3,000m per session and want to improve their performance through structured training.
Session 04 is particularly valuable for athletes who want to improve their freestyle technique and swimming efficiency.
Session 05 suits swimmers who need to develop their ability to maintain a strong pace over longer distances.
Session 06 is ideal for athletes looking to improve their repeatable swimming speed and pacing consistency.
Together, the three workouts provide a balanced approach to developing your swimming performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I swim the 1,000m repetitions at Level III or Level IV?
No specific intensity level is prescribed.
Instead, swim at the fastest pace you can maintain consistently across both repetitions, using the allocated 60-second Rest Interval.
Your swimming ability and current fitness will determine the pace you can sustain.
How fast should I swim the 200m repetitions?
Swim each 200m as quickly as you can while maintaining consistent times across all six repetitions.
The 30-second Rest Interval is part of the challenge.
Ideally, your final repetition should be as fast as your first.
Can I use fins during the Drill/Swim sets?
Yes.
Fins can help you maintain better body position and concentrate on the technical purpose of the drills.
However, remove them before completing the main endurance or speed sets.
What if my times get slower during the main set?
A small amount of variation is normal, but progressively slower repetitions usually indicate that you’ve started too quickly.
Next time, begin at a slightly more conservative pace and aim to maintain it throughout the set.
Should I complete all three sessions in one week?
Yes, these workouts are designed to complement one another as part of a structured three-session swimming week.
Allow suitable recovery between sessions and consider how they fit alongside your cycling and running training.
Coach Ray’s Final Thoughts
Swimming improvement comes from combining purposeful training with consistency.
These three sessions demonstrate why simply swimming the same distance at the same pace every time isn’t necessarily the best way to improve.
Session 04 develops your technique and efficiency.
Session 05 challenges your ability to sustain a strong swimming pace over longer distances.
Session 06 develops repeatable speed and pacing consistency.
Together, they provide 7,800m of structured swimming designed to help you become a faster, more efficient and more confident triathlon swimmer.
The key is to approach each session with a clear purpose and concentrate on executing the workout properly.
Take Your Swimming Further With the Triathlon Swim Performance Plan – 16 Weeks
🏊 Want to stop guessing what to do at the pool and start following a structured swimming programme?
My Triathlon Swim Performance Plan – 16 Weeks provides three purposeful swimming sessions each week, progressively developing your technique, endurance and sustainable speed.
Designed for Olympic-distance, Ironman 70.3 and T100 triathletes, the programme helps you build your swimming fitness through consistent, structured training.
Instead of repeating the same workouts week after week, you’ll follow a progressive programme designed to develop your performance over 16 weeks.
And the investment?
💰 Just NZ$59 for the complete 16-week training plan.
That’s a one-off investment in 16 weeks of purposeful swimming.
Train with purpose. Swim with confidence. Race stronger.
Coach Ray
Qwik Kiwi Coaching