Your First Triathlon - Swim Distances?

btw, I know I'm a newbie, so there is probably a reason it's done this way, I just want to know what that is.

Do you think it might be shorter because it's the last swim before the race? Since you're tapering just before the race.

Swim 1 - 1x25m for 10 min with 30s rest between.
Swim 2 - 1x25m for 15 min with 30s rest between.
Swim 3 - 1x400m
1x25m for 15 min with 30s rest between.
Swim 4 - 1x100m
1x75m
1x50m for 15 min with 30s rest between.
Swim 5 - 1x100m
4x25m with 30s rest between.
1x25m for 15 min with 30s rest between
Swim 6 - 1x100m
1x400m @ race speed

Different swims are used as the weeks progress. So these are done more than once. So, unless I get faster, I'm not sure I'll hit 800m in any swim.

It's been a while since I read that book, but I remember he geared the training toward a "first" triathlon that had a shorter swim than most of the sprint triathlons I've seen. I think the swim was only 400m in the goal race. Still- in those swims 4 and 5 that have sets of 15 minutes, you should be reaching more than 600m. The 15 minute sets should get you to at least 500m on their own.

If the swim in your race is 800m, you should definitely be comfortable swimming longer than that in training. FWIW, I was doing swims of about 2000m total with 5 x 100m time trials; my triathlons had 700m and 740m swims (and were both in pools). In my opinion your swim workouts should build up to at least double the swim distance in your race, or at the very least 1000m if your swim will be 800m in the race. If you are preparing for an open water swim, you may need better swim fitness than that.

Edited by jennifer_runs 2014-02-28 8:22 AM