n + 1 swim challenge (Page 9)

If it were me, I would probably do what it sounds like you have been doing--shorter, harder sets exclusively on Monday; 40, 60y repeats--20yd pool, what do you do with that?

Tuesday I might do a majority of longer sets close to but below threshold (20 x 100 w/10 RI) with a few something fasts (10 x 25) in the middle or at the end (I'm trying Ben and Matt), or a ladder (Arend's set from the other day was awesome, btw). 

That's something nice to get to eventually, but really just learn how to execute swim sets first before doing something like this. Also work on becoming a lot faster. There aren't a whole lot of BOP or MOP swimmers who are worth drafting off of, and this is what that tactic is for. To break away or exhaust someone not as strong or keep up with someone who is a little better. Knowing how to do this should come much easier after learning how to perform the various types of sets well.

With your proposed set, there are a few things you could do. One is just as it's written and have two sets in there, with some rest before starting the 25's. Then several ways to mix them in. I've seen something like 4-5 x 100, 2-4 x 25 (or 50's) and then repeat a few times. These short ones aren't fully all-out sprints, but are noticeably faster than the 100's pacing. Have also done this with 200-500's for the larger parts and up to 100's for the faster portions. Just 1 500 between though.  The timing can vary some on these. The larger ones tend to be done a little more moderate in effort. The faster ones can have some more generous rest, in which case we try to go even faster on them. Or they may not where we'll have to get used to swimming the bigger stuff right out of going hard. Kind of like Matt's recent set, but without the extra rest. These tend to be kind of sneaky hard because of that.

That's something nice to get to eventually, but really just learn how to execute swim sets first before doing something like this. Also work on becoming a lot faster. There aren't a whole lot of BOP or MOP swimmers who are worth drafting off of, and this is what that tactic is for. To break away or exhaust someone not as strong or keep up with someone who is a little better. Knowing how to do this should come much easier after learning how to perform the various types of sets well.

That looks good.  

On the swim lingo theme, when you say 4 x 150 build do you mean that you get faster each 150 or you get faster within the 150 itself?  If you mean that you get faster each 150 (for example, 1. 2:30, 2. 2:25, 3. 2:20, 4. 2:15) then that would be considered descending and I would write it as 4 x 150 descend 1-4.  If you mean that within the 150 you went faster (ie. the first 50 in :50 then the next 50 in :48 then the last in :45) that is a build and I would write it as 4 x 150 build by 50s.

It isn't really different arguments, but more explanation on how to get there. What's important to learn first and then what you can do later. Right now you don't know how to work your pace in a workout that well. And it's much easier to do it there than in a race. Learn how to execute the workouts before jumping so far ahead. You'll figure out how to do things like switch said along the way. You'll also develop into a better swimmer.

A bit of a lazy swim for me this morning as I was a bit tired from my long run yesterday.  Couldn't get my effort level above about 8/10.

Since everyone liked my pyramid from last week, I devised another one.  :)  Adding accessories on the way up and shedding them on the way back down.  Focus for the main set was on having a good solid catch.

200 swim
100 kick
4 x 50 descend 1-4

8 x 25 swim w/ band
8 x 50 pull w/ band on :50 - mostly :38s
8 x 100 pull w/ paddles, 4 with band, 4 without on 1:30, held 1:16s for them all
8 x 50 pull holding :37s
8 x 25 swim fast (not very fast, couldn't turnover quickly)

100 kick easy
3 x 200 pull steady

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.  This morning was 1000y exactly...

Purpose:  speed and VO2 max work

400 SKIPS WU
2 x (5 x 40 on 1:00, in :35 - high 1:2X pace), 80 easy pull and kick between sets
120 pull CD

The 40s were hard, but not quite all out.  The fatigue started to build towards the end of each set, but I was able to hold form.

Got my n+1 swim in yesterday (making it 4 for the week)

My set wasn't fancy at all:

400 WU

1850 swim

250 CD

Matt Fitzgerald has a set like this listed as the 4th swim on my plan every week now.  The distance builds, but there's no breakdown or change of pace.  I'm guessing it's building endurance by doing a big set without rest.  On recovery weeks this swim turns into a TT.

This is one of those cases where I'm just going to have to trust my "coach" and get the work in.

After giving it some thought, I do intervals in both my weekly run and bike workouts, but I also do a long, steady bike and run.  Why wouldn't we do a long steady swim as well?

It's in the form deterioration. We'll do 20-30 min tempo runs or 2 x 20 on the bike, but don't really do that in swimming. Not *just* like that, but more like 10 x 100 or something. So instead of doing a long continuous swim, it's more likely to see something like a whole bunch of 200's to 400's done in such a way that you're moving right along, but not killing yourself to get through, while also not having a lot of rest between each. Just a little to reset, but not enough to feel really well recovered from the last one. This is where I brought up before about knowing how to work various aspects of interval timing to get the desired training effect. It matters, a LOT, balancing them out.

To accomplish something like this, I tend to swim 200's in the 2:30-2:35 range. So would put a bunch of them (say at least 10) on a 2:50 send-off. Possibly 2:45 if I was really feeling good. Longer intervals would scale up accordingly, but have no more rest /100. Maybe a little less. So what we're trying to do here is rebalance aspects of the training. Stretching out how far we go continuously a bit more than before, but still break it up enough so that we can still swim with good form more often.

It's in the form deterioration. We'll do 20-30 min tempo runs or 2 x 20 on the bike, but don't really do that in swimming. Not *just* like that, but more like 10 x 100 or something. So instead of doing a long continuous swim, it's more likely to see something like a whole bunch of 200's to 400's done in such a way that you're moving right along, but not killing yourself to get through, while also not having a lot of rest between each. Just a little to reset, but not enough to feel really well recovered from the last one. This is where I brought up before about knowing how to work various aspects of interval timing to get the desired training effect. It matters, a LOT, balancing them out.

To accomplish something like this, I tend to swim 200's in the 2:30-2:35 range. So would put a bunch of them (say at least 10) on a 2:50 send-off. Possibly 2:45 if I was really feeling good. Longer intervals would scale up accordingly, but have no more rest /100. Maybe a little less. So what we're trying to do here is rebalance aspects of the training. Stretching out how far we go continuously a bit more than before, but still break it up enough so that we can still swim with good form more often.

I've been of that belief too, and most of Matt's workouts are like that, but for this particular swim he posts it as one long swim.  I may send him an email asking why he feels the need to make it a continuous effort.

Like I said, his plans have done a LOT of good for me, so I'm going to stick with it for now.

It would be interesting to know how frequent they are and how far out from the event this is.