can anyone direct me to a good swim plan?

Tim at Magnolia Masters has posted several times here on BT.  He has fewer than 20 posts so some people think he should not be listened to. He lists weekly workouts on his website : www.magnoliamasters.com  Seems like he knows his stuff...

Or you could the "keep it simple" approach

Choice of main set:
10 x 200
or
20 x 100
or
40 x 50

Try to decrease SPL and keep the pace per interval steady even on the later ones. You can do them with very short rest for a solid aerobic workout of similar distance to sprint/oly races, or do them with ample rest if you're focusing on technique and really trying to optimize your streamlining & pull for lowest SPL. (I did this with successful effects for the past few weeks, got faster while swimming less hard.)

this is the HIM plan i've been using - at the very bottom of the page there are a variety of swim workouts - http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_trainingprograms/tno_HIM.asp- ranging from 1000m to 2500m...you could throw all the numbers in a hat, draw them at random and use that as your workout (or something like that)

Margo,

You are more than welcome to use the workouts that I post on my website. There is no charge and I am happy to answer any questions. We are a masters team that is compromised mostly of triathletes training for everything from sprint to Ironman distance races. There are athletes on the team that are just starting out to about 5-6 professional triathletes that I coach on the swim.

While I have not posted much on this website, I think 20 times is about accurate. Byron thanks for the compliment and the information on my site. Here is my resume and I'll let you judge if I'm qualified. I did my first triathlon 25 years ago. I was 15 at the time and it was a half IM and the last Kona qualifier of the season. I was a competitive swimmer through high school and college. I was a 4x All-American and recruited by SMU which was ranked in the top ten at the time. We had guys on the team that were world record holders, gold medal winners and NCAA champions. I competed in my first open water swim when I was 15 and have probably done 3-4 a year since then ranging from 800m to 10km. My first swim coaching job was after my freshman year of college and I've done it ever since. This past year I coached a swimmer to go 5:24 for a 500. She was 11 at the time and that was the 4th fastest time in the country for an 11 year old that year. About 3 years ago I started a masters team that is focused on open water swimming and the pool where I coach is on the Ironman Texas bike course. I've coached about 50 people for the IMTX swim alone and the fastest one went 53 this past year. I work with a handful of professional triathletes and I'm having a great time working with everyone. In addition, I am race director for an open water swim series in the Houston area called the Snapping Tortuga. We have races that are anywhere from 500m through 10km and I work with WTC (Ironman) to help run some of the swim legs of their races around the country.

As I said, you are more than welcome to check out the workouts we swim. I post the practices usually the day after we do them. Also, I'll be posting some videos shortly on drill work and how to improve open water skills. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Here is where you can find the practices.

www.magnoliamasters.com/swim-efficiency/

Tim, could you explain some of the lingo in your sets?  For instance, on your set from 9/7/13 (on the right column) you have 3x100 des 1-3 @ 1:50/1:55/2:00/2:05  ....I get the descending part (faster on each 100) but how do the times work out?  Also, seems to incorporate a lot of kicking, not that I have issue with that but what do you recommend for fins.  I use the big old standard fins for kick sets and depending on how my day has been (what other bike/run work I've done) those things will cramp the heck out of my calves in anything from 200 yds to 500 yds, and that's with a pretty easy kick.  Thanks!

Brad,

I typically run a practice with anywhere from 25-35 people in the pool at a time. So based on the ability levels, I'll have upwards of 6 practices all going at the same time.

Those are just the intervals listed for the different ability levels present. In your example, based on your ability level, you could choose an interval of 1:50/1:55/2:00/2:05. Just make sure to stick with one interval through the whole set.

We do a lot of kicking. It is essential to developing an efficient stroke. For the warm-up, I usually have everyone using fins. But for any kick sets after the warm-up, unless indicated, it is without fins. I have a lot of people that start out getting cramps based on their training schedule with the bike and run. After a couple weeks, they adapt and don't cramp anymore.

Standard, long blade fins work great. The shorter "zoomer" style fins work well for swimmers that are a little more advanced and when as a coach you are trying to get at something very specific in the stroke.

Thanks for the questions and if you have any other, please let me know.


Tim

Thanks for all the replies.  I actually looked at Tim's web site but don't really understand the lingo.  So des is short for descending?  Meaning each interval gets faster?  What does wolf mean?  Any correlation to swolf that my garmin likes to tell me about?  lol  I have no idea what swolf is. 

Des is short for descending - each repeat is faster than last. Interval stays the same.

"Wolf" is a way of swimming with a lot of people in the lane where you can practice drafting and get in some speed work. Usually need about 3-5 people in the lane.

SWOLF is garmin's combination of swimming and golf. It's a basic measure of efficiency in your stroke. I think they get it by combining your swim time per length and your number of strokes. For instance, if you swam a 25 in 20 seconds and it took 10 strokes your swolf score would be 30. The goal is to get a better score.

Tim

Thanks! It is always good to learn something new.

Since the masters' program here went bust a few years ago, I've mainly been using the workouts (generally posted three times a week) at [email protected]. They come in three versions--A (for Ironmen/fish/former collegiates) which is usually 4000-4500m, B (probably good for strong triathlon swimmers, 3000-3600m), and C (for intermediates or time-pressed days, 2000-2500m). There's usually a speed focus, endurance focus, and technique focus workout each week. You could easily get more workouts from the archived ones on the site. They're written by a pro triathlete and coach, so are pretty suited to tri (mainly freestyle, some tri-related drills and sets). The B workouts assume you can do strokes other than freestyle and C assumes you can do all four. You can always adjust the send-off times if you are slower than those given but want to get in the distance.

The only disadvantage I've found is that there isn't a clear progression for working up to a goal race pace/distance, so if a specific race is in your sights you'd probably want to add some race-specific workouts such as 100's etc, at goal pace. But for maintaining and improving general swim fitness, and making your pool yards/meters more interesting and productive, they're great.

I was going to suggest McClarty's blog and Tim's, since he is here now and accessible by email.

I'll chime in and say that I mostly don't understand the notations and lingo so I've been ignoring swim plans. Is that bad/good/doesnt matter? In any case it would be kind of nice to mix things up in the pool because doing a billion sets of 100s gets boring.

Looking at the blogs, here are some example questions:


300 w/:30 rest (50 Dive FAST!/100 swim, repeat) - dive fast?
1x300 pull (3/5 breathing pattern by 50) - 3/5 breathing pattern?
300 pull (NO walls) - no walls?
400 swim (5 Pop Ups, 100 swim, repeat) - pop ups?
8x50 w/fins @ :60 (odds: 25 underwater kick/25 swim, evens: 25 SPRINT/25 easy) - underwater kick?


12 x 50 des 1-3; asc 4-6 @ 50/55 - only 6 sets, what about 7-12?
1 x 400 build x 100 @ 6:00/6:40/7:00 - the term build?


I thought 'pull' means you use a pull-bouy?
600 pull (100 swim/50 Shark Drill, repeat)

but in this context does it mean your arm motion?
5 x [100 pull FAST @ 1:45 50 pull easy @ 1:20]

Edited by LPJmom 2013-09-14 9:06 AM

- Dive Fast is do the 50 from a dive, so out of the water off the blocks and then swim a 100 at moderate pace and repeat to swim a 300

- Breathing pattern 3/5 x 50 is you breath every 3rd stroke on the first 50, every 5th stroke on the second 50 and repeat through the 300.

- 300 no walls is you swim the length of the pool, flip turn a little before the wall so you can't push off and then start swimming again. Don't really recommend this drill it can ruin your shoulders.

- Pop ups - I assume it's like a head up freestyle.

- underwater kick is kick as much of the length underwater

- 12x50 des 1-3; asc 4-6 - just repeat the pattern. That was my sloppy notation.

- 400 build x 100 - swim a 400 where each 100 gets faster than previous 100

- 600 pull - looks like they want you to use a pull buoy for the whole 600 and swim w/buoy for 100 and then 50 drill with a buoy

- 5 x 100 pull fast - looks like they want you to try to go as fast as possible with a buoy.

I hope this helps and I'll post a description of all of the notations/lingo/terminology to make it a little easier to understand.

Best regards,

Tim

These look like Sara McLarty's website. I'm pretty sure there's a place or a link on the site where she explains the drills, so I leave that to you. I often skip them anyway, or substitute a drill for something I'm working on that I've seen a coach demo.

Dive fast--it isn't. It's swim fast from a dive (off the pool side or blocks.) That's really more intended for people who will compete in pool swims; I usually don't unless I'm really bored. It makes your sprint times faster, if you're good at diving.

3/5 breathe every 3 or 5 strokes, usually by 25 or 50m. It's bilateral breathing practice.

No walls--don't flip or push off the wall, just turn yourself around. I don't usually do this--it breaks my rhythm and a pain if swimming with others. The point is you don't get to push off the wall in OWS; also can help you with rounding buoys and the like.

Pop-up: Can't remember but I think you lift yourself out of the water with your arms. Some coaches actually have you get out of the pool and dive back in. A kind of strength training.

Underwater kick--wearing fins, kick while underwater. No kickboard. Doable for free and dolphin kick. Of course you may lift your head out to breathe as needed, or take a couple of strokes and breathe. It helps you focus on proper body and head position.

Build: Get faster (she usually specifies how--by 25, or 50, or whatever. For example, 100 build by 25's--I start slow, then medium slow, then medium fast, then fast. This is one you'll get with most coaches/plans.

Pull: Pull with a pull buoy. Some people also use an ankle band.

The one about sets 7-12: Presumably you repeat the pattern for 1-6.

x2 I find his workouts very good!

Thanks again, BT!  I now have focus for my swim work outs.  Today I did a slightly modified work out from the McClarty web site.  Next I will try one of Tim's.  My swim time flew by this morning instead of dragging.  I really enjoyed it for once. 

Here are a few resources that I have used.

http://www.swimoutlet.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4066&Click...

http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/ironman-workouts/

http://beta.active.com/triathlon/articles/swim-fast-to-get-fast-881...

Sheila Toramina's workout set was awesome for me. This was my third season of tri's and I do not have a swimming background. I can highly recommend this product and will be using it again this season. The workouts scale with your improved fitness. I thought the "get a feel for the water" stuff was crazy, but find there definately is something there. Every drill is illustrated and photographed, making it easy to understand.

http://www.amazon.com/Swim-Speed-Workouts-Swimmers-Triathletes/dp/1...

Kent