Specific Swim Training Question - What next?

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2007-04-25 8:14 AM

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Master
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Fenton, MI
Subject: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?
Background: I started swimming for the calorie burn last August. I did a lot of breast stroke because that's what I was good at. Around January, I took a couple lessons for freestyle. Practiced the stuff half-heartedly for while, then I decided about a month later to get serious about swimming. I swim MWF. This past Monday, I swam a full mile in 32 minutes. That was outstanding for me.

What Next?

Now that I've tackled my biggest short term goal of swimming a continuous mile freestyle, I'd like to get into some more specific training. My form is pretty dang good, so says my swim teacher/coach. I plan to continue to work on form drills that I have been using, but I'd also like to start putting some speed work into my workout plan. I can ask her about a new training plan, but I thought I'd ask you all first.

I'd like to do one long distance swim per week, eventually getting up to 2 miles.

I'd like to continue to improve my stroke efficiency and strength.

I'd like to improve my speed for sprint and olympic length swims.


Is this enough info for recommendations? If not, please ask. I'd like to design a plan that has specific distances and intervals called out. I'd also like the workouts to be about a half hour including WU and CD. 40 minutes max. (lunch hour swims)

Thanks in advance.

2007-04-25 8:25 AM
in reply to: #775697

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Master
2299
2000100100252525
New York
Subject: RE: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?
Speed work and a long swim will be your best bet for improving speed and endurance in the water. I would definitely work this out more with your coach, but these were the basics of my IM swim plan:

3x/week, with one moderate, one speed, and one long swim

Moderate swim was generally 2500-4500m, usually with a laddered main set i.e. 100, 200, 300, 400, 300, 200, 100, with a few 100 and 200 drills thrown in, WU and CD.

Speed set always had a 16 or 20x25, mainly on 5-15" rest. Then something along the lines of (3x100 build, 1x150 easy) x 6 as the main set. Also a few drills, WU and CD.

My long swims ranged from 4000-6000m, with the main set centered around 400, 600 or 800m repeats, occasionally alternating in paddles. Usually these were done on 45" or 1' rest in between.

Hopefully this provides you some sort of vague outline, or at least a few ideas.

One thing, though - you mentioned you want to keep most of your swims to 30-40 minutes. Depending on the distances you're trying to do regularly, that may work. Though I'd be hard pressed to say that you can fit in a 2 mile swim in 40 minutes...if so, you are definitely one heckuva fish.
2007-04-25 8:38 AM
in reply to: #775697

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Expert
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Sarnia, Ontario
Subject: RE: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?

Swimming 3 times per week I would split it up:
Long swim
Speed
recovery/drills

Longer day
endurance sets.  multiples of 200s or 400s

Speed day is multiples of 50s at mixed speeds.
?x50 Z3
?x50 Z4
?x50 25 all out sprint, 25 easy
(adjust the ? to suit your own fitness level.  Increase it as you improve.)

Recovery day
mid distance easy swims
include some kickboard work
and include some form drills

2007-04-25 9:05 AM
in reply to: #775697

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Master
2356
20001001001002525
Fenton, MI
Subject: RE: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?
Thanks, this is helpful.

I haven't taken the heart monitor into the pool, so I might want to start doing that.

I'm mainly looking at sprints and olympic length tris for the time being. When I need to have longer swim sessions, I can always throw one into the weekend or really early in the day in the summer.

This is probably an elementary question, but even on my longer distance workout days, I should break the workout into sets? I guess I thought those days should still be long continuous swims.

I am thinking my plan might look something like this:

Monday - Speed workout - (200y WU, 20(?)X25 ramping up in intensity, 200y CD) not sure how long that would take. I don't even know my high effort speeds.

Wednesday - Active recovery - (200y WU, 300y, 400y, 300y, 200y CD) - slower speeds

Friday - Longer distance - Push speed appropriately to fit maximum continuous distance into time limit, including WU and CD. (or do longer distance sets to improve endurance, as coach may recommend)
2007-04-25 12:54 PM
in reply to: #775697

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Expert
647
50010025
Sarnia, Ontario
Subject: RE: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?
I usually break my longer swims into sets.
Once every 3-4 weeks I do the longer day as one long steady swim.
2007-04-25 1:42 PM
in reply to: #775697

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Master
2299
2000100100252525
New York
Subject: RE: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?
My long swims were always broken into sets - the entire time I was training for IMAZ I never did a set longer than 1000m straight.

2007-04-25 2:28 PM
in reply to: #776304

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Master
2356
20001001001002525
Fenton, MI
Subject: RE: Specific Swim Training Question - What next?
KenyonTri - 2007-04-25 2:42 PM

My long swims were always broken into sets - the entire time I was training for IMAZ I never did a set longer than 1000m straight.


Why? I'm not sure I understand the principle behind it.

Are you taking a long break between sets?
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