Saturday Swim Session: 200’s 100’s 50’s

This week’s Saturday Swim Sessions utilise the T-Time we determined a couple of weeks ago. Read more about T-Times here.

Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, most weeks I will load three options up for you to do. Option A is for swimmers who are after a workout between 1,000 & 2,000 metres. Option B is for swimmers who are after a workout between 2,000 & 3,000m and Option C will be greater than 3,000m.

Option

• 400m Warm Up;
• 8x 25m Drill;
• 200m on 2T+30sec;
• 2x 100m on T+15sec;
• 4x 50m on 1/2T+7.5sec
• 200m Cool Down (1,400m)

Option B

• 400m Warm Up;
• 8x 50m Drill/Swim;
• 2x 200m on 2T+30sec;
• 4x 100m on T+15sec;
• 8x 50m on 1/2T+7.5sec
• 200m Cool Down (2,400m)

Option C

• 800m Warm Up;
• 12x 50m Drill/Swim;
• 400m on 4T+40sec;
• 2x 200m on 2T+30sec;
• 4x 100m on T+15sec;
• 8x 50m on 1/2T+7.5sec
• 16x 25m on 1/4T +5sec
• 200m Cool Down (3,600m)

Start the workout with a Warm Up covering of 400m or 800m (A, B, or C). During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed.  It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.

Drill Set

• Option A – conduct an appropriate drill for 25m prior to stopping and pausing. Repeat a total of eight times.
• Options B and C – swim 25m doing an appropriate drill prior to continuing on with regular or normal swimming to complete 50m continuously. Pause prior to conducting the next repetition for a total of eight or twelve reps respectively for Option B or Option C.

The pause referred to above is a stop of about 10 seconds. It’s a chance to grab a drink, review the programme and think about the next drill you will do. If you need 15-20 seconds or longer you are welcome to take it because the rest duration isn’t physiologically critical to the aim of this set. Having a quick break is neurologically critical though, so make sure you don’t just roll straight from one rep to the next.

Some examples of drills can be found by clicking on the name below:

• Kick On Side (KOS)
• 6/1/6
• 6/3/6
• Broken Arrow
• Popov

For the main set, you will be completing a number of broken sets. 200m for Option A & 400m for Option B and Option C.

For Option A, swim 200m as fast as you can and then start the 100m reps the equivalent of 2T+30sec. For example, if your T-Time is 2:04 – 2 x 2:04 + 30sec = 4:38 and you would start the 100’s 4:38 after you started the 200. You then do two 100m reps on T+15sec  e.g. using the 2:04 T-Time above, you would start the next rep at the 2:19 mark after commencing the previous rep. After your two reps, you would commence 4x 50m on 1/2T+7.5sec. Half of 2:04 is 1:02 then adding 7.5 seconds is 1:09.5 (which you might as well round to 1:10). Use that as your start time for each rep. Now it might be that during the early reps you finish ahead of schedule and get extra rest, but towards the end, you might start slowing up and if you start dipping out by taking 1:05 or slower you WILL be getting less than 5 seconds to rest after each rep. The programme is designed like this, so the pressure is on you to swim as hard and fast as you can each and every rep.

Start Time	Rep	Notes
0:00	200m	2T+30sec
4:38	100m	T+15sec
6:57	100m	T+15sec
9:16	100m	1/2T+7.5
10:26	50m	1/2T+7.5
11:36	50m	1/2T+7.5
12:46	50m	1/2T+7.5
13:56	50m	Finished

Option B involves the same process for two 200m reps on 2T+30sec, then four 100m reps on T+15, and finishing with eight reps of 50m on 1/2T+7.5sec.

Option C is a little longer (as expected) starting with a 400m rep on 4T+45sec, then two 200s on 2T+30sec, then four 100s on T+15, eight 50’s on 1/2T+7.5 before finishing with sixteen 25’s on 1/4T+5sec.

Complete the workout with a 200m Cool Down. Feel free to pause and stretch when needed and/or include stretching as part of each break until the distance is covered.

If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.

I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi Coaching.

I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.

Join over 2,487 people who have already signed up to be kept up to date with great workouts and training information in my informative newsletter.

Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.

If you enjoyed this workout, here is a similar session I published 12 months ago.

Saturday Swim Session: 200m Paddles

Get my 4 Weeks to a Faster 1500m With Only Two 2km Sessions per Week through Training Peaks. Results Guaranteed. Purchase here. Use discount code CR25 to get a 25% discount.