This session will develop your sustained or threshold speed with a set of repeated 100s. The short rests used in this session will give you time to recover but not fully, hence how your threshold speed gets developed.
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 A
- 200m Warm Up;
- 6x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
- 8x 100m 20sec RI;
- 4x 50m on 1/2 T-Time + 10sec;
- 200m CD (1,700m)
Option B
- 400m Warm Up;
- 6x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
- 12x 100m 20sec RI;
- 6x 50m on 1/2 T-Time + 10sec;
- 200m CD (2,400m)
Option C
- 600m Warm Up;
- 6x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
- 20x 100m 20sec RI;
- 10x 50m on 1/2 T-Time + 10sec;
- 200m CD (3,600m)
Start the workout with a Warm Up covering of 200m (Option A), 400m (Option B), or 600m (Option C). During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed. It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.
Next up is a set of six reps 50m Drill/Swim, where you do a drill for the first 25m of the repetition and then normal swimming for the next 25m swimming. Feel free to use fins whilst doing the drill/swim set. Do the drills below once through and repeat the Kick On Side for a total of six reps:
- Kick On Side (left side)
- Kick On Side (right side)
- 6/1/6
- 6/3/6
Take your fins off for the next set.
The next set involves swimming eight (Option A), twelve (Option B), or twenty (Option C) reps of 100m, taking a 20-second Rest Interval (RI) between reps.
Next, is a set made up of four (Option A), six (Option B), or ten (Option C) reps of 50m. These are done based on a ‘Go’ time of half your T-Time plus ten seconds. For example, if your T-Time is 1:55, half that is 57.7 seconds plus ten seconds makes 67.5 seconds. Round that up to the nearest five seconds, so 70 seconds. Start each rep 70 seconds after you started the previous rep. The faster you swim each rep the more rest you get. If it takes you 60 seconds to swim you get ten seconds of rest. If you go really fast and do it in 50 seconds you get 20 seconds of rest.
Then it’s time for a 200m Cool Down (CD). Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the cooldown (like the warm-up) can be any stroke you wish to swim. You can also stop and rest after any length. I encourage you to stop and stretch during the cool-down.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
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. Make sure you sign up for my informative newsletter.
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If you enjoyed this workout, I published a similar session 12 months ago.
Saturday Swim Session: 100’s
Coach Ray is the author of the successful 12 Weeks to an Ironman Swim PB – Swim Faster with Smart Training eBook.