Breaking longer swims up into segments is a great way to add speed, whilst building stamina or endurance into a workout. This session was described to me by Debs Lynch a few years ago whilst she was in the New Zealand High-Performance Triathlon Squad, as one of her favourites. This session is good for triathletes, as well as open water swimmers.
Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, and 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.
The inspiration for this workout comes from a Qwik-View with Debs Lynch back in 2016. She was a talented triathlete back then and is now a top-tier Adventure Racer/Multisport. Recently she spent a good portion of the Coast to Coast One Day leading the Elite Women and as of the time of writing she was competing in the GODZone Adventure Race.
Option A
- 400m W/U;
- 3x
- 300m (Build 1-3) 30sec RI;
- 100m Fast 30 sec RI;
- 200m C/D (1,800m)
Option B
- 400m W/U;
- 2 sets of
- 3x
- 300m (Build 1-3) 30sec RI;
- 100m Fast 30 sec RI;
- 3x
- 200m C/D (3,000m)
Option C
- 400m W/U;
- 3 sets of
- 3x
- 300m (Build 1-3) 30sec RI;
- 100m Fast 30 sec RI;
- 3x
- 200m C/D (4,200m)
For the Warm Up (WU) start with a 400m swim. During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed. It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.
The main set is made up of a single (Option A), two (Option B), or three (Option C) sets of, three reps of 400m (300m + 100m). After the first 300m of the 400m take a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) before swimming the remaining 100m as Fast as you can. Take another 30-second Rest Interval (RI) before commencing the next rep. With each subsequent 300m within each set of three, swim them slightly faster than the previous rep.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. 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 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.
Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.
If you’d like weekly swim workouts sent direct to your inbox, fill in this form:
Get Weekly Swim Workouts Direct to Your Inbox
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.
Share this post so your friends can benefit as well.
Get my Busy Triathletes 12-week Base Building Swim Training Plan with 25% off
As you improve your swimming during your winter base building, you will have accomplished something very special.
Designed for INTERMEDIATE Triathletes who are looking to improve their swimming during their base-building phase and/or have limited time to train, the primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to further develop your efficiency.
Lasting 12 weeks long, this plan progresses through phases to build you to your peak performance. Each week contains 3x swims and a flexibility session. Each session is no longer than 2,500m and is perfect for the time-crunched triathlete and is also suitable for Ironman 70.3 athletes that don’t have much time to train. Although not necessary, I recommend tracking your training with a Garmin multisport device like the Fenix 5 or Forerunner 735 or 945.
When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.
Prior to using this plan, you should be able to swim 1,500 meters or yards continuously, 1,800 metres or yards total within a workout.
When purchasing, use the discount code “web25” to claim your 25% discount.