To be an elite-level triathlete you need an exceptional aerobic base. Miles Stewart was well-known as an elite triathlete in the 1990s and into the 2000s. He had an exceptional aerobic base, built by consistent training and a large volume combined with speed. The focus of this session was developing his aerobic base. This session is good for triathletes, as well as open-water swimmers.
This week I’ll take you through what Miles Stewart did, in a fortnight’s time I’ve modified the workout for us mere mortals to be able to complete with the normal three options I publish.
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 an article titled A Week In Paradise with Col Stewart from Triathlon Sports Magazine January/February 2001 edition. Col Stewart was the father and coach of Miles Stewart (1991 ITU World Champion and 2002 Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist).
- 1,000m W/U;
- 8x 200m at 3:00;
- 500m Easy;
- 8x 100m on 1:40-1:45;
- 1,000m KOS;
- 1,000m Padd, feet tied;
- 500m C/D (6,400m)
For the Warm Up (WU) start with a 1,000m swim. During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed. It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.
The first set is made up of eight, 200m reps. Miles’ started each rep every three minutes, meaning if it took him 2:30 to swim the 200m he got thirty seconds of rest before the next rep. The harder he swam the more rest he got.
Next up was 500m of easy swimming.
Then a set of eight, 100m reps. These were started every 1:40-1:45. Similar to the 200m reps above, the faster he swam them the more rest he got.
The next set was a solid 1,000m of kicking without a kickboard changing his lead arm every 50m.
To finish with prior to the Cool Down (CD) Miles would swim a further 1,000m with paddles and his feet tied together. For this use a small inner tube from a push-chair or a buggy.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 500m. 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 and 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.
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If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach and 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.
Download the Garmin (.FIT) files for this workout for FREE
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