The opening leg of an Ironman 70.3 is an important part of the event. If you swim well you can set yourself up for a good bike and run. Being able to swim efficiently and smoothly will enable you to stay fresh and get onto the bike in a good position. This series of workouts will set you up for success.
Normally 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. This series of workouts, the sessions are all targeting athletes looking to improve their Ironman 70.3 swim with limited time. There are three sessions, and I encourage you to do two to three of them each week.
Read this article here for an explanation of Swim Intensity.
Session 07
- 600 WU;
- 8x 25 Drill;
- 12x 100 15RI;
- 16x 50 15RI;
- 200 CD (3,000)
Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) covering of 600m. 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 drill set. There are eight, 25m drill repetitions. Feel free to use fins whilst doing this set. Do the drills below twice through:
There are two main sets.
The first main set is made up of twelve, 100m reps. Take a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI) between reps.
The second set is made up of sixteen, 50m reps. Take a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI) between reps.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the Cool Down (CD) (like the Warm Up (WU)) 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
Session 08
- 400 WU;
- 8x 25 Pick Up 10RI;
- 2000 TT;
- 200 CD (2,800)
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.
Next up is a Pick-Up set. This set simply means that you pick up the pace as you swim through each repetition. Start each rep nice and slow for a few strokes, then swim a few strokes at a moderate pace, then a few at a fast pace, a few faster, then getting faster still, finishing the rep at a maximum sprint as you lunge for the wall. Complete eight reps of 25m. After each repetition have a Rest Interval (RI) of 10 seconds.
The main set is a 2,000m Time Trial (TT). Swim this as fast as you can, aim for either an even split or a negative split.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the Cool Down (CD) (like the Warm Up (WU)) 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
Session 09
- 1,000 WU;
- 8x 25 Drill;
- 2x 800 60RI;
- 200 CD (3,000)
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.
Next up is a drill set. There are eight, 25m drill repetitions. Feel free to use fins whilst doing this set. Do the drills below twice through:
The main set is made up of two, 800m reps. Take a one minute Rest Interval (RI) between reps.
For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the Cool Down (CD) (like the Warm Up (WU)) 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.
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