Swim Workouts - play along

Oct 20, 06 12:22

Post #1 of 32 (5005 views)

I've been on a bit of a swim kick lately in an effort to get out of the water a bit earlier at IMFL. Usually I swim with a Masters group, but occassionally (like today) I sleep in and have to go swim on my own which I absolutely despise.

Since this is the time of year to be logging those swimming miles, as most of us are either prepping for a big end of the season race or getting ready for the offseason (when I always seem to forget my way to the pool), I figured I'd put up some of my workouts to give people some ideas for those days when the same old 40' of straight swimming or 15 x 100 workout just doesn't inspire you to get to the pool.

It would be great if others would chime in and post some of their favorite or more challenging workouts as well to give everyone some ideas for the offseason.

I'm also publicly putting this out there, because I know someone on ST will pick up on it and hold me to it, that my offseason goal is to get at least 10,000m/wk of swimming in from 12/1/06 - 4/1/07. My other goal is a 100,000m month. Not big goals or mileage for 'real' swimmers, but at least I won't have to start over from 4 or 5 months of little to no swimming like I seem to do each year.

Ok, so here's my workout for today (4600m total):

Warm-up: 400 free, 4x100 IM

MS#1: 6x200 pull decending on 3'15

Kick Set: 400 kick w/fins, 4x100 kick (stroke)

MS#2: 3x500 on 1' rest (#1 - IM Pace, #2 - Negative Split, #3 - Max effort)

Cool Dn: 300EZ

Fit2Tri Multisport
http://www.fit2tri.com

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [Mark in FL] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:29

Post #2 of 32 (4980 views)

Here's one that I like:

2000 to 4000m continuous as: 150 easy, 50 fast.

Solid aerobic workout, and gets your arms used to short spurts to catch a draft.

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Maybe I should put something nice here.

Last edited by: thebigH: Oct 20, 06 12:30

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [thebigH] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:32

Post #3 of 32 (4967 views)

We actually did tri swim workouts in masters today.

Did some 100's with the first half and the last half of hte 25's were breast stroke. Also did a bunch of drafting free style. Was great to see masters put some focus on stuff that us Tri swimmers use.

Dave

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Re: Swim Workouts - play along [h2ofun] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:43

Post #4 of 32 (4938 views)

Just out of curiosity (or ignorance), why would you want to do breast stroke for a tri workout?

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [thebigH] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:44

Post #5 of 32 (4938 views)

You have some serious concentration ability my friend. I don't think there is anyway I could ever do 4000 straight in the pool. I'd lose my mind. The longest set I ever use is 1000 and that's a bit of a chore.

I really prefer to do those long continuous swims in open water. Great to get out there and practice beach starts/drafting/sighting/surging/swim exits with a group of friends.

Fit2Tri Multisport
http://www.fit2tri.com

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [BillyJ] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:46

Post #6 of 32 (4930 views)

If you get real tired, or maybe come up on a big group. I see folks do it all the time. Now, of course, a real swimmer would never need this, but there are a few non swimmers doing tris. :o)

Dave

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Re: Swim Workouts - play along [Mark in FL] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:49

Post #7 of 32 (4920 views)

Here are a couple of my recent ones.

#1 - 3100 total

warmup: 500 easy, 300 pull w/paddles and buoy, 100 kick

10 x 50 hard, 20 sec rest

10 x 100 moderate to hard, odds IM, evens free, 15-20 sec rest

4 x 150 swum as 25 fly/25 back/25 breast/75 free....build, 20 sec rest

100 easy

#2 - 4700 total

warmup: 500 easy

5 x 50, 5 x 100, 5 x 150, 5 x 200, 5 x 150, 5 x 100, 5 x 50. All at race pace w/20 sec rest, 1 min between sets.

200 easy non-free

__________________
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my twitter feed

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [Mark in FL] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 12:50

Post #8 of 32 (4919 views)

I've never made it to 4k, myself... the longest was 33 or 3400m. Throwing in the 50 fast every 4th, makes it go by faster, and easier to keep track (I tend to gap out and lose count, especially after 2500 or so).

Gotta do ITU long course in 4 weeks... I figure if I can do 4k continuous in a pool, the lake swim will be no prob.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe I should put something nice here.

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [Mark in FL] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 13:46

Post #9 of 32 (4842 views)

YAY! I'll play :D

Here are two recent ones:

Thursday PM (the morning workout was an easy 6k)

1ooo w/u

2o x 1oo IM on 1:45 keep 'em under 1:25

12 x 5o on :5o c/d

the IMs felt sooooo good...

Friday (PM only! the 500s felt really good)

1ooo w/u

2 x 5oo on 7:00

2 x 5oo on 6:45

2 x 5oo on 6:30

12 x 5o on :50 easy

12 x 5o IM order on 1:00

12 x 1oo easy as 4 IM on 1:45, 4 free on 1:30, 4 IM on 1:45

6 x 1oo on 1:30 c/d

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [h2ofun] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 13:47

Post #10 of 32 (4835 views)

but there are a few non swimmers doing tris. :o)

if you're including yourself in that group... don't... you're well on your way to being a "real" swimmer

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 13:53

Post #11 of 32 (4825 views)

Here's an indicator of how much of a non-swimmer I am... reading these swim work-outs in like trying to read the German article posted on the Ironman website. I need a translator for most of it!

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [newbritri] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 13:58

Post #12 of 32 (4816 views)

That's how I feel about track workouts! I never understand those.

I think you're sort of joking, but just in case... because I'm always trying to get people to swim, it's so much fun! translation -

It's easy, really: for instance, 2 x 500 on 7:00 means that you have seven minutes for each 500. Say you swim the first one in 6:30, then you have thirty seconds' rest before you start the next one. The next one has to be under seven minutes too! Or else you miss the interval for the next two five hundreds. That's a "descending" interval, and the repeats are supposed to descend (get faster with each one) too.

IM = individual medley = fly back breast free

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [jpflores] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 13:59

Post #13 of 32 (4814 views)

I love pyramid sets like in your second one!

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:11

Post #14 of 32 (4789 views)

I wish I was joking... Thanks for the putting this on my "elementary school" swimming level. I do appreciate it.

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:12

Post #15 of 32 (4787 views)

Here's another one :-)

warm up 500 easy w/ some drills thrown in.

4 x (1 x 100 @ 1:30, 1 x 150 @ 2:15, 1 x 200 @ 2:50, 1 x 300 @ 4:20, 1 x 200 @ 2:50, 1 x 150 @ 2:15, 1 x 100 @ 1:30). 1 min betw. sets....concentrate on holding same 100 pace throughout set (1:12-3/100)

300 cool down non-free

5600 total

__________________
JP

my twitter feed

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:19

Post #16 of 32 (4773 views)

100m IM in 1:25?!?!?!?

OMG... Some of us are mortals in the pool, you know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe I should put something nice here.

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [thebigH] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:40

Post #17 of 32 (4741 views)

meters in the morning -yards in the afternoon, I should have clarrified that

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Last edited by: tigerchik: Oct 20, 06 14:41

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [jpflores] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:42

Post #18 of 32 (4732 views)

oooo thanks :D

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:48

Post #19 of 32 (4721 views)

Either way - it's too stupid-fast for me...

I guess that's what happens when you gorw up on skis instead of in the pool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe I should put something nice here.

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [thebigH] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 14:55

Post #20 of 32 (4714 views)

swimming isn't that amazing, just takes practice like all the rest. Imagine that you spent as much time swimming as you do biking.... aside from the fact that your mental scenery has to be up to snuff, you'd likely be swimming 1:25 100 IM's np.

I usually stick to 3-4k/workout because swimming doesn't help tri that much

but my favorite main sets are:

30x100 on 1:30 decend 1-30 (that means get faster each one - you'll find the last 10 to be quite difficult)

20x100's on 1:10 (try to aim for 5secs rest or less)

4x500's decend 1-4 20 seconds rest, build to threshold pace

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [Mark in FL] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 15:00

Post #21 of 32 (4709 views)

I like a workout that Gordo posted a few years ago...

400ez/4x100/4x50 warmup

500 on base. Base = avg 100 pace for a 1000 time trial

5x100 on (base minus 10sec)

400 on base pace

4x100 on base minus 10 sec

etc...

4000 plus cooldown

For me I do the long stuff on 1:55/100 and the 100s on 1:45, and I have to be in pretty good swimming shape in order to make the last couple of 100s.

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [jamdavswim] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 15:18

Post #22 of 32 (4692 views)

"aside from the fact that your mental scenery has to be up to snuff..."

I get so excited to swim in different pools :D different colored backstroke flags and lane lines and ceilings, WOOO HOOO!

I'm deadly serious. I love my home pool and school pool, but a trip to a different one now and then honestly is exciting!

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [Mark in FL] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 15:20

Post #23 of 32 (4684 views)

Here's one I did on Wednesday (2700 total):

500 warm-up

4 x 150 (kick/drill/swim by 50)

Swim 15x100:

1st set of 3 100s pull

2nd set of 3 100s pull and paddles

3rd set of 3 100s swim w/ fins

4th set of 3 100s swim easy/hard by 25

5th set of 3 100s swim at race effort

Note: Take 15 seconds of rest between each 100

cool down 100 yards

http://www.clevetriclub.com
http://jenuineimexperience.blogspot.com/

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [IAMike] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 15:23

Post #24 of 32 (4681 views)

base -10 gets pretty scary the faster you are. 1000 TT, if you are under 12:00 for that, base -10 is almost under minute pase... and there are lots of people that can do 1000 in less than 12:00.

Re: Swim Workouts - play along [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]

Oct 20, 06 15:57

Post #25 of 32 (4661 views)

I am starting to learn the lingo. I am starting to watch the clock. The one that makes the coach smile is then they say a 400, I say time 4 so its 16 laps. Guess I may think the correct way one of these days.

I do really enjoy the masters swimming. Nice for some change.

Dave

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

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