What is your race distance and how fast are you swimming your 100s?

all of my races will be olympic distance races. I have no swimming backgroud and learned to swim a couple of yrs ago (im 36). I have done several sprints and one oly over the past few yrs and the swim was always the worst for me.



Currently I am swimmin the 100's at 1:45-150ish and I find that do-able but challenging. in the pool I can do 750m in about 14min again challenging but not all out.



Thanks for the input

My advice is to forget about doing long continuous swims, unless you're doing open water training. In the pool, its generally better to do repeats of no longer than 400m, preferably 100m - 300m, on short rest intervals. This is to help you with your pacing, its too easy to let your pace per 100 fluctuate wildly in a long, unbroken swim, and you will have very little feedback as to where in the swim you are having trouble keeping it together.

Perhaps do the occasional 800m or 1500m time trial, to see how you are progressing.

I don't think there is a set time to start incorporating longer stuff. Just add to the intensity and/or distance as you are ready.

Most important is to have good form. In swimming, pure technique beats pure fitness every time.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Off first glance I would suggest start incorporating long swims into your workout schedule now. I would do this for a couple of reasons. First, not having a swimming background, the swim part of an oly. most likely causes anxiety and infusing long swims in should help build some confidence. Secondly, these longer sets will just flat out help your endurance. Try working on some 500s one week and the next going for a 30min. continuous swim. If possible, get some open water practice in a little later in April. You may want to shoot this question to the folks on the TrainingBible forum.

Good Luck!

I am sorry but I think you are wrong. It is better for them to do 100s with short rest intervals than to do a 30 min continuous swim. The odd TT is different - but that is not part of the regular training regimen. The 30 min continuous swim for a less experienced swimmer leaves too much room for losing focus. It is almost more important to keep his focus on his stroke than to worry about swimming for 30 min straight.

The best for him would to be something like 1*400, 2*300, 3*200, 4*100 keeping the same pace per hundred throughout but only letting himself have 5 seconds rest per hundred (i.e. take 20 sec after the 400, 15 after the 300 etc.). This is 2000 y in a very compressed time period. If he can do this he can easily swim an olympic distance swim.

My 0.02

---

____________________________________________

"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN

---

________________________________________________

Anyone who tells you they're as fast now as they were when they were 18...
sure wasn't very fast when they were 18.

Yarf,

I am sure that you are more correct and have much more experience. I think pyramids and sets like you described are more beneficial. I do think that if you are an inexperienced swimmer, an occasional continuous swim in a 50m pool is a good confidence builder and a good chance to focus on some mental aspects of the swim, even if its just 1000-1200m.

I recommend Gale Bernhardt's "swim workouts in a binder for triathletes" (no, I have no connection) as a very useful tool, brings some variety back into your workouts. Just be disciplined with the rest intervals and you should progress. There are only a couple of sets in the whole book that are over the 500 mark so I'm with Yarf on this one.

Ok Ok...you can't tell me that its not just a little relaxing and fun to swim and not count laps. I already conceded that intervals were the best way to improve.

If you practice swimming long, slow distance, you'll be GREAT.....at long, slow distance

Although swim yardage is important, don't overlook the importance of speed work.

I'll go with the shorter distance crowd on this one. I like pyramids, 100,200,300,400,500,400,300,200,100 for your distance and complex ladders like 1x400,2x300,3x200,4x100.

It would be a good idea to do a couple long continuous swims shortly before your race. Say once a week for 2 or 3 weeks right before the race. Try for 100%-150% of your race distance for any race at 1/2IM or less.