When training for 1/2 iron and full iron is 3000yd-4days a week better than 4,000rd-3 days a week, or 2000-6days? You see my question. Frequency or longer single sessions?
KC
and here i was thinking that someone else had the same swim volume as me.
(the numbers you’re talking about add up to 12,000 - not 1,200.)
what a dufus, I can’t even type
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I personally put my money on 3 x 4000. It’s the last 1000 that hurt. If you can get to where you feel great at 4000, then you’re golden. (and throw in some 5000 days for good measure)
Jodi
Like cycling its often good to think about duration as opposed to distance. We focus on getting in the pool at least 3 - 4 x for 1:15 (we add an open water swim for a min of 4 x swimming per week). How far you go is less relevant than the benefit of engaging in an organized workout with a progressive and challenging set that is in an organized swim structure over time.
what I was trying to ask is which is better, more frequency or longer(time or distance) single sessions?
KC
The swim coach at the University of Kentucky told me the best way to get into shape in the water is to do 20x100 with little rest as many times a week as you can (as long as your technique isn’t falling apart). So, dive in warm up 200 easy, then hit it. 6 days a week.
I got that. The answer is that swimming needs to be a balance between frequency, duration and intensity. What develops you as a swimmer is variable depending on where you are on the learning curve. Once you are over the frequency hurdle than its time to increase the intensity followed by duration. However, it has to also fit into your overall training schema. So there is no clear cut answer to your question.
What Jodi said, with emphasis.
4-5 months of that will get you to a 61-62 minute IM swim easy.
For a 1/2 try this. 1, 2000 (recovery/technique) 2, 3000+ and 1, 4000+
for IM 1,2000 9recovery/technique), 2, 4000+ and 1, 5000+
I do 5 days a week, about 3k per session. Love what it has done for my health, friendships, let alone my race results.
Dave
No question 3 x 4K (+) sessions/ week
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I can only manage 1 3000+ swim every other week. Even at that I feel like I want to drown myself just so that I don’t have to feel the boredom of swimming anymore. Seriously, how does one keep his motivation for this segment of the sport? I just can’t find it no matter how hard I try. I only do it so I can survive the IM.
I’d go for the 3x4000 option. It really does take a good 1000 yards for most people to get warmed up and their stroke dialed in before they’re ready for the quality yards segment of the practice, and the 4K workouts let you structure it so you get a nice long quality yardage set after that.
switch off, some weeks more frequency, other weeks more volume per session. Then some weeks, add the frequency and the volume per session.
What Jodi said, with emphasis.
4-5 months of that will get you to a 61-62 minute IM swim easy.
LOL.
I can only manage 1 3000+ swim every other week. Even at that I feel like I want to drown myself just so that I don’t have to feel the boredom of swimming anymore. Seriously, how does one keep his motivation for this segment of the sport? I just can’t find it no matter how hard I try. I only do it so I can survive the IM.
I hear ya! Im more for shorter workouts with more intensity. I never swam more than 5000 yds a week when I had a 1:07 IM swim.
The answer lies in not freqeuncy or duration but what you do in those workouts that will make the difference. 6x2000 steady and non stop is much worse for your speed than 3x4000 with lots of intervals.
The correct answer is the design of the workouts makes any one of them more or less effective then the others.
Seriously, how does one keep his motivation for this segment of the sport?
you suck-it-up-princess and just do your swim workouts 
(I’m motivated to swim because… I like the feel of melting into water. I like how it is this fusion of grace and power when you’re going fast, or maybe it feels like a lullabye… it is just a feel thing!!! you start to crave that.)
You’re such a swim nerd 
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