ryk neethling?
olympic distance people, this looks like a good session for getting good for the swim leg. just modify the send off times…
sample session:
Ryk Neethling’s 8,000m Challenge WARM UP 2000m 1500 freestyle @ 18:00 3 x 500’s @ 6:00 (descending, total time faster than the 1500) 5 x 300’s @ 3:40 (descending, total time faster than the 3 x 500’s combined) 15 x 100’s @ 1:20 (descending, total time faster than the 5 x 300’s combined)
just modify the send off times… //
Ya, they seemed a bit slow to me too…
I changed this set to 4 x 800, instead of 4 x 1500, and it’s a really solid workout for a middle aged, over the hill swimmer doing up to half IMs.
Ryk Neething is unbelievable.
He went from being a NCAA division 1 champion in the 1650y (14:40ish) to being ranked in the top 5 in the world in the 50m and 100m free and 50m and 100m fly.
Unbelievable.
I dont get the challenge for him on that set, unless he goes as fast as possible on the 1500m swim.
Are you supposed to go as fast as you can on the 1500?
Otherwise, he cruises a 17:30 (1:10s), equally easy would be 5:40’s (1:08’s), then on to 3:20’s (1:06’s), and finally 1:04’s.
I know that those are really fast times for anyone on this board to even consider LCM, but really, for someone that hold’s 1:00 in the mile, that set doesn’t sound that hard.
That’s a good idea.
8000 would take me 2:40 in the pool
One more impressive Ryk fact. He dated Amanda Beard for about 2 years.
I dont get the challenge for him on that set, unless he goes as fast as possible on the 1500m swim.
Are you supposed to go as fast as you can on the 1500?
Otherwise, he cruises a 17:30 (1:10s), equally easy would be 5:40’s (1:08’s), then on to 3:20’s (1:06’s), and finally 1:04’s.
I know that those are really fast times for anyone on this board to even consider LCM, but really, for someone that hold’s 1:00 in the mile, that set doesn’t sound that hard.
The first 1,500-meter freestyle is a pace-setter for the rest of your workout. Ryk admits that his times overall were “nothing too crazy, about 17:10 for the first 1500.”
17:10 is pretty fast for a medium-paced 1,500, but remember this is all relative. The first leg ought to be at about 80% effort, with roughly a minute’s rest before the next set. With three more broken 1,500’s to follow, you want to make sure you have enough left for the last one while not shortchanging yourself by loafing the first one.
The next three 500’s offer you an opportunity to better your 1,500-meter time by giving you two brief periods of rest after 500 meters and then again after 1,000 meters. You should not allow yourself more than 30 seconds of recovery, and be sure to pick up the pace on the last 500 in an attempt to beat your previous two 500 times (this is what “descending” is all about!).
At this point, the prospect of being only halfway through your main set may be discouraging to even the most positive-minded athlete. Ryk admits that there were days he wasn’t in the mood to finish this workout, but had no choice given the stern coach on deck. He would try a few interesting tactics to stay focused and motivated:
“I would sing my national anthem when it really started to hurt. I was very young and hungry for international competition. I also had some songs in my head that pumped me up. Mostly, you just have to keep telling yourself to relax whenever possible. You become efficient that way.”
Whatever your motivation, attack the next set of 5 x 300’s knowing that the shorter repeats lead to increased amounts of rest (though the time you take between each 300 should only be 15 seconds). You need only descend each 300 by a second or two, so take care not to blast through the second one and bonk for the remaining three.
To put things into perspective, Ryk’s 300’s ranged from 3:25 to 3:15; your last 300 need only be 5-10 seconds faster than your first one, so approach the initial repeat accordingly.
The last set of 15 x 100’s is the final, and most crucial, test of endurance. Given what came before, this is the set that is most intense, as this 1,500 meters is divided into 15 short segments, each an explosive slice of race “pace” (though at this point in the workout, each repeat may feel like a sprint!).
Ryk recalls delivering a burst of 100’s ranging in time from 1:02’s to :58’s, and attributes such final sets to his success as a back-half swimmer (one who always comes back strong in the latter part of a race to overtake sprint-out-of-the-gate competitors).
from http://www.rykneethling.com/tips/
that is a friggin hard set man. they are descending the whole way through. descend through the sets AND intervals.
Nice! I’m going to remember that one for a day I’m in the pool for 3hrs…
did a variation of this today, doing it in 400s.
400 free
2x200 free
4x100
8x50
was a fairly challenging set, so will be interesting how hard the 1500 one will be!