What is a good method to establish 100 and 200 intervals times in the pool? One that gives you optimal recovery but still provides the opportunity for improvement. e.g. 1) Rest 5 seconds per 100, 2) swim a specific long distance (mile) and take the average per 100, 3) start with conservative interval and move down as you become successful, others?
Thanks
Woody
Hi,
I’m sure someone can give you a more sophosticated formula for setting intervals, but this is what I use: For 100s and 200s I use an interval that gives me about 10 to 15 seconds rest between each repeat, assuming that I am really working hard, not just cruising. Sometimes I’ll try to challenge myself by reducing the interval to something that is tougher to just make it.
Another thing I try sometimes is 3 x (5x100), with first five on an interval that gives me about 10-15 seconds rest. The last 5 are really tough.
I good way to gauge improvement is to see if you can hold a new interval that used to be impossible.
Stopped Clock
After you find that, your sendoff pace should be a fixed interval that gives you 5-10 seconds rest on 100s and 15-20 seconds for a 200 based on your all out test set pace. (adjust so you’re going off on a number that ends in 5 or 0 because it makes finding your sendoff times so much easier than playing with, say multiples of 1:37)
This may or may not be helpful. I can remember one swim workout of the past 5 months that was really a breakthrough workout and it involved 12 x 200. The entire set as we did it was:
Warm up
400 swim
200 pull
200 drill
200 stroke
main sets
12 x 50
odds free/back
evens back/free build
all on 1:05
3 x 200 (3 times)
First moderate on 3:15 (touched at 2:55)
Second Hard on 3:00 (touched at 2:50)
Third easy on 3:45 (touched at 3:15)
3 x 200 pull easy on 3:30
Setting the 200’s as moderate/hard/easy and repeating it 3 times was killer! Obviously you would adjust it based on your speed, but our sendoffs and times should give you a good idea of how to set yours. I was so tired after this I could barely pull myself out of the pool.
Jodi
12 x 50
odds free/back
evens back/free build
all on 1:05
I’d hate that back/free part - I get so disoriented with that turn. But the 3 x set sounds fun
One of my favorite 200 sets:
200 as 25 easy/25 fast
200 as 50 easy/50 fast
200 as 100 easy/100 fast
200 easy, 200 fast
back down
That’s really a question of what distance are you racing. If you are a short course guy I’d go with 15x100 (oly) or 8x100 (sprint) with 5 to 10 seconds of rest. This in race pace. For bigger improvements you should reduce the distance, increase the pace and rest a little more like 6x100 all out with 20-30’’ of rest. You may wanna include some true speed sets of 50’s and 25’s too.
For longer distances I’d go with 20x100 race pace with 10 to 15’‘. Or something like 2x(15x100 with 10’') with a minute of rest between both. But for longer distance you should focus on sets of 400 meters and 800 meters.
I’m no expert here. Just my experience.
Not sure if this is what you are asking for but unfortunately the way coaches find a 100 pace/interval is to have swimmers do a 3000 for time. You just divide to get your pace from there. This should be your threshold pace and you should be able to hold it for even longer than a 3000. Germans did tests in the 70s and found that a 3000 for time is the shortest distance that will give an accurate threshold pace, so thank the krauts for not making it a 6000 for time. So if your 3000 for time pace is 1:26 you should be able to do repeats on 1:30 until you bonk or get bored. If your pace is 1:17 you should be able to go on 1:20 or 1:25. Swim teams that do 3000 for times usually do them every month or two to check for improvements and change intervals if need be. If a 3000 seems too long and out of the question than a 1650 or 1500 might suffice. I would add 2-4 seconds onto a mile pace to get a threshold pace but it really depends on the person.