I was just wondering if there is calculation I can use to set my swim intervals. I am doing it now by gut feeling now but I would love to have a more of a defined way of doing it.
Joel
Check this out, it’s sort of along these lines:
http://www.swimsmooth.com/training.html
Or, go and swim a 100 really fast. Take that time, and add 10 seconds. Now try to swim 10 of those, on that interval. So if your 100 fast is 1:15, try to swim 10x100 on 1:25. Something along those lines. You’ll very quickly determine what kinds of intervals you can’t make. 
Assuming these are for aerobic sets. Intervals for sprint sets are very different. If you want to maximise your intervals, you need to do some sort of a test set to figure out where your aerobic limit is. There are many, but a good one is doing a set of 100’s, decreasing the repeat time by a small increment on each one. Try to get at least 15 repeats in there, so if you think you can make the interval on 1:10, start at no faster than 1:40 and go down by 2 secs per repeat. Then, when you can’t make the interval, you’ll know where your limit is. BTW, if you do it right, this set will hurt a lot.
If you’re doing a set of say 10x100, add about 5-10 seconds/100 to that last interval to form your target time on each repeat (depending on the intensity you want), and allow for 5-10 secs rest on top of that. So if your last interval made on the test set was 1:15, you should be doing 100’s on 1:30-1:35.
Yes, it’s called a swim coach.
Do a 30 min TT. Find your average 100 pace.
Your threshold intervals should be 5-10 sec rest per 100, so if you average 1:30s in the TT, a good threshold set is 20 x 100 on 1:35-1:40.
Thanks you very much that is exactly what I was looking for…
Joel
5-10 sec rest with a threshold level 100(m?) swim and repeating? Experienced swimmers with lots of km under the belt, maybe but someone asking this type of question would quickly fatigue bi time IMO. I would have thought for a relatively new swimmer doing multiple 100 repeats would want a bi mor rest. I know I would.
Do a 30 min TT. Find your average 100 pace.
Your threshold intervals should be 5-10 sec rest per 100, so if you average 1:30s in the TT, a good threshold set is 20 x 100 on 1:35-1:40.
Triathlets dont do T-30’s, it only ingrains bad technique to swim when tired. Do TI-drills instead.
Here is what you (TS) want to read:
http://swimmingresources.org/foundations/pdfs/resources-3_training_pace_charts.pdf
that’s why the threshold is established by doing a 30-min swim. fatigue is already factored in.
5-10 sec rest with a threshold level 100(m?) swim and repeating? Experienced swimmers with lots of km under the belt, maybe but someone asking this type of question would quickly fatigue bi time IMO. I would have thought for a relatively new swimmer doing multiple 100 repeats would want a bi mor rest. I know I would.
I was assuming someone in relatively decent swim shape. However, as Jason pointed out, fatigue is factored in. You can always start with 10 x 100 and build up, or do 4 x and after each set of 5, do a 200 easy
Or, go and swim a 100 really fast. Take that time, and add 10 seconds. Now try to swim 10 of those, on that interval. So if your 100 fast is 1:15, try to swim 10x100 on 1:25. Something along those lines. You’ll very quickly determine what kinds of intervals you can’t make.
Ummmm, no. 10 secs per 100 just a bit higher than a normal fade going from the 100 to the 400, let alone a 10x100 set in training. My last meet, that was my fade going from the 100 to the 200. I’m not in shape 
You’re right though. You will very quickly determine that you can’t make that interval.
Would it be OK to use a 1500 meter time of 33:41 which I did earlier in the month (I know it is slow) as the basis for the intervals or should I do a new 30 minute test?
Currently I have been doing 10X100 on the 2:30 (as my main set of a total of 2500 meters 3 times a week) and coming in between 2:05 and 2:10 generally…
Thanks,
Joel
Thats actually a perfect measurement. Try to retest regularly, every 4-6 weeks or so.
Currently I have been doing 10X100 on the 2:30 (as my main set of a total of 2500 meters 3 times a week) and coming in between 2:05 and 2:10 generally…
drop the off time, that’s too much rest to be a good aerobic set, but not enough to let you swim those really hard. you want to aim for 15 secs rest MAX.
I’m a big fan of RaceDay’s interval calculator. Takes a bit of input to get it to work for you, but once you got it there, it will be an immense help to try to figure out exactly how long the intervals and rests should be based on your own internal “battery”.
“RaceDay interval calculator”…link please. Thanks. David K
There really isn’t a calculator out there that is very accurate. I coach a lot of triathletes in a masters swim practice and I coach a lot of folks “remotely.” In swim training, the general principle is to build “density” in the workouts. The most simple way to understand it is if you can swim 2k in an hour, the goal would be after some focused training to swim 2.5k in a hour…
For a beginner, swimming an interval of 2:30/100 and holding 2:05-2:10/100 you would need to focus on a lot more time in the water. Without seeing your stroke and not knowing what your goals are for swimming, but assuming that you want to be able to eventually swim competitively in a triathlon you would need to spend 4-5 days a week in the pool for about an hour each workout. At the start of your training, I would recommend that you swim a lot with fins to work on body position and build up some strength and conditioning in the water. Stay away from long, slow swims, focus on maintaining good technique while doing short fast swims. Technique at the beginning should be as simple as a maintaining a long water line, look down at the bottom of the pool and a little forward and make sure your hands enter the water about shoulder width apart and then pull. In terms of specificity of the sets you wouldn’t need to do sets with repeats over 200.
If you want to see the types of sets we do, I post all of the workouts online. If you have any questions, let me know.
www.magnoliamasters.com/swim-efficiency/
Best regards,
Tim Floyd
Calculate your 1500m time back to distance in 30minutes.
Check this for further guidance on intensities :
http://www.endurancepeakcoaching.com/en/training/determine-swim-training-paces
I have athletes performing 200/400 CSS test and 30 minute test recently and both results were very close.
Br,
There really isn’t a calculator out there that is very accurate.
U Michigan has some pace tables published somewhere that are pretty accurate - Maglischio (sp.) “Swimming Fastest” should have those in it. The book is a tome but it’s quite good and most university libraries have it
I think it is U Michigan anyway.
Yes, they were developed at University of Michigan. Jon Urbanchek developed it or was the first to really use the multi-colored rainbow chart based on pace. My coach when I swam started to use it with us in the late 80s. Here’s why it isn’t very accurate, but why it has a lot of popularity with coaches trying to grow programs to large numbers. Unless you are going to test very often, the base intervals that you get won’t be that accurate for very long. If you are improving your fitness/conditioning/technique in the water. They are popular in the tri community because it makes it very easy to write workouts for large groups of athletes very quickly without really knowing specifically what there actual pacing is. When I write workouts, the intervals and knowing the exact pace of the athlete being coached is one of the most important aspects of good coaching. I’m constantly tweaking and playing with the intervals to tease out a little more efficiency/conditioning in the water. That’s tough to do with a very rigid training chart.
If you want to see what the training pace charts look like USA Swimming has a good article here: http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/5d4e6d83-ceaf-498c-884d-957ce9b0faf5/USA%20Swimming%20Age%20Group%20Training%20Paces.pdf