I’m looking for some new ideas…
I’m partial to long TT’s (1k min), but you probably want a workout from a swim coach - or at least someone who doesn’t suck. 
What time zone are you in, anyway? I thought I was the only psycho up and on ST at this hour!
EST - I’m in Maine.
I swam competitively for 3yrs, I wish I had kept a training log because now that I’m getting back into it, it’d be nice to have some ready-made workouts. Here’s what I did yesterday…
700free
14x100 - alternate fly and breaststroke
700free
1700free pull
200IM, 100IM, 200IM, 100IM, 200IM
550free/100fly/150free
500 free, 4x50kick, 100 free, 4x50 IM order
100 fly, 200 back, 300 breast, 400 IM, 500 free, 400 IM, 300 breast, 200 back, 100 fly
14x100 alternate 100 kick fast, 100 free
You can also got to www.swim2000.com and register to get workouts sent to you by email weekly, but the workout above is my favorite. Hope this helps.
I long, fast bike ride!! : )
That pyramid workout looks great. I’ll try that next time I’m in la aqua…
i use this waterproof book thats called swim workouts for triathletes … but i think the longest workout in the book is 3500 but you can can add one of the short workouts to one of the long ones and then you have a nice swim set … i really like 90% of the workouts in the book … you should give it a try!
Here are my workouts worthy of a large breakfast afterwards, followed by a nice nap.
100x100M Free on 1:45 Extran break at the 1/2 way point
5X1000 decending with 15 seconds rest …the last 4 added together are usually my IM swim time (+/- 10 secs).
50x50M Butterfly (the big nasty). Oddly, this is a group favorite and causes the butterfly stroke Gods to cry.
40X100M kicks (20 sec rest interval)…bring pain killers for afterwards. This is a training staple for me.
-Andrew
Whoa!
Now that is hyper-yardage. Or meterage. We use to do a 4000 IM occasionally. I think that is one of the Auburn Swim Team’s main sets.
i really like some of the workouts that gordo has posted on his website: look under swimming. the “long swim workouts” are good and adjustable if you don’t want to do that much yardage.
http://www.byrn.org/gtips/gtips.htm
here are a couple of other ones i like to do. i’m a big fan of 100’s and 200’s to really learn pace (with a clock of course).
here is one:
500 swim w/u mixed strokes
5x50 head lead balance drills (fins OK)
5x50 one arm freestyle (dead arm at side)
18x100 like this:
5x100 on 1:30
5x100 on 1:25
5x100 on 1:20
3x100 on 1:15
c/d 200 yards
the idea of this is to descend to a 100 interval that is very very challenging. i’m not a very experienced or fast swimmer so this set kicks my ass, i’ll make the 1:15 sendoffs by one or two seconds. this type of thing is more specific to Olympic distance stuff. if you’re looking for iron distance workouts i would do main sets like 8x200 desc 1-4 and 5-8 all on the same interval (getting about 15 seconds rest on your fastest swims)
another variation on the 100 set is doing them all on a set interval, in my case we’ll say 1:25 or 1:30 depending on the pool, and do something like this. it’s a bit easier and can be used on a less intense day but still an easy way to get some yardage and pace work in
18 100’s, broken up into 6 sets of:
-
cruise on 1:30
-
cruise on 1:30
-
fast on 1:30
- straight into set number 2,3,4,5,6 9 no resting between fast and next 2 cruise swims
hope that helps a little bit. i’m not a swim coach, but this is all stuff my swim coach has given me. 
-mike
40X100M kicks (20 sec rest interval)…
Yowza! I hope SAC isn’t reading this…
Warmup (I usually swim 600 to 800 yards)
4 x 800, which are done as follows:
1 x 800, 60 to 75 seconds rest, then
2 x 400, 30 to 45 second rest between each, then
4 x 200, 15 to 20 second rest between each, then
8 x 100, 5 to 10 seconds rest between each
Goals are to make each 800 faster than the last, and to descend within each set (every one faster than the last, but this is more or less impossible to do with the 100s and difficult on the 200s).
Warmdown.
Improves your concentration because it’s a very long continuos set; improves your pacing over such distances and works on both overall aerobic fitness and your thresholds once you hit the 100s, where you should be swimming fairly hard. If 800s are too hard or make the workout too long for your current fitness, then do 4 x 600s (broken as 1 x 600, 2 x 300, 4 x 150 and 6 x 100). If 800s are too easy or not enough yards for you, then do 1000s or 1500s.
Why in the world would any triathlete want or need to do 40x 100M kick set. With a full length wet suit the kick is better left saved for the bike or the run to T1
Damage
I agree that most swimmers don’t like to do kick drills and triathletes even less. Kicking makes you tired and it can be frustrating for many.
The wetsuit does give you a sense of effortless floating and for many poor swimmers not having their kick slow them down is a big bonus. However, ankle flexibility and kick efficiency(even in a wetsuit) is an large advantage. I personaly use a rythmic 6 beat kick during IM swims and tend to exit the water with a low heart rate (100-110BPM). I attrbute this to the extra kick work I do. …I could be wrong.
Best of luck.
-Andrew
A1b,
That’s funny. My brother attended Auburn and after doing some self training (and with his ego cranked to the max) got a chance to swim with the mens team.
As luck would have it he walked into session with a 4000IM swim. That was after a 1000M free, 500M kick, 500M stroke warm-up.
He quickly decided that Engineering was his true calling.
4K open water swims.
Some standard sets I do:
Ladder set:
1x400, 2x300, 3x200, 4x100. intervals on steady 100 yd pace + 5 sec. Increase effort as distances get shorter.
Strength/ Power set:
6-10x100 fly/free/fist drill/free (~15-20 sec rest) keep effort strong. a bit faster than if shorter rest.
Often include some drill work w/ warmup.
Often will do set of 100’s or 200’s w/ paddles.
Finish up w/ a 1000 yds w/ pull buoy (I find this relaxing and a good way to add some yardage when the main set or weight room has me tired.)
Sometimes finish up with a short set of lung-busters.
there was a thread on this about 6 months ago. Porbably had about 12 workouts or so. You should search for it, i’m too groggy from my nap to think about it so here is a no brainer set.
600 wp done as 100s/50d
8x75 kdb :10 (kick drill build) oddds free, evens stroke
500pull :30 rest to figure out your avg pace per 100
5x100 on avg +:10
400p :20
4x100 avg +:05
300p :20
3x100 avg -:05
200p
2x100 avg -:10
100ez
20x50 :10
odds k/d (kick drill)
evens d/sp (drill sprint)
every other two are stroke.
I think that is about 5000 and it swims fairly quickly. If you don’t dick around during warm up and the first drill set if you are a 1:25 swimmer I think the whole she bang takes about 80 min.
Or other main set ideas
3x4x300 decsend 1-4 descend sets
800s, 6x50, 600 swim 8x50, 400s 6x50, 200 swim 8x50 you can do the 50’s stroke
thats all I can come up with, without thinking.
damage there really is no reason for a triathlete to do that much kicking in one set. But the avg triathlete kicks (and swims less stroke work) then the avg swimmer. Kicking is used to balance the body and help maintain tempo when swimming. Want to bridge up to the pack hanging 15m in front of you, increase your kick rate. Are you pulling a pack and are tired of having your toes played with, increase your kick. Want stronger, more fatigue resistant legs? kick more. You should have a two, four and six beat kick in your swim bag for when the situation calls for it. Want to swim faster? Learn to use your kick
Why in the world would any triathlete want or need to do 40x 100M kick set. With a full length wet suit the kick is better left saved for the bike or the run to T1
Correct, why would someone want to do that kind of kick set. BUT. Fact, triathletes do not do enough kick sets (in general). Absolutely right also that kicking becomes less of an issue with a wet suit as in long distance swimming, kicking is more for balance than propulsion. But this does not mean it should be ignored.
One good reason to do a certain type of kick set is for core stability and strength. This should be performed on your back with your arms above your head stretched out as streamlined as possible. Sometimes with fins is good especially if you are not a great kicker (but doing this will make you one!).
You will be a more balanced and efficient swimmer if you incorporate kick sets into your swim workouts. Even top swimmers hate it, but I guarantee they do a good amount of it in a week.