We are pushing harder and looking for consistency in repeats
Warm up 200 swim finger drag, 300 kick assorted, 100 scooters, 200 RaLa swim work on breathing pattern,
4 X 50s progressively faster
600 swim with paddles and snorkel (if you have one) rest 1 min.
2 X 300 swim with a 20 sec. R.I.
4 X 150s kick with fins 15 sec. R.I.
8 X 75s swim 10 sec. R.I.
500 moderate pace focus on breathing pattern.
3,900
DougStern
Doug -
Is there any benefit at all for someone to take this workout and cut it in half? I’m just starting back up swimming and I’m only doing about 2k per workout (my arms can’t handle much more than that right now). Should I just work up slowly to being able to handle this full workout or would it benefit me to do something similar, but at 1/2 the distance? I’m just trying to find something to keep it interesting in the pool.
Thanks. Dawn
Casey,
This workout is for my fastest lane in a 5 lane pool. Adapt it your needs. Instead of a 600 do a 400 and so on. Make it work for you. Use the workout plan as an outline for your workout.
DougStern
Thought i would chime in here seeing as I am ecstatic that today was the first swim since Ralph’s (where i dislocated a rib) that was solid. BTW- my speed seems to have evaporated. 
1000 WU- 400 free, 300 pull (easy), 200 drill, 100- 2x(50- 25 sprint 25 ez)
4x500m on 1 min rest tempo work making sure to keep 2nd half as strong as the first and that the 5th 400 is as fast or faster than the first
200 ez
5x200’s Pull descend 1-5 on 30 seconds rest
4x50’s build to sprint
200 ez
It feels good to be back.
300 kick assorted, 100 scooters, 200 RaLa swim work on breathing pattern,
Kick assorted? I kick regularly but what is “assorted”?
Scooters? RaLa? What are these?
Ra = Right Arm only
La = Left Arm Only
Scooters = one arm on the kick board while swimming with head up…focus on arm entry, catch, etc.
Assorted Kicking = kick on back, dolphin kick, etc.
Just curious, why swim with a snorkel? Other than to see fish, etc when vacationing because you have decided that scuba diving is too dangerous.
Cray,
Mix it up. We do fly kick on our backs, backstroke kick and some kicking on a board. My group has choice for the warm up.
DougStern
Dawn,
Each lane in my pool does a gradation of the workout depending on their ability.
You are going to do what ever you are going to do. Half is fine. Keep building your yardage.
DougStern
Aus_Tri,
Negative splitting is the way to go. This is why our distance decreases and our speed goes up.
Good to hear from you.
DougStern
CTL,
A center snorkel is not like a regular snorkel. It is designed for fast swimming. It restricts your breathing and allows to focus on your swimming. It is great piece of trainingf equiipment.
DougStern
Doug,
I understood that it would be a swimming snorkel as opposed to a diving snorkel. What I don’t understand is why using one would provide any benefit since (1) you can’t use them in races (and even if you could you still need to lift your head to find the buoys) and (2) using one in practice means practicing swimming in a significantly different way from how you want to swim in races. I understand that some drills help some people improve their strokes, but this doesn’t seem to me something that would do that. But, since I tend not to use any equipment except a pull buoy and a kickboard and used to think that swimming butterfly was fun, my perspective might be a little odd.
CTL,
I use my snorkel for two main reasons: it forces my breathing mechanism to work more efficiently and to focus on my stroke. It is much harder to breathe with the snorkel on and when I take it off I feel as if air is being sucked into my lungs. When I wear my snorkel I notice when I would turn my head if I did. I do not let turning my head get in the way of my swimming mechanics.
Almost every top college team uses snorkels as part of their workout regimen. They do not race with them.
I have swum my entire lake using one.
The final choice is always yours. I can only give you my opinion. This week I am ordering one for every person in my training group.
DougStern