After a month focussed on more intensive aerobic main sets this week’s triathlon swim sessions mixed paces a little more. Tuesday and Thursday’s sessions contain long reps with varied pacing; Tuesday’s 500s are a personal favourite of mine.
Tuesday, 14th July 2015 – Endurance Swim Session
Warm Up | ||
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400m Front crawl | ||
2x | 50m Front crawl – 25m shortened strokes, 25m normal stroke length on 10s rest | |
2x | 50m Front crawl – building on 10s rest | |
2x | 50m Front crawl – 25m shortened strokes, 25m normal stroke length on 10s rest | |
2x | 50m Front crawl – building on 10s rest | |
800m | ||
Main Set | ||
3x | 500m Front crawl – every 4th length hard on 60s rest | |
2,300m | ||
Main Set 2 | ||
8x | 25m Front crawl – hard on 1:00 turn around | |
2,500m | ||
Cool Down | ||
200m Choice | ||
2,500m – 2,700m |
It’s my second time testing out the short stroke drill – by getting swimmers to deliberately shorten their stroke it helps contrast the difference good stroke length makes. The main set, as I said, is a favourite of mine – a good way to break up bigger reps.
Wednesday, 15th July 2015 – Endurance Swim Session
Warm Up | ||
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200m Front crawl | ||
2x | 50m As 25m front scull, 25m front crawl on 10s rest | |
2x | 50m As 25m mid scull, 25m front crawl on 10s rest | |
2x | 50m As 25m rear scull, 25m front crawl on 10s rest | |
2x | 50m As 25m scull progression, 25m front crawl on 10s rest | |
100m Front crawl | ||
2x | 50m Front crawl – 25m hard, 25m easy on 10s rest | |
800m | ||
Main Set | ||
5-6x | 250m Front crawl on turn around allowing 20s rest 50m Front crawl – hard on turn around allowing 20s rest |
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2,300m – 2,600m | ||
Cool Down | ||
100m Choice (not front crawl) | ||
100m Front crawl | ||
100m Choice | ||
2,600m – 2,900m |
Wednesday’s group worked through a series of sculling drills – I think I’m going to have to come back to these in the off season to help improve skills here. After that it was more swimming to tight turn around times with a little variation in pace.
Thursday, 16th July 2015 – Endurance Swim Session
Warm Up | ||
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300m Front crawl | ||
2x | 50m 6-1-6 Drill 50m Front crawl |
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2x | 50m 6-3-6 Drill 50m Front crawl |
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4x | 50m Front crawl – easy, steady, hard, easy on 10s rest | |
900m | ||
Main Set | ||
400m Front crawl – last 50m hard on 60s rest | ||
400m Front crawl – first 50m hard on 60s rest | ||
400m Front crawl – last 100m hard on 60s rest | ||
400m Front crawl – first 100m hard on 60s rest | ||
400m Front crawl – last 200m hard on 60s rest | ||
2,900m | ||
Main Set 2 | ||
100m Front crawl – 75m easy, 25m hard on 40s rest | ||
100m Front crawl – 50m easy, 50m hard on 40s rest | ||
100m Front crawl – 25m easy, 75m hard on 40s rest | ||
100m Front crawl – hard on 40s rest | ||
Repeat set if time | ||
3,300m – 3,700m | ||
Cool Down | ||
200m Choice | ||
3,100m – 3,900m |
We didn’t actually use the warm up I’d planned in this morning’s session. A new swimmer clearly needed some work on her stroke timing so I substituted in catch up drills. The main set went to plan, long reps with shorter hard efforts to start or finish; then some 100s along a similar theme.