Swim Training Sets Explained

Warm Up
1*800 Front crawl - every odd length Breathing 3's, even lengths every 2's.

Here we will swim 24 lengths of a 33.3M pool as a steady warm up, do not be afraid to mix some drills up within this swim. You should concentrate on breathing every 3rd breath on the odd lengths and every 2nd on the even lengths.

Sub Set
3*200 building within each 200 - i.e. 66 steady, 66 medium, 66 at 85% - 45 secs. rest.

While still getting fully warmed up for the main set often a sub set will be swum, here pace will pick up and HR increase slightly as we continue to warm up. In a 33.3M pool the set is to swim 3 times 6 lengths (200M) with 45secs. between starting the next 6 lengths. Each 6 length swim should be built i.e. start out with 2 lengths medium, then two lengths faster finishing with 2 lengths at 85% of max. HR.

Main Set
400 Steady swim - 30 rest.
4*100 descend times from 1 to 4 (20 rest).
Repeat sequence 2 times, maintain 400's as constant throughout, descend 100's to 85% effort, extra 60 before the 2nd 400.
400M will be 12 lengths swum steady i.e. slower than mile pace so for most this would be about 75% effort.

We then take 30secs. rest before commencing with the second part of the set i.e. 4 lots of 100M (3 lengths in a 33.3M pool). Note we are instructed that the sequence is to descend the 4x100's so number 4 is to be faster then 3, which is faster then 2 etc.

Listen to your coaches' instructions during the set, as depending on time of season and if there is an upcoming race etc, number 4 in each set could be as fast as 100% effort. Usually with more rest then 20s would be taken if the effort was higher then 85%, mid tri season we will swim them to 85% effort as we are only taking 20s rest between 100s. There is then an extra 60secs. before starting the 2nd 400 as we will be repeating the 800M set twice for a 1600M set.