Part 1 of 3 Speed Sessions: The Swim

MUSINGS FROM A COACH - 6 AUGUST '24

One of my favorite speed sessions in the swim is one that I got from a former Masters Swim Coach and pro triathlete, Christina Jackson. It’s a set of 50’s that works our VO2 zone with little rest within the blocks. 

SWIM SPEED SESSION

-400 EASY w/u

-3 x 200 w/fins (100 kick on back, 50 drill, 50 swim) :10 RI

-2 x (4 x 50: (by 25’s) easy/fast, fast/easy, easy/easy, fast/fast) :10RI

-7 x (5 x 50, come in under XX, and leave on XX – take 1min recovery after every 5)

-100 EASY

-400 PB&P, hold CSS pace

-200 EASY c/d

-Total: 3850

WARMUP

-400 EASY w/u

-3 x 200 w/fins (100 kick on back, 50 drill, 50 swim) :10 RI

[Easy w/u followed by structured drill work]

PRIMER

-2 x (4 x 50: (by 25’s) easy/fast, fast/easy, easy/easy, fast/fast) :10RI

[Set of 50’s that gradually warm up our muscles and increase heart rate]

MAIN SET

-7 x (5 x 50, come in under XX, and leave on XX – take 1min recovery after every 5)

The goal is to set the “come in under” time that requires a HARD effort to achieve. If our time was :40, we’d want to come in between :36-:39. Our “leave on” time will be :15 after our “come in under” time.

Example: 7 x (5 x 50, come in under :40 and leave on :55 – take 1min recovery after every 5)

How do we determine these numbers? I recommend taking your CSS (Critical Swim Speed) per 100 and divide it in half, then subtract :05.

Example: Your CSS is 1:20. So, :80 divided by 2 = :40 subtract :05 = :35

For easy clockwork, you can round to nearest :05.

REMAINDER

-100 EASY

-400 PB&P, hold CSS pace

-200 EASY c/d

I often like to finish a speed session with a pull session. In this case, PB&P = Pull Buoy and Paddles and is done holding your steady CSS pace followed by a nice and easy 200 cool down

When you first try this, start with the main set of 5 x (5x50) and work up to 7. After doing this for a few weeks, you can then graduate to 5 x (4 x 75) and then to 5 x (3 x 100) using the same format. Within two months, your speed will dramatically improve!

Gratefully,

Mark

CEO Team MPI