Swim Sets

[Harry]

Just got back from the pool. 25 meter pool, reserved lane.

Did 15 x 100 with 30 seconds rest. Felt real good to be back in a pool. Hard to believe my competitive years were 45 years ago, feels so natural.


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[The AD]

Just got back from the pool. 25 meter pool, reserved lane.

Did 15 x 100 with 30 seconds rest. Felt real good to be back in a pool. Hard to believe my competitive years were 45 years ago, feels so natural.

That's awesome. Were you able to hold a steady pace for all 15? If so I'm really impressed since you're just getting back in.

[4matic]

Get a waterproof audio player. I can’t swim without it. I use iPod shuffle with hydro active headphones.

My advice is just swim like a hike or walk. Long slow swimming without doing sets or watching a clock. My typical swim is 90 minutes non-stop at pulse rate around 100. I feel great.

[4matic]

My setup

[AdironRider]

Well I do the exact opposite, as I was a sprinter in college. I'm pretty sure I would've drowned even then if coach had me do a 1600.

I'm fortunate to have a 25 yard pool basically right at work, so at lunch I can do 1 set of 5x100's on 1:45, then two sets of 10x50's on :50. 2 minute rest (usually a very light 50 breast) in between the 50's sets, and like a 100-200 cool down. I'm chair to chair (leave desk and be back working) in just under an hour and its a 1650. Not the greatest workout yardage wise but I mix up the 50's between drills and fast and still can crank out some ok times on those intervals. I shoot for four days a week on this and I can keep my feel of the water, it doesn't mess with kid detail, and I've noticed a real difference in my day to day generally feeling great.

[4matic]

I average about 50-55 seconds per fifty and swim for 90 minutes. So I do around 5000 yards per swim. It’s easy and much better for you than recovery intervals if you are older. I still do an occasional fast swim to test my pulse recovery which is the real measure of fitness.

If you can’t comfortably swim slow you have a fucked up stroke. I did from decades of shitty coaching and had to completely re-learn how to swim. My freestyle stroke count has dropped 4-5 per length since rebuilding my stroke.

[The AD]

Well I do the exact opposite, as I was a sprinter in college. I'm pretty sure I would've drowned even then if coach had me do a 1600.

I'm fortunate to have a 25 yard pool basically right at work, so at lunch I can do 1 set of 5x100's on 1:45, then two sets of 10x50's on :50. 2 minute rest (usually a very light 50 breast) in between the 50's sets, and like a 100-200 cool down. I'm chair to chair (leave desk and be back working) in just under an hour and its a 1650. Not the greatest workout yardage wise but I mix up the 50's between drills and fast and still can crank out some ok times on those intervals. I shoot for four days a week on this and I can keep my feel of the water, it doesn't mess with kid detail, and I've noticed a real difference in my day to day generally feeling great.

Josh Davis used a similar plan a couple years ago when he swam a 1:38 200 free and 4:33 500 free at age 42. He could only swim during his lunch hour, so he'd warm up and then do 20x50 on 1:00 at his 200 pace (trying to hold under :25). Do a Google search for "USRPT training." That is essentially what Josh was doing. The idea is there's no point in swimming at less than race pace (assuming your goal is racing).

With COVID all the sessions are limited to an hour, so I've typically been doing a little more emphasis on quality (i.e. fast) swimming than in the past. I still like to get in at least 1500 yards with an aerobic component to it, though. My normal workouts are in the 3,000-3,300 yard range lately. My freestyle usually feels pretty good. My IM needs some work.

[AdironRider]

I actually need to give you credit for the workout I do AD. Like 5-10 years ago I posted up a thread about Masters and you actually mentioned this style of training and it stuck with me. I'm not throwing down times like Josh, but I really dig the workout.

We are stuck on 1 hour reservations also, which works fine for my schedule but a lot of the ironman dudes that make up the rest of my lunch crew are getting a little over it. I'd still like to do a meet but I the closest ones to me are like in Colorado Springs or Salt Lake, and thats a long way to travel to swim a 50 or 100 free.

[2bjenny]

I used to swim with a masters group in the Boston metro area, coached by a former US Olympic & collegiate coach that was banned in 2016, that's another story. I never saw him do anything inappropriate, but I am not surprised that he did. Just that strange gut feeling I got once I started to hear things.

Anyways, I had planned to keep swimming when I moved out here in 2010, but being in the desert and the closest pool over an hour away, that has not happened. However, I wrote down a lot of really good workout sets on index cards. I think I still have them stashed at home just in case I managed to get back in the pool. I can post them or pm me if anyone is interested.

[The AD]

I'd still like to do a meet but I the closest ones to me are like in Colorado Springs or Salt Lake, and thats a long way to travel to swim a 50 or 100 free.

I hear you. I'm a distance swimmer so I always get my money's worth

I used to swim with a masters group in the Boston metro area, coached by a former US Olympic & collegiate coach that was banned in 2016

Let me guess: Joe Bernal.

[EWG]

Well I do the exact opposite, as I was a sprinter in college. I'm pretty sure I would've drowned even then if coach had me do a 1600.

I'm fortunate to have a 25 yard pool basically right at work, so at lunch I can do 1 set of 5x100's on 1:45, then two sets of 10x50's on :50. 2 minute rest (usually a very light 50 breast) in between the 50's sets, and like a 100-200 cool down. I'm chair to chair (leave desk and be back working) in just under an hour and its a 1650. Not the greatest workout yardage wise but I mix up the 50's between drills and fast and still can crank out some ok times on those intervals. I shoot for four days a week on this and I can keep my feel of the water, it doesn't mess with kid detail, and I've noticed a real difference in my day to day generally feeling great.

I average about 50-55 seconds per fifty and swim for 90 minutes. So I do around 5000 yards per swim. It’s easy and much better for you than recovery intervals if you are older. I still do an occasional fast swim to test my pulse recovery which is the real measure of fitness.

If you can’t comfortably swim slow you have a fucked up stroke. I did from decades of shitty coaching and had to completely re-learn how to swim. My freestyle stroke count has dropped 4-5 per length since rebuilding my stroke.

Josh Davis used a similar plan a couple years ago when he swam a 1:38 200 free and 4:33 500 free at age 42. He could only swim during his lunch hour, so he'd warm up and then do 20x50 on 1:00 at his 200 pace (trying to hold under :25). Do a Google search for "USRPT training." That is essentially what Josh was doing. The idea is there's no point in swimming at less than race pace (assuming your goal is racing).

With COVID all the sessions are limited to an hour, so I've typically been doing a little more emphasis on quality (i.e. fast) swimming than in the past. I still like to get in at least 1500 yards with an aerobic component to it, though. My normal workouts are in the 3,000-3,300 yard range lately. My freestyle usually feels pretty good. My IM needs some work.

I have a family member that is a fairly well known coach (well, for a swimming coach. He ain't Bill Bellichek). He preaches less distance even for distance swimmers (and has an open water US champion as a client as proof it works.) Speed training works. For everyone.

To 4matic's point, he also preaches technique. Lots of shoulders have been ruined from a freestyle stroke that starts by pushing water down. Fix the stroke first for sure.

This also might be why I don't swim anymore. Too much pressure from family ties. Have a mentioned that swimming is pain in a sensory deprivation tank?

[nickwm21]

To 4matic's point, he also preaches technique. Lots of shoulders have been ruined from a freestyle stroke that starts by pushing water down. Fix the stroke first for sure.

When you’ve spent 15 years watching the ball while swimming, the stoke is fucked and it’s not going to be fixed....


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[EWG]

When you’ve spent 15 years watching the ball while swimming, the stoke is fucked and it’s not going to be fixed....

That is funny cause it's true.

[2bjenny]

I hear you. I'm a distance swimmer so I always get my money's worth



Let me guess: Joe Bernal.

Yep. I left the group in 2010 when I moved here. I actually had no idea who he was when I found the group, it was close to my house at Bentley. I’ve never had a strong competitive drive, I think my sister got all of that, but I really enjoyed the workouts. They were pretty tough.

[Harry]

My setup

Those iPods are waterproof ? I think I have one of those somewhere. Haven’t used it in years though, plus finding it may be a problem.

Thanks for posting that.


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[Harry]

That's awesome. Were you able to hold a steady pace for all 15? If so I'm really impressed since you're just getting back in.

I think my times were fairly even, but this place has no legit clock. Just a 12 inch diameter institutional wall clock mounted on the side wall up high. I don’t think it has a second hand. Place is bush league, all 6 lanes were occupied, but all the other people were walking/dog paddling. Complete beaters. This is small town northern Wisconsin, most were fattys, but at least they were trying. I was King of the Pool for that hour. I asked about a Masters program, no one on the staff had ever heard of Masters Swimming. Couldn’t believe it.

4matic is a swimmer ? Can’t believe it never came up when we skied together in Big Sky.


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[JongDoe]

I remember The AD posting some open water swim pics a year or so ago and I asked him how far it was across the lake or bay and he gave some crazy distance that humbled me. I thought i was killing it swimming 2500 meters a few times a week in a pool, and open water is way harder than a pool. The Y just changed their open swim hours to 8:00, so I won't be swimming much until our outdoor community pool opens Memorial Day. Then I will probably swim a few days and do my 25 miles after work bike rides a few days a week. Not bad for 61, but nothing serious.

I somewhat agree with EWG's "pain in a sensory deprivation tank." comment. It is just boring as hell in a pool. It would be better if somehow music were piped in.

[nickwm21]

IMHO the key to making it not boring is to make the sets interesting. If you’re going to just try to swim 1600yrds or do a simple set like 15 200s.. you’re gonna bore yourself to sleep and loose interest quick.

Mixing distances, mixing strokes, adding kicks, sculls, beaters, up-and-outs, ladders and pyramids, etc... add something dynamic to keep your brain from shutting off.


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[The AD]

IMHO the key to making it not boring is to make the sets interesting. If you’re going to just try to swim 1600yrds or do a simple set like 15 200s.. you’re gonna bore yourself to sleep and loose interest quick.

Mixing distances, mixing strokes, adding kicks, sculls, beaters, up-and-outs, ladders and pyramids, etc... add something dynamic to keep your brain from shutting off.

Agreed.

[motopsycha]

I would highly recommend finding a Masters team to workout with. Showing up and having a workout written for me and friends to swim with makes it so much easier.




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[EWG]

I would highly recommend finding a Masters team to workout with. Showing up and having a workout written for me and friends to swim with makes it so much easier.




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This is so true. You’ll do more socializing in a single 8 second break between sets than you do during a normal Friday happy hour.

It always amazed me how much time slowed down during those tiny rests.

[Cono Este]

Swam in college. D2 finalist in 100,200 back, 50 free freshman yr. got wood. Then quit to pursue partying and a Kirkwood pass. Sort of regret it. I quit before the new backstroke turn rule was loosened up in 1991. So I Never made it under 50 in the 100 back. Still hate myself. Same for the 50. Almost, but never under 20. If I had been a man, I’d have switched to Cal and focused on my 200. D2 was lame coming from my club team of crazy yardage. 12-15k a day.

Back in pool after screwing my knee up. Mostly pulling.

Stroke drills. Maximum distance per stroke. #1 advice for any non swimmer triathlete learning how the fuck we swimmers glide like we do.





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[schindlerpiste]

Segway: Did anyone catch Katie Ledecky's 1500 free on TV on Sat.? Holy Shiite!!. She finished a good 30 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. She is on another planet.

[4matic]

When you’ve spent 15 years watching the ball while swimming, the stoke is fucked and it’s not going to be fixed....


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It can be. I played polo on point and was a sprinter.

[4matic]

Those iPods are waterproof ? I think I have one of those somewhere. Haven’t used it in years though, plus finding it may be a problem.

Thanks for posting that.


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At one time they were cheap. Now a good waterproof iPod setup is $250 new. I have a new 8g waterproof MP3 player. It’s too much trouble for me since I’m ITunes and none of my stuff is MP3. I’ll send it to you for free.

It’s a Syryn 8g.