Here is a session we did towards the end of November. We had been doing a lot of technique work in our sessions up to this point, gradually introducing some harder efforts into sessions.
Today’s session was about working hard throughout the session.
A threshold-type session.
A session where you are not swimming particularly fast, but the lack of rest takes it’s toll and your heart rate climbs through the set.
Warm Up
4 x 100m smooth (30s rest)
8 x 25m building pace (15s rest)
(Building pace = getting quicker through each rep. So in this case, starting each length easy and finishing each length strong.)
Main Set
10 x 50m @ 6/10 pace (10s rest)
2 x 25m easy
10 x 50m @ 7/10 pace (15s rest)
2 x 25m easy
10 x 50m @ 8/10 pace (20s rest)
2 x 25m easy
Main Set Notes
You are trying to hold the same pace through each block of 10 x 50m despite the short rest intervals. So, 6/10 pace might be 45s for a 50m. This pace will feel like 6/10 effort for the first few.
Maintaining this pace will become harder as the set progresses, so that 6/10 effort to maintain 6/10 pace, turns into an 8/10 effort to maintain the same 45s 50m.
The next set you are trying to increase your pace to a 7/10 pace – so perhaps 42s in this example. You do have 5s more rest per 50m.
The third time through, you are looking at 8/10 pace – maybe 40s per 50m in our example – and have a generous 20s rest between each 50m.
Cool Down
6 x 25m long and smooth
Why I Like This Session
Firstly, it is 30 plus minutes of hard work. Your heart rate will rise and stay high through the set.
Secondly, you are not starting particularly fast, so holding good technique should be possible through the set.
Finally, fishing the set gives you a great feeling of satisfaction!
Scaling
This set can be scaled quite easily.
Some of our lanes did three sets of 8 x 50m.
One of our lanes did it slightly differently. First set 6 x 50 (10s rest), second set 5 x 50m (15s rest), third set 4 x 50m (20s rest).
If feeling bold, you could extend the set to 12 x 50s. Or perhaps do a fourth set?
Give It A Try!
What are you waiting for? Go and give it a try and then let me know how you got on?
Discover more from Triathlon Swim Squad
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.