This session was a relatively new one for me to try this month. Although we do this type of work in our open water sessions and occasionally in our Swim Squads, I rarely do it. I thought it was about time I gave a try.
Purpose
This session is based on the strong into smooth concept that we talk about – particularly during our open water sessions.
Starting at a strong, unsustainable pace before settling into a more sensible and manageable pace.
If we never train this fast start, then when we do this on race day (intentionally to find space or chase feet or unintentionally because adrenaline takes over), it will come as a shock and could derail your race.
The Session
I started off the session with a decent 1,000m warm up
Warm Up
4 x 100m – easy and relaxed (20s rest)
8 x 50m – building pace within each 50m (20s rest)
8 x 25m – first 15m fast, last 10m easy (15s rest)
If you follow the same warm up, you should be feeling good and primed to swim fast.
Main Set
We are swimming the first rep in each block at around 9/10 intensity – so really fast, high effort. We are then dropping the pace for the next three reps – but still swimming well at a 7/10 effort.
4 x 25m – 1 strong, 3 @ 7/10 (10s rest)
4 x 50m – 1 strong, 3 @ 7/10 (15s rest)
4 x 75m – 1 strong, 3 @ 7/10 (20s rest)
4 x 100m – 1 strong, 3 @ 7/10 (25s rest)
To give you an idea, for my session I swam the 25s at 17s for the first one, 19s for the next three. 36 seconds for the first 50m, 39s for the next three. 55s for the first 75m, 59s for the remainder. And then 1.14 for the first 100m, 1.19 for the next three.
In other words, the three reps following the first strong one should still be swimming with purpose – and not easy and relaxed. This may be difficult to do when you first do the session, but with practice should become ‘easier’.
This main set is 1,000m. Repeat the set if you have time (and energy!),
Scaling & Customisation
I started this session with 25s, then 50s, 75s and 100s. You could do this the other way around – starting with the 100s? If you want to extend distances, you could do 50s / 100s / 150s / 200s. Or you could blocks of the same distance – 4 x 100m – with the first one fast.
Lots of variety to be had in this session.
Why I Like This Session
Lots of things to love about this type of session.
Firstly, we learn how to recover whilst swimming. The short rest between the 1st rep and the 2nd isn’t enough to recover, so you are swimming with high heart rate and learning how to slow things down slightly and swim through the discomfort.
Secondly, it’s race simulation, so it’s great for visualisation and gets the juices flowing for race day!
And then thirdly, on race day, when you’re in the middle of your fast start and feeling a little out of your depth, it is a session you can think back to and take confidence from, knowing that you have the ability to slow a little, recover whilst you’re on the move and yet still swim well.
What do you think? Is this a session – or a type of session – you might try? If you do, let us know how you get on?
