Get Ready for a 1500-Meter or 1650-Yard Swim

Swimming laps in a pool

Corey Jenkins/Getty Images

A common long-distance or open-water swim is the mile (1,650 yards) or 1500-meter swim. A mile is really 1,609 meters or 1,760 yards, but in many swimming races "the Mile" is the 1500 (meter) or the 1650 (yards). This swim workout can help you get ready for a well-paced mile swim, in a swimming pool or in an open-water environment.

The Swim Workout

  • 2 x 200 Swim at an easy effort, take a short rest of 30-seconds to 1-minute after each
  • 4 x 50 (:20 Swim descend 1-4 = first 50 is easy, 2nd 50 faster, 3rd 50 faster, 4th 50 faster
  • 8 x 25 (:20 Swim stroke technique drill work at an easy effort
  • 2 x 100 (:20 Kick as desired
  • 4 x 50 (:20 Kick, Descend 1-4
  • 2 x 100 (:20 Pull as desired
  • 4 x 50 (:20 Pull Descend 1-4

Take a minute or two extra rest, sip some water or sports drink, and get ready for the main set. You have completed 1,600 yards or meters of warm up.

  • 5 x 100 (:20 Swim - each 100 as 25 fast, last 75 moderate
  • Take an extra 20-60 seconds to rest to get your mind ready for the next set.
  • 5 x 100 (:20 Swim - each 100 as 75 moderate, 25 fast
  • Take an extra 20-60 seconds to rest to get your mind ready for the next set.
  • 5 x 100 (:20 Swim - each 100 fast, but not so fast you cannot hold the same pace for all 5
  • Take an extra 20-60 seconds rest to get your mind ready for the next set, but no breaks after this one.
  • 5 x 50 (:20 Swim - each 50 fast, but not so fast you cannot hold the same pace for all 5
  • 3 x 25 (:20 Swim - each 25 fast, but not so fast you cannot hold the same pace for all 3
  • 2 x 25 (:20 Swim - as fast as you can go
  • 1 x 75 Swim easy cool-down

TOTAL DISTANCE = 3,550
NOTE:

  • The first 10 x 100s are about controlled speed. You want to be able to change speeds, but not make the fast portion so fast that you cook yourself. Controlled speed.
  • As the main set goes on, you swim less moderate efforts and more fast efforts.
  • The last 25s are like the end of the race, get whatever is left in you into the swims.

About Swimming Workouts

This workout is designed to take between 75 and 90 minutes. If that is too much time or distance, then cut things out, but do not always cut out the same thing every workout. And never skip the loosen at the end of the workout. Use that as one last bit of technique work before you leave the swimming pool.

After the description of the set there is a number in a half-parentheses, like this - (:30 - that is how much rest you get after each swim. For example, 6 x 100 (:30 means you are to swim a 100 (yards or meters), rest 30-seconds, then repeat five more times.

There is nothing special about these swim practice sessions, other than what you bring to them. Lots of freedom here. You control how hard or fast you swim and what swim strokes you want to use while swimming the workouts. Normally the amount of rest per swim will limit your top-end speed on a workout, but that does not mean go as fast as you can all of the time. A few guidelines:

  • The more rest you get, the faster the swim.
  • The early parts of a workout should always be easy to moderate and very deliberate.
  • Use your best swimming technique.
  • Stop the workout if you are too tired, go for it again in the future. You become a better swimmer by recovering from the workouts you do, not by doing more and more swimming without resting and recovering from that swimming.
  • Have fun with the workouts.
  • Change the strokes you are doing from time to time, try new things, and don't get caught in a rut.

Each workout has:

  • Warm-up
  • Stroke drills or swimming technique work
  • Kicking
  • Pulling
  • The main set
  • Loosen or cool-down

-Updated by Dr. John Mullen