- 5-10 minutes of easy swimming and kicking to warm-up
- 5-10 minutes of technique work
- 5-10 minutes of easy swimming (and more technique work) to cool-down
Start this program 14 to 16 weeks before your target event and repeat it three times (12 weeks). The last 4-weeks of training are on the next page; the workouts below are the one you do 8, 10, and 12 weeks away form your race:
- Week 1
Workout 1 - Test Swim - 10 x 100 on :10 seconds rest
Swim 10 x 100 yard or meter repeats with 10-seconds rest between each one. Take the final time, subtract :90 seconds (the rest you took) and divide by 10 to get your average time per 100. You will use this time for later sets. During this set, try to go the fastest speed you can go and still hold a steady pace for all 10 repeats. You will probably start too fast and slow down a bit as they progress. No problem - you will get the hang of it for the next test in a few weeks.Workout 2 - Long Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - do a 10:00 straight swim
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - do a 15:00 straight swim
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - do a 20:00 straight swim
The goal of this workout is to negative split the swim. Start out very easy, gradually increasing the speed every 5:00 to 10:00 minutes.
Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest
Alternate 50's - one maximum effort, one minimum (but steady) effort while using the lowest number of strokes (or arm pulls) for each swim - but not doing it with an exaggerated glide and kick; swim the set, but aim to get the most out distance from each arm pull. Try to maintain or decrease the number of strokes you take on the minimum repeats. Compare the number of strokes you take on the minimum repeats with those taken on the maximum repeats. As the weeks progress, your goal is to close that gap by decreasing the number of strokes taken during the maximum effort repeats. You can take up to a full minute rest between each 50 so that you are 100% ready to focus on technique. - Week 2
Workout 1 - Interval Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - 4 x (150 + 2 x 50)
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4 x (250 + 2 x 50)
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4 x (400 + 2 x 100)
All repeats are done on the same "base" - add :15 to :30 seconds to your test set average to determine that base. For example, if your average was 1:45, add :15 seconds to make a 2:00 base (if this seems too fast, then make the base time slower - the key is to repeat the whole set, not to wipe yourself out). Then perform the set for your goal race. You may take 1:00 to 2:00 minutes extra rest between each set of intervals or between each round. A round is each set of (150 + 2 x 50) or (250 + 2 x 50) or (400 + 2 x 100) swims.
Let's use the Olympic Distance to explain. You would do a 150 swim on a 3:00 interval (you have up to 3-minutes to complete the 150, with any leftover time as rest), then swim 2 x 50's on a 1:00 interval. The actual swimming pace or effort for the set is performed with the longer portion of each set done :05 to :10 seconds slower than your test set pace, and the shorter portion done as close as possible to your test set pace, but no faster than that pace. You may take 1:00 to 2:00 minutes extra rest between each set of intervals - swim (150 + 2 x 50) then take extra rest before doing it again.
For the 1/2 Ironman swimmer, if your average from the Test Swim was 1:45 per 100, you would perform the 1/2 Ironman distance set as 250's on 5:00 and the 50's on 1:00, Perform the Ironman distance set as 400's on 8:00 and the 100's on 2:00. The actual swim pace for the set is performed with the longer portion of each set done :05 to :10 seconds slower than your test set pace. The shorter portion is done as close as possible to your test set pace, but no faster than that pace. If possible, also try to go a bit faster (:02 to :04 seconds) faster as you perform each subsequent set of intervals. You may take 1:00 to 2:00 minutes extra rest between each set of intervals.
Workout 2 - Long Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - 15-minute straight swim
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 20-minute straight swim
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - 30-minute straight swim
Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim
- All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest
- Week 3
Workout 1 - Interval Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - 4x(100-3x50)
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(200-3x50)
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(300-3x100)
Workout 2 - Long Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - 20-minute straight swim
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 30-minute straight swim
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - 40-minute straight swim
Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim
- All distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest
- Week 4
Workout 1 - Interval Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - 4x(4x50)
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(150 + 4x50)
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(200 + 4x100)
Workout 2 - Long Swim
- Olympic Distance Triathlete - 25-minute straight swim
- 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 40-minute straight swim
- Ironman Distance Triathlete - 50-minute straight swim
Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim
- All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest
The final phase of training, the last 4-weeks leading up to your race, are laid out on page 3!
