While it's certainly not an across the board epidemic, I'm still seeing and hearing of a lot of athletes who think that the best way to prepare for the swim leg of a triathlon is to just swim the distance required - non-stop - every time they're in the pool. Newsflash: The theme of "just get through the swim" or "just survive the swim" is a thing of the past.
Why not get out of the water efficiently and quickly? Using less energy than before and being better prepared for the back-half of your race? Work with your coach, have some video analysis done, and ensure that your stroke mechanics are solid. Then, work on your limiters.
If you need some speed endurance, then do this set. It's SCY and takes about an hour, so it's a great mid-day workout if you need to get a workout in over lunch.
Why not get out of the water efficiently and quickly? Using less energy than before and being better prepared for the back-half of your race? Work with your coach, have some video analysis done, and ensure that your stroke mechanics are solid. Then, work on your limiters.
If you need some speed endurance, then do this set. It's SCY and takes about an hour, so it's a great mid-day workout if you need to get a workout in over lunch.
Warm up:
200 swim easy
200 kick
200 pull
200 pull
Pre-set / Warm up:
10 x 50 Free
1st length build up, 2nd length hard.
On 1:00
Main set:
3 x 75 on 1:15 or 1:20
1 x 75 on 1:20
3 x 75 on 1:10 or 1:15
1 x 75 on 1:20
3 x 75 on 1:05 or 1:10
1 x 75 on 1:20
3 x 75 on 1:00 or 1:05
1 x 75 on 1:20
3 x 75 on :55 or 1:00
1 x 75 on 1:20
3 x 75 on :50 or :55
Cool down:
200 easy
The main set is only 25-30 minutes long depending on the send-off. You can, of course, adjust the times depending on your athletes and their base 100 time. As you can see, the set begins at a very easy pace, but quickly moves towards threshold. It's an easy set for athletes to maintain, however, as there's a slower 75 every 3 reps to allow for a little recover - ensuring the ability to maintain the effort.
The main set is only 25-30 minutes long depending on the send-off. You can, of course, adjust the times depending on your athletes and their base 100 time. As you can see, the set begins at a very easy pace, but quickly moves towards threshold. It's an easy set for athletes to maintain, however, as there's a slower 75 every 3 reps to allow for a little recover - ensuring the ability to maintain the effort.