More Swim Workouts

9:33 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Hi Team and Readers!

I apologize for what might have seemed like a daughting post about swim workouts. I posted two great workouts that are geared more toward long-distance triathlons. Sorry if they freaked out any of you new swimmers!

The most important thing you can do now is just get in the water and get used to how it feels to swim. Here is another fun one if you like to have more structure with your swims. We'll spent two workouts in the pool working on technique and swim stroke with Coach Mo Chambers. Then we will practice swimming in open water. These workouts really give you a good idea of how different that experience is and helps build confidence with something that can feel very intimidating.

Try this workout—

500 yards or meters warm up (work slowly, stretching out)

12 x 50 yards or meters

4 x 50 on 20 seconds rest after each

4 x 50 on 10 seconds rest after each

4 x 50 on 5 seconds rest after each

10 x 100 yards or meters

Do each of these 100’s with 30 seconds of rest after each. Try to drop 2 seconds from each 100 repeat. So if you swim the first 100 on 1:50, you will be swimming the last one on 1:32. This is one of the best sets I know to learn pacing. If you have trouble doing this the first time you try, put it into your workouts once a week. Learning how it feels to swim at targeted speeds is an important skill for swimming longer events.

12 x 25 yards or meters

Swim nice and easy but work on nice streamlining* off each wall.

*Glossary of swim terms

Recovery—the recovery portion of a stroke is the part of the stroke where you are not actively pulling. In freestyle it is the part of the stroke from when your hand leaves the water until it enters the water. Keep your hands low with fingers down during recovery in freestyle.

Entry—this just means the point at which your hand enters the water. Your fingers should be pointing down but not perpendicular to the water which would cause more drag.

Streamline—holding your body in a nice, tight line especially when you push off walls. You should be under the water with your arms pressed up against your head, deltoids squeezing your ears. One hand is on top of the other with the hand that will pull first on the bottom. Arms and legs are straight, toes are pointed.