Improving swim time - new swimmer

You can toss in some harder 100m repeat sets, but your best bet for time improvement is going to be form improvements and fitness, learning to relax in the water.

For the 100's, what is your all out 100m time? Say that is 2:00, you could do a set such as 10 x 100 (10 different 100m swims) on 2:30 (Means you have 2:30, if you finish it in 2:10, you get 20 seconds rest, if you finish it in 2:25, you get 5 seconds rest :D)

Since swim is basically no impact, you can go hard, often, without needing the recovery as much as bike/run.

John

The 10x100 would be part of a 2-3k training session.

Thanks. I will pick a cheap stopwatch and try to time my 100's. Is my overall goal for doing the distance in 40mins attainable or too much in too less time? Trying to set realistic and achievable expectations here.

Does it help to do 100x10 straight (like tkd said) or alternate with 300 at normal pace. Kindda like interval training... 100 (hard), 300 (normal), 100 (hard)...

I'd say your goal is a stretch, but since you'll definitely improve trying, why not? Also, really, at the most you have 7 weeks to improve (6 is more like it). After that, the fitness benefits kick in after your race.

10x100 straight, but with a few seconds' rest in between each 100. Really push it, but try to hold the same pace for each 100.

You will see more gains doing sets as in the 10x100s rather than swimming a mile in the pool all out, especially since it's easier to keep your form in check throughout. I can guarantee you that at some point during your mile marker that your form breaks down. By doing a series of smaller distances you can make corrections. 

Remember that swimming is more about form and hydrodynamics than it is about the engine. I am much stronger than the women that I swim with in my TNT group, but some of them leave me in the dust in swimming. 

Precisely sir! My form starts breaking down in last lap or two when doing sets of 200's at normal pace. So I thought it would be good to do a full run and see where I stand. But being new, it will be unavoidable in OWS. Just out of curiousity, how do small sets help in OWS... since I won't be stopping to rest and make quick corrections?

Pushing your threshold during 100s gives you the fitness (biological adaptations) to swim at that intensity. The brief rest allows you to push it more per 100, and do more 100s, than you could if you did it straight.

Thanks Yanti. That was helpful explanation.

To get faster once you have base (and good form), you need two types of training. Interval and threshold.

Interval training is done at very high intensity, often faster than your race pace, with long rest to be able to hit that intensity for every part of the workout. Threshold training is done at or near race pace, with short rest intervals.

Intervals will increase your top end speed. Threshold workouts will let you stay at that pace for longer periods of time.

So, say your race pace is 2:00/100m. A decent interval set would be 10x100 hold 1:40, 2mins rest. This means that you have 1:40 to complete your 100m, and then two minutes rest in between each one. If you easily make the 1:40 every time, then you need to increase the speed, like doing them on 1:30 instead. You want to be barely making the times by the end of the set.

A threshold workout for that same 2:00/100 swimmer would be something like 10x100 on 2:15 or 2:20. You have 2:20 to do the 100 and get your rest in. Again, if you make it easily all the way through, you need to decrease your time, so next time doing them on 2:10.

Interval and threshold shouldn't be done in the same workout for most intents and purposes.

So, a general swim (threshold/vo2) set might look something like this:

Warmup: 3-500, split between kick/pull/swim.

Small set: 6 x (50 fast, 50 easy), :20 rest

Main set: 10x100 or 10x200 best average pace (Hold near race pace), :20 rest. Goal is not only the speed, but maintain a consistent speed across all parts of the set. If you do the first 100 in 1:30 and the last 100 in 2:08, you fail. :D

Cooldown: 2-400 easy.

You can also add in drill work and kick drills, etc., as needed.

John

TKD this is going to very helpful to build my swim workouts. 

I did the 100x8 (alongwith WU,CD, Drill) today in the pool and my timing was around 2:30 pretty consistently (no wall-pushes). This was a strong effort as I was out of breath at end of every set. It was a considerable difference in my speed compared to when I am just trying to hit total mileage and not watching the clock! 

How do I go about building the swim base? I am using MAF (maffetone method) to build my run and bike aerobic base i.e keeping HR in-check and delivering a consistent effort while meeting time or distance based goals. How to do this underwater?

As for form and base... is there any end to it? I would assume aerobic training continues throughout the year along with VO2 and Threshold for continuous improvement. Correct me if my assumption is wrong. 

How far can you swim straight? If you can't swim 1600 straight, I would recommend the Ruth Kazez 0 to 1650 program, and just start wherever in the scale you fit. (If you can swim 800 straight, then start there). That gets you to a mile, then it's just a matter of scaling up until you are doing 5-10,000 per week (Depending on how many workouts you are doing).

As far as form, no, there is never an end. I'm in the middle of taking my 1970's era stroke and revamping it for modern methods. Aerobic training does slide some in the off season, and that's when you are doing a lot of lower intensity, longer distance for the next season. You do lose some top end during this time, but you hold enough that you can then rise higher the next season.

Keep at it, keep consistent, and you will be astounded at where you are in 2-3 years.

John

I have never tried past 250-300 since I started breaking down at that point (slower arms, heavier breathing etc). I'll give it a try on the weekend for my long swim day. Keep normal, relaxed pace or race pace? Right now, I am doing 4 swim workouts right now and takes me around 6000yards for weekly total. Added you to friends list if you want to see my logs.

Btw, when I said aerobic training, I was referring to building aerobic base.... long distance, low intensity volume building. Being the first year of training pretty much everything is general fitness/aerobic base for me. 

Again, thanks. 

Thanks for this... I'm going to borrow it for my training if you don't mind!

No prob. As another poster mentioned, the "Workouts in a binder" series is great. There are self tests in there that will help you pinpoint what kind of efforts/workouts you need to be doing, and it has tons of suggested workouts that are excellent.

You need to be reassessing your pacing periodically, and there are tests outlined in the binders that are excellent for that.

John