General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Interval swimming vs continuous ? Rss Feed  
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2014-08-27 5:54 PM


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Subject: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I am working on increasing my swim training distance and times. How much interval training vs continuous training do you do ? What interval lengths are you doing. What kind of distances are you doing for intervals.
Currently I am at 1100 yards training distance. Sometimes I will do this as continuous with 1 or 2 x 50 yard breast stroke if needed. I also do intervals such as a number of 100's, 50's and 25's. The 50 and 25 are at as fast as possible pace. Sometimes I will do all out 100's as fast as I can. Other times I will swim a 100 a 200 a 300 and finish with a 400 or 500. This equals 1000 to 1100 yards. What are the pros and cons of interval vs continuous ? My breaks during interval training is a minute except when I do a fast 25 which is a 30. Sometimes I will take a 2 minute break after swimming a hard 100.

Thanks for any ideas


2014-08-27 6:25 PM
in reply to: Chitwnnole

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?

I'm by no means a swim "expert" being its my worst of the three. But IMHO you should do a swim test to find your current threshold and to help provide some structure to your workouts.

This can be, 1x1000, a 3x300 trying to be with 10-15 seconds for each one or even 3x100.  Take the average and this is a T-pace for your current potential.  Intervals can be faster than T-pace, long swims slightly slower.  Here's a write up by a coach that's on BT.

Another test is called Critical Swim Speed.  Take a look at this site for more info and this BT thread.

Whole idea is to test, train and test again to reset your threshold as you improve to continuously apply the proper stresses.

2014-08-27 6:38 PM
in reply to: Donto

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
Agreed, Started past winter for first open waters and team tri's. Needed to do a hard 500yd to get idea of what my hard threshold initial time per 100yd pace would be. I'd use that to plan my interval paces. You NEED something to go on in the pool, running has pace&HR monitoring, biking has pace/speed/cadence/HR. Need at least one number to go on in the pool.
Most of time in pool was on technique and speed intervals. 25/50 were sprints, but once I worked up to threshold pace 100....200...300 repeats, THEN i starting reaping benefits. Knowing your threshold pace will help you tune your pace planning AND rest periods. For me, progressively decreasing rest time improved my VO2 much better. When spring came, my outdoor runs all were considerably faster due to the swimming (and obviously I got faster swimming as well). It's also more motivational for me, vs. swimming back and forth in the pool for 30 minutes a clip!

PS....Recently got the Garmin 310xt, put it in my swim cap and set up a 5x320m interval session in the ocean. Now that was something, never had the equipment to gauge it in open water. Was awesome
2014-08-27 8:40 PM
in reply to: Chitwnnole

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I swam competitively for years, and when I did most of the training was 50-200 yards with various drills and straight laps. Now, as I am less interested in sprinting, my swims mostly focus on 200's, with a 500 often times in there and some 100 yard drills to keep technique strong. Closer to races I will start to incorporate 5x100 speed drills as I like to be on the pointy edge of the spear and out of the scrum..
2014-08-27 9:15 PM
in reply to: Oysterboy


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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I've logged 160,000 yards in the pool this year, and outside of races, I never swam more than 400 yards continuously. I'm not sure about this threshold time talk. I've got three paces, easy, race, and hard. Find out how fast you can do a 100 (at race pace), and that is your benchmark. As you get faster, you swim faster 100's. I find that a dose of 200's works well for me and really gives me an idea of how my fitness is doing. I can usually 'cheat' a good time on a 100, but I find I can't lie when doing a 200.
2014-08-27 9:19 PM
in reply to: Chitwnnole

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I picked up the book "Workouts in a Binder for Swimmers Triathletes, and Coaches" by Nick Hansen, Eric Hansen & Gale Bernhardt. It's got a fairly simple program for building swim fitness. It's also a "waterproof book" so you can bring it to the side of the pool to refer to. I've found it very useful for improving my swim workouts.



2014-08-27 10:44 PM
in reply to: tedjohn

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I swim with a masters group, most workouts are 3,000 yards and are made up of sets of 50's through 150's with the occasional 200-300 yard swim thrown in. Doing these swims twice a week has helped bring me from a 1:35-1:40 per 100 yard swimmer down to a 1:20-1:30 per hundred yard swimmer. Those higher intensity, short distance workouts in my opinion result in a much better performance on race day than longer 500-1000 yard swims.
2014-08-28 7:14 AM
in reply to: ziggie204

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
Originally posted by ziggie204

I've logged 160,000 yards in the pool this year, and outside of races, I never swam more than 400 yards continuously. I'm not sure about this threshold time talk. I've got three paces, easy, race, and hard. Find out how fast you can do a 100 (at race pace), and that is your benchmark. As you get faster, you swim faster 100's. I find that a dose of 200's works well for me and really gives me an idea of how my fitness is doing. I can usually 'cheat' a good time on a 100, but I find I can't lie when doing a 200.


100 times is what most people use as their benchmark. When you can improve your 100 times you are swimming faster.

most of your workout you will not be swimming more than a 500yard at a time. I always suggest that you through in some long swims just to get a feel for it if you will be swimming long for an event. Fro example I have some shoulder issues, but it does not bother me until I've gone about 1000 yds. I need to swim 2000yds a couple times before an event so I get used to handling the issue.

Also swim more the 160,000 yds a year sounds great when you write it like that, but in reality that is not a lot of swimming. That's like 45-50 minutes of swimming once a week. Way back when I was on a team I swam 40,000-50,000 yds a week. If you put in 2-3 1 hr sessions a week for a couple months you should improve a lot, assuming you have good form.
The faster you get the harder it is to improve.
2014-08-28 12:28 PM
in reply to: #5044288


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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger, and I've never done a continuous swim in a workout (except to raise money in high school once a year). I usually swim a 500 or two the week of a race just to get pacing down, but otherwise sets of 50-200s throughout the workout. I try to do a sprint-focused (mostly 50s and 100s) and an endurance focused (mostly 200s, might finish w/ 4x100 or 8x 50) workout each week. I hate sprinting now, but it's how you get faster.
2014-08-28 12:52 PM
in reply to: tedjohn

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?

Originally posted by tedjohn I picked up the book "Workouts in a Binder for Swimmers Triathletes, and Coaches" by Nick Hansen, Eric Hansen & Gale Bernhardt. It's got a fairly simple program for building swim fitness. It's also a "waterproof book" so you can bring it to the side of the pool to refer to. I've found it very useful for improving my swim workouts.

 

Just ordered this book. Looks awesome, thanks for the recommendation

2014-08-28 1:04 PM
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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
Is there a base swimming portion to training similar to running? I guess what I'm asking is do more people focus on shorter intervals than continuously swimming longer distances? Say if you're training for a HIM do you work up to the distance and hover around there or do you do more shorter intervals (100, 300, 500 yards) to total up to the overall distance when training? I certainly want to improve my swimming technique and time this winter (outside of a class or coach that is), so I'm interested in what others do. I won't like and I apologize, I have not researched this topic yet for myself.

Edited by ChemNerd23 2014-08-28 1:05 PM


2014-08-28 2:25 PM
in reply to: ChemNerd23

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?

Add the intervals of the main set together. Much of the time the recovery time will be small enough that you'll be ok going to a more continuous swim in a race. Just stopping doesn't make you fully recovered, as you'll come to appreciate. 5 seconds recovery is a lot different from 30, which is a lot different from 2 minutes.

2014-08-28 8:08 PM
in reply to: brigby1

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
I should probably work on my technique with intervals, but I just like to swim! I swim a 500 m to warm up, then a 1000, then a 500 to finish. I do planks and pushups in between sets. Try for five days - 10,000 meters per week (lunch time). I do check my 100 time every once in a while, and I have been gradually getting faster - but that isn't what gets me in the pool.
2014-08-28 8:59 PM
in reply to: #5044288


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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
What kind of rest times are you doing between intervals ? I ask because I would like to start working towards that. Cryer toy when I do a regular or moderate 100 I rest for a minute. When I do a flat out fast as I go I am resting for two minutes. When I do flat out fast as I can 25 I rest for 15 sec and I rest for 30 sec to 1 minute for a fast as I can 50. What should I start working down to that will easily translate to race day. Should there be more rest time for really hard work or should it all be the same ?
2014-08-28 9:28 PM
in reply to: Chitwnnole

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?

Originally posted by Chitwnnole What kind of rest times are you doing between intervals ? I ask because I would like to start working towards that. Cryer toy when I do a regular or moderate 100 I rest for a minute. When I do a flat out fast as I go I am resting for two minutes. When I do flat out fast as I can 25 I rest for 15 sec and I rest for 30 sec to 1 minute for a fast as I can 50. What should I start working down to that will easily translate to race day. Should there be more rest time for really hard work or should it all be the same ?
I watched a BT video where the presenter asked something along the lines of 'what says if I do say 100 on 20s as opposed to 75 or 50  on 15s that I'll get faster' (likely a total misparaphrase but you get the idea).  That said, I usually take ~ 1-1.5' between sets of 300-800 yards that are done at slightly faster Threshold (T) pace or slightly slower, and stretch.  If I do 50's or 100's I'll take15-20" early and extend as I go deeper into the set up to 45 seconds (darn googles!).  But I'm going faster than T-pace by at least 5-15 secs.

Here's were I'm at: I did a 3x300 a few weeks ago in my backyard pool (very convenient) and had a 1:55 T-pace, it was 3 hard efforts with a max delta of 7sec with 45 sec rests. Here we are a few weeks later and I'm having no problem holding T-5sec for 300-800 yards intervals and 100 at T-15s. Time to move up to a bigger pool and retest.  Besides its too darn warm to swim more than 1.5k in the backyard pool these days (FL)! 

Take a look at my logs if you want a view of a totally unorganized swim training plan!

2014-08-29 12:02 AM
in reply to: Chitwnnole

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Subject: RE: Interval swimming vs continuous ?
Originally posted by Chitwnnole

I am working on increasing my swim training distance and times. How much interval training vs continuous training do you do ? What interval lengths are you doing. What kind of distances are you doing for intervals.
Currently I am at 1100 yards training distance. Sometimes I will do this as continuous with 1 or 2 x 50 yard breast stroke if needed. I also do intervals such as a number of 100's, 50's and 25's. The 50 and 25 are at as fast as possible pace. Sometimes I will do all out 100's as fast as I can. Other times I will swim a 100 a 200 a 300 and finish with a 400 or 500. This equals 1000 to 1100 yards. What are the pros and cons of interval vs continuous ? My breaks during interval training is a minute except when I do a fast 25 which is a 30. Sometimes I will take a 2 minute break after swimming a hard 100.

Thanks for any ideas


Your breaks are very long. Try to take only 15 seconds rest between intervals and a minute between sets.


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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Interval swimming vs continuous ? Rss Feed