Challenge sessions for your swim training

A challenge session is one where you go above and beyond what you normally do in your regular training or do something very different. Simon Griffiths is your guide!

We usually think about training as the preparation for some race, challenge or adventure that we want to complete. We create a plan where we progressively increase the workload, while not forgetting to build in lighter training weeks for recovery.

But what if you currently don’t have a major swimming goal that you’re preparing for? Or what if formal events and challenges don’t interest you? Or what if you just want to change up your training every now and then for a mental reset?

How about substituting one of your regular swims sessions for a “challenge session”?

A challenge session is one where you go above and beyond what you normally do in your regular training or do something very different. It can take many forms and you can invent your own. In some circumstances, it may involve swimming less than you usually do – but the effort may be more intense. Here are some suggestions.

1. 100X100S

This is the classic challenge session. The aim is simple: swim 100m, 100 times. The total distance is 10km, the same as the Olympic marathon swim.

How you cut this, is up to you. You could run straight through. Say, 100x100m off 2 minutes (or a time suitable for your long distance swimming speed). So, if it takes you 1:45 to swim 100m, you would get 15s rest before starting the next one.

I prefer to break it into blocks of 10 – so 10x10x100m, with a different focus and perhaps a different turnaround time for each 10 100s. I might also schedule a bathroom break after 50.

If 100 100s is too much for your current fitness, set a different target – perhaps 50 100s or 50 50s. If 10km is your regular training distance, do more!

2. Critical Swim Speed Test

Measuring your critical swim speed (CSS) is a useful way to track your swimming fitness and to determine your training speeds. Paul Newsome provides lots of information on this over at Swim Smooth.

In essence, the test consists of a 400m time trial followed 5 or so minutes later with a 200m. You then subtract your 200m time from your 400m and divide the answer by 2 (or use an online CSS calculator) to work out your critical swim speed. Remember to include a suitable warm up and cool down before and after your time trials.

Although the distance is probably much less than you would normally do in a training session, a CSS test is mentally and physically taxing.

3. All the Olympic events (pool only)

There were 14 individual pool swimming events in the 2024 Olympics. For a tough training challenge, try swimming them all during a single session. You can choose the order. One way, might be to start with the longest first and work your way down, as follows.

• 1500m Freestyle (use as warm up)
• 800m Freestyle
• 400m Freestyle
• 400m Individual Medley (100m of each stroke in the order butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, front crawl)
• 200m Butterfly
• 200m Backstroke
• 200m Breaststroke
• 200m Freestyle
• 200m Individual Medley (50m on each stroke)
• 100m Butterfly
• 100m Backstroke
• 100m Breaststroke
• 100m Freestyle
• 50m Freestyle Total distance 4,550m.

If you struggle with any of the strokes, you can adapt. For example, you could try single arm butterfly or (for those with troublesome knees) breaststroke with dolphin kick.

4. The Michael Phelps Olympic Programme

For a shorter but still challenging alternative to the above, you could attempt the events that Michael Phelps won gold in at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

• 400m Individual Medley
• 200m Individual Medley
• 200m Butterfly
• 200m Freestyle
• 100m Butterfly.

If you want to add the swims he did in relays (where he also won gold), those are:

• 200m Freestyle (from the 4x200m relay)
• 100m Freestyle (from the 4x100m relay)
• 100m Fly (from the 4x100m medley relay)
  Total distance (including relays) 1500m (if that’s too little, do it twice!)

The above are all examples only. Feel free to create your own. Find a theme that inspires you. Talk some friends into joining in. You can also create challenge sessions to do outdoors. For example, if your lake has a 400m loop, how about 25 laps with a 30s rest after each lap for a total of 10km?

Prepare appropriately

Any of these sessions will challenge you. You should prepare accordingly. Ensure you do lighter training the day before or take the day off. Make sure you’ve eaten sensibly and are properly hydrated. For the longer sessions (especially the 100x100s) plan what food and drink you need during the swim to maintain energy levels. Finally, remember to allow time to recover afterwards.

A challenge session like one of these can be fun and memorable. I prefer to do something like this with friends and celebrate after with coffee and cake. But that’s not essential if you prefer to swim alone. Either way, make it an occasion. We’d love to hear about your “Challenge Sessions”. If you have one you’d like to share, email us at info@outdoorswimmer.com