In August 2019, I’m aiming to swim 21km (plus potentially a little more) at Vidöstern Simmet, which is billed as Sweden’s toughest open water race. At Outdoor Swimmer we frequently get asked for ideas for training sessions, so I started sharing the training sessions I’m doing for that on Twitter @SimonDGriffiths for anyone else that wants to try them. I’ve now decided to move them here as I kept running out of characters on Twitter. These are mostly sessions I’ve done with Teddington Masters Swimming Club and created by the club coaches (thank you Ian, Lorraine and Veronica). Others I do with friends (AKA “The 400 Club”). Tuesday morning sessions are often adapted from sets originally created by Fiona Ford from Triathlon Europe, who is a Swim Smooth coach and contributor to Outdoor Swimmer.

Training sessions often appear to be written in code so please ask via Twitter if anything is not clear. Abbreviations I use include:

FC = Front crawl, BA = Backstroke, BS = Breaststroke, Fly = Butterfly, IM = Individual Medley, +10s = take about 10 seconds rest before starting the next swim.

The main pools I use are Hampton Pool (36m long), Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m long), Teddington Pool (25m) and Hanworth Pool (25m)

Adapt the distances for the length of pool you’re training in and adjust the times to suit your own swimming speed. Let me know via Twitter how you get on.

Training sessions from 1 to 15 January

Training sessions from 16 to 31 January

Training sessions from 1 to 14 February

Training sessions from 15 to 28 February

Training sessions from 1 to 15 March

Lovely sunset swim with Teddington Masters

Warm up

12 lengths FC, 4 lengths BA

Main set

4 rounds of 3 lengths FC steady, 15s rest, 1 length sprint IM order, 15s rest

2 lengths easy

6 lengths FC steady, sprint lengths 3 and 6

4 x 1 length sprint IM order

3 rounds of 3 lengths FC steady, 15s rest, 2 lengths sprint (FL/BA, BA/BS & BS/FC), 15s rest, 1 length easy

4 lengths FC easy

2 x 1 length sprint (FL/BA)

3 lengths FC easy, 3 lengths sprint (FL/BA/BS)

1 length FC easy, 3 lengths sprint (FL/BA/BS)

Cool down

6 lengths easy

Total distance: 2952m

Beautiful sunrise Teddington Masters Club session

Warm up

22 lengths mixed strokes (792m)

Main set

Part 1 – all FC, steady pace

1 x 12 lengths off 7:00

2 x 6 lengths off 3:30

4 x 3 lengths off 1:45

12 x 1 length of 40s

6 x 2 lengths off 1:20

2 x 6 lengths off 3:30

12 lengths

4 lengths easy

Part 2

6 x 4 x 1 IM, approx. 10s rest after each

Cool down

4 lengths easy

Total distance: 4,968m

Steady endurance set – Grant’s easy way to 4k

Warm up

600m mixed FC and BA

Main set

All FC – steady aerobic pace (about CSS + 5 to 7s per 100m)

6 x 100m off 1:35, 5 x 200m off 3:10, 4 x 100m off 1:35, 3 x 200m off 3:10, 2 x 100m off 1:35, 200m

6 x 33m FC sprints

Cool down

200m easy

Total distance: 4000m

After 36 hours with no exercise, feeling strong for this regular Teddington Masters club session.

Warm up

200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC

Main Set

All FC, except recovery swims on choice

Part 1 (700m)

4 x 50m off 50s, 50m easy, 3 x 50m off 45s, 50m easy, 2 x 50m off 40s, 50m easy, 50m sprint, 50m easy

Part 2 (1200m)

4 x 100m off 1:30, 50m easy, 3 x 100m off 1:30, 50m easy, 2 x 100m off 1:20, 50m easy, 100m sprint, 50m easy

Part 3 (850m)

4 x 200m off 3:00 descending (2:40 down to 2:30), 50m easy

Part 4 (650m)

4 x 50m off 45s, 50m easy, 3 x 50m off 40s, 50m easy, 2 x 50m off 35s, 50m easy, 50m sprint

Cool down

200m easy

Total distance: 4600m

Regular Tuesday morning CSS set but swam slightly slower than usual – possibly because of 8.5km run last night.

Warm up

100m FC, 100m BA, 100m FC, 100m BA, 100m FC

9 x 33.3m FC build to sprint off 45s

Main set

4 x 100m FC off 1:35

2 x 133m FC off 2:05

3 x 200m FC off 3:10

6 x 100m FC off 1:35

5 x 66.7m FC off 1:00

2 x 100m FC off 1:35

Cool down

200m easy

Total distance 3400m

Regular Monday morning ‘400 Club’ swim with a flying finish

Warm up

600m mixed FC/BA

Main set

8 x 400m off 6:15 – just tried to keep up! Hitting between 5:25 and 5:40 per 400m

6 x 33.3m FL

Cool down

200m alternating FC/BA

Swim England London Region event.

Warm up

400m FC

200m BA

4 x 50m FC build + 20s rest

200m FC easy

Races

50m FC (in relay) – 28.18s

100m BA – 1:17.27

50m FC (individual) – 28.76s

200m FC – 2:20.85

100m FC (in relay) – 1:03.91

Total distance: 1500m

Regular Teddington Masters club session followed by coffee and cake

Warm up

24 lengths as 1 length FC, 1 length IM order drill

Main set

24 x 1 length as 1 kick, 1 drill, 1 swim IM order (5s rest after each)

2 lengths easy

8 x 3 lengths as odds FC, evens 1 length each of FL, BA, BS (about 20s rest after each)

2 lengths easy

4 x 6 lengths as FL, FC, BA, FC, BS, FC + 20s rest after each

2 lengths easy

4 x 1 length FC sprints + 45s rest

Swim down

6 lengths easy

Total distance: 4032m

Popular Teddington Masters club session

Warm up

450m mixed strokes

Main set

2 x 50m kick, alt 25 easy, 25m fast, focus on underwater dolphin into FC +10s rest

2 x 75m FC steady, stroke focus, breathe every 5 strokes +10s rest

4 x 50m FC off 50s

4 x 25m FL alt drill / sprint + 30s rest

4 x 50m kick, alt 25 easy, 25m fast, focus on underwater dolphin into FC +10s rest

4 x 75m FC steady, stroke focus, breathe every 5 strokes +10s rest

8 x 50m FC off 45s

4 x 25m BS as 25m drill, 25m sprint

Cool down

150m easy

Total distance: 2150m

Start of spring club session with Teddington Masters

Warm up

200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC (on FC, stroke focus and breath on least comfortable side)

Prep set

4 x 100m FC off 1:30 (approx. 10s rest after each) plus 50m easy

4 x 50m FC off 45s (approx. 7s rest after each)

4 x 25m FL sprints (approx. 30s rest after each)

Main set

2 x 400m FC off 6:30 (target pace: 5:25 / 5:15)

50m easy

4 x 100m FC off 1:30 (approx. 10s rest)

50m easy

6 x 50m FC off 45s (approx. 7s)

50m easy

4 x 25m IM order sprints (approx. 30s rest after each)

100m easy

3 x 200m FC off 3:00 descending (2:45, 2:40, 2:35)

50m easy

4 x 50m FC off 40s (approx. 2-3s rest after each)

Cool down

200m easy

Total distance: 4650m

Another sprint set from 2011 created by Jack Maitland and adapted for 33.3m pool

Warm up

200m alternating 1 length FC, 1 length BA

200m alternating 1 length drill, 1 length swim

200m alternating 1 length FC, 1 length BA

Prep Set

3 x 66.7m as 1 length FL sprint, 1 length FC easy

Main Set

Max effort unless stated

1 round of:

• 100m FC plus 45s rest
• 2 x 66.7m FC plus 25s rest
• 1 x 33.3m FC plus 15s rest
• 2 x 66.7m FC plus 25s rest
• 100m FC + 45s rest
• 300m easy, choice of stroke

2 rounds of:

• 100m FC plus 45s rest
• 66.7m FC plus 25s rest
• 3 x 33.3m FC plus 15s rest
• 300m easy, choice of stroke

1 x 66.7m FC sprint with dive start

Cool down

200m easy

Total distance: 3000m

Threshold session from Chris Freeman

Warm up

2 x 200m alt 100m FC, 100m BA + 15s rest

200m FC breathe on least comfortable side

Prep

4 x 66.7m FC as 33.3m easy, 33.3m sprint

Main set

(All at threshold pace, no breaks)

4 x 100m FC off 1:35 (~15s rest)

2 x 133.3m FC off 2:05 (~20s rest)

3 x 200m off 3:10 (~30s rest)

2 x 133m FC off 2:05

6 x 100m off 1:35

Cool down

200m easy

Total distance: 3200m

Regular Monday set!

Warm up

600m mixed FC and BA

Main set

8 x 400m FC off 6:15 as:

1 to 6: hold pace, draft off lane leaders (about 5:30 to 5:35 per 400m)

7: lead lane and try to hold same pace as 1 to 6

8: start steady (to recover from 7!) and build

Cool down

200m easy mixed FC / BA

Club session with Teddington Masters

Warm up

24 lengths as 1 length FC, 1 length IM order (864m)

Main set

12 lengths FC off 7:00 (approx. 1 minute rest)

2 x 6 lengths FC off 3:30 (approx. 30s rest)

4 x 3 lengths FC off 1:45 (approx. 15s rest)

6 x 2 lengths FC off 1:15 (approx. 15s rest)

12 x 1 length FC off 40s (approx. 10s rest)

4 lengths easy

4 x 6 lengths as FL, FC, BA, FC, BS, FC + 45s rest

6 x 1 length sprint as FL, FC, BA, FC, BS, FC + 30s rest after each

Cool down

6 lengths easy

Total distance: 4,464m