Training sessions 1st to 15th January 2019
In August 2019, I’m aiming to swim 21km (plus potentially a little more) at Vidösternsimmet, 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.
Tuesday morning 15 January – Richmond PoTP
A brisk Critical Swim Speed (CSS) set. Focus on consistent pacing.
Warm-up
1 x 400m alternation 100m FC, 100m BA
1 x 200m FC pull
2 x 100m FC kick
Main set
5 x 67m FC as 1 length drill, 1 length sprint
10 x 100m on CSS pace + 15s rest after each
1 x 200m FC pull, aerobic pace
1 x 200m FC, aerobic pace, focus on keeping hips and legs high.
10 x 67m on CSS pace +5 to 10s rest after each
Cool down
1 x 200m FC kick (steady pace)
1 x 200m FC easy pace, focus on best possible technique
Total: 3,600m
Monday morning 14 January 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park
Regular Monday morning session with the informal but very dedicated 400 Club. This was hard going after last night’s swim and waterpolo game.
Warm up
600m mixed strokes
Main set
8 x 400m FC off 6:15 (approx. 30 to 45s rest after each)
Cool down
1 x 400m FC steady (stroke focus)
1 x 200m BA easy
Total: 4,400m
Sunday evening 13 January 2019 – Hampton Pool
Warm up
18 lengths mixed strokes (648m)
Main set
1L fly, 2L BA, 3L BS, 4L FS (360m)
6 x 2 lengths (72m) FC off 1:05 (approx. 5s rest)
2 lengths easy (72m)
4 x 3 lengths (108m) FC off 1:40 (approx. 10 to 15s rest)
2 lengths easy (72m)
2 x 6 lengths (216m) FC off 3:20 (approx. 20s rest)
2 lengths easy (72m)
1 x 12 lengths (432m) FC
1L FC, 2L BS, 3L BA, 4x1L Fly (360m)
Cool down
4 lengths easy (144m)
Total distance: 3,456m
Saturday morning 12 January 2019 – Hampton Pool
A lovely start to the weekend at Hampton Pool
Warm up
24 lengths (836m) alternating 1 length FC, 1 length medley order drill
Main set
2 x 12 lengths (432m) FC off 7 minutes (approx. 1-minute rest after each)
2 lengths easy (72m)
4 x 6 lengths (216m) as 1L each of Fly, FC, BA, FC, BS, FC
2 lengths easy
8 x 3 lengths (108) FC off 1:45 (approx. 20s rest after each)
2 lengths easy
12 x 2 lengths (72m) as 1L IM order, 1L FC
Cool down
4 lengths easy (288m)
Total distance: 4,684m
Friday lunchtime 11 January 2019 – Teddington Pool
Lunchtime club session with Teddington Masters
Warm up
200m FC, 150m BA, 100m BS, 50m Fly drill
Main
Start next swim when last swimmer in the lane finishes.
1. 4×1 IM
2. 75m as 25m Fly, 25m BA, 25m BS
3. 75m as 25m BA, 25m BS, 25m FC
4. 3x50m overlap IM (i.e Fly/BA, BA/BS, BS/FC)
5. 4x25m sprint (IM order)
5x100m FC off 1:45 (approx. 25s rest)
Repeat 1 to 5 in reverse
3x100m FC off 1:45 (approx. 25s rest)
Cool down
150m easy
Total: 2,450m
Thursday evening 10 Jan 2019 – Hanworth
Late evening club session with Teddington Masters
Warm up
400m, 300m, 200m, 100m all FC, 10s after each.
Main set
4x100m as 75m FC, 25m Fly off 1:35 (approx. 10s rest after each)
4x25m Fly kick on back
4x50m FC off 45s (approx. 5 to 10s rest after each)
50m easy
400m FC sprint every 4th length
4x50m FC off 40s (approx. 2 to 3s rest after each)
50m easy
4x50m FC off 40s (2 to 3s rest after each)
50m easy
4x25m Fly sprints
4x100m as 75m FC, 25m BA off 1:30 (approx 5s rest after each)
400m FC sprint every 3rd length
4x50m FC of 40s (2 to 3s rest after each)
50m easy
4x50m FC of 40s (2 to 3s rest after each)
Cool down
100m easy
Total: 4,050m
Tuesday morning 8 January 2019 – Richmond PoTP (33.3m pool)
Early morning start in Richmond with focus on swimming at threshold pace (approx. 1500m pace)
Warm up
400m alternating 100m FC/100m BA
4x(3 x 1 length) Fly/BA/BS (400m)
Main set
2 rounds of:
6x100m off 1:35 (approx. 15s rest)
4x67m off 1:00 (approx. 5s rest)
1x200m off 3:10 (approx. 30s rest)
All at threshold pace. 2L easy between rounds.
Cool down
200m easy
400m drills
Total: 3,600m
Monday morning 7 Jan 2019 – Richmond PoTP
Usual start to the week at Richmond
Warm up
600m easy, mixed strokes and drills
Main
8x 400m FC off 6:15 (approx. 30 to 45s rest after each). Try to increase speed by 10 to 15s between 1 and 8.
Cool down
200m easy
Total: 4,000m
Saturday morning 5 Jan 2019 – Hampton Pool
Club session at Hampton Pool with Teddington Masters
Warm up
20L easy mixed strokes (720m)
Main set
12x72m choice +25s rest
3x288m (8L) FC +45s rest
72m easy
6x(4x36m) IM +20s rest
15x1L sprints (540m)
Cool down: 7L (252m)
Total: 4,176m
Friday lunchtime 4 Jan 2019 – Teddington Pool
Lunchtime session with @TSCM
Warm up
150m easy FC
100m easy BA
4x50m IM as 25m kick, 25m swim
Main set
6x50m FC @80% effort +20s rest
150m as 25m FC, 25m IM order
5x50m FC @80% +15s rest
125m as 25m FC, 4x25m IM
4x50m FC @80% +10s rest
4x25m IM
3x50m FC @80% +5s rest
75m as 25m each on Fly, BA, BS
2x50m FC @90% +5s rest
50m recovery
50m FC sprint
100m recovery
6x50m as 25m FC, 25m medley order drill
Cool down:
150m easy
Total: 2,550m
Thursday evening 3 Jan 2019 – Hanworth
Teddington Masters club session
Warm up
1000m as alt 200m FC, 200m BA
Main set
4x50m FC hard (off 45s) (approx. 10s rest after each)
4x25m fly sprints
3x50m FC hard (off 40s) (approx. 5s rest after each)
4x25m BA sprints
2x50m FC sprints (off 35s) (approx. 1s rest)
4x200m FC off 2:45 (approx. 5s rest after each)
50m recovery
200m IM
50m recovery
4x100m FC off 1:30 (approx. 10s rest after each)
50m recovery
4x100m FC off 1:30 (approx. 10s rest after each)
100m recovery
4x25m breath-hold – rest as needed
4x50m FC sprints off 45s (approx. 10s rest)
Cool down
250m easy
Total 4,250m
Wednesday morning 2 Jan 2019 – Pools on the Park
Early morning threshold set @PoTP Richmond
Warm up
4x100m alt FR/BA
3x67m (2L) off 1:20 (increase speed on each)
Main
10x100m off 1:35 (approx. 15s rest after each)
1x67m recovery
4x67m off 1:00 (approx. 5s rest after each)
2x200m off 3:10 (approx. 30s rest after each)
1x67m recovery
8x100m off 1:35 (approx. 15s rest after each)
Cool down
200m easy
Total: 3,400m
Tuesday lunchtime 1 Jan 2019 – Hampton Pool
Good to start the new year with a swim at Hampton Pool as follows:
Warm up
12 lengths (432m) easy FC, 4 lengths 144m easy BA
Main
6x72m FC off 1:05 (approx. 10s rest)
12L (432m) as 2L FC, 1L medley order
4x36m fly sprints
72m recovery
6x72m FC off 1:00 (approx. 5s rest)
432m FC
8L (288m) as 1L FC, 1L medley order
216m steady FC
4x36m sprints
72m recovery
3x72m off 55s
Cool down
144m easy
Total: 3,528m
Simon Griffiths
I created Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year and I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring.
