Training sessions April 2019
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.
Previous Training Sessions
Training sessions April 2019
Tuesday morning 30 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Threshold set: 100s and 200s
Warm up
100m FC, 100m BS, 100m FC kick, 100m BS, 100m FC
3 x 33.3m FC build
Main set (all FC)
6 x 100m off 1:35
3 x 200m off 3:10
4 x 100m off 1:35
2 x 200m off 3:10
2 x 100m off 1:35
1 x 200m off 3:10
Cool down
100m BA, 100m BS
Total distance: 3200m
Monday 29 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
400 club at its best
Warm up
200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC
Main set
8 x 400m FC off 6:15 (all swum at 5:25 to 5:30 pace, with lots of drafting)
6 x 33.3m FL sprints
Cool down
100m BS, 100m FC
Total distance: 4200m
Saturday morning 27 April 2019 – Hampton Pool (36m)
A quiet Teddington Masters session
Warm up
24 lengths alternating 1L FC with 1L medley order (drill on fly) (864m)
Set 1 (all FC)
8L off 4:15, 2 x 4L off 2:30, 4 x 2L off 1:15, 8 x 1L off 40s (Total: 32L = 1152m)
2L easy
Set 2
7 x 4x1IM off 2:45 (1,008m)
Set 3 (all FC)
8 x 1L off 40s, 4 x 2L off 1:15, 2 x 4L off 2:30, 8L off 4:15 (Total: 32L = 1152m)
Cool down
8L easy (288m)
Total distance: 4,464m
Thursday 26 April 2019 – Hanworth Pool (25m)
Club session with Teddington Masters. (Got out early)
Warm up
200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC
Main set
4 x 100m FC off 1:30, 50m easy, 4 x 50m FC off 45s, 50m easy, 4 x 100m FC off 1:25, 50m easy
250m as 25m FL, 50m BA, 75m BS, 100m FC
100m drills
4 x 100m FC off 1:45 steady pace, sprint last 25m
50m easy
6 x 50m FC off 45s
Cool down
250m easy
Total distance: 3500m
Wednesday 24 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park
Sprint set
Warm up
2 rounds of 4 lengths FC, 3 lengths BA, 2 lengths BS, 1 length FL
Prep set
4 x 33.3m FC or FL sprint + 30s
Main set
20 x 100m FC as
- Odds: max effort off 1:30
- Evens: steady, off 2:30
Cool down
200m easy
Total distance: 3000m
Tuesday 23 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Threshold set. Still feeling tired after the weekend, but better than yesterday.
Warm up
2 x (100m FC, 100m BA, 100m as 66.7m kick and 33.3m drill)
Prep set
4 x 66.7m FC descend
Main set
8 x 100m FC off 1:35
3 x 133.3m off 2:06
1 x 200m off 3:10
4 x 100m off 1:35
5 x 66.7m off 1:00
1 x 200m off 3:10
Cool down
200m easy
Total distance: 3400m
Monday 22 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Struggled with this one!
Warm up
600m mix FC/BA
Main set
4 x 400m FC off 6:15
2 x 400m mix FC and BA off 6:15
Cool down
400m easy
Total distance: 3400m
Saturday 20 April and Sunday 21 April 2019 – Guildford Lido (50m)
Not a training set but 2Swim4Life 2019 – as a relay team of three.
Main set
1 mile every three hours for 24 hours
Total distance: 8 miles (12,800m)
Thursday 18 April 2019 – Hanworth Pool (25m)
Club session with Teddington Masters
Warm up
200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA
Main set
4 x 100m FC off 1:30, 50m easy, 4 x 100m FC off 1:25, 50m easy
4 x 50m FC off 45s, 50m easy, 4 x 25m FL, 50m easy
400m FC threshold pace, 50m easy
3 x 100m FC off 1:30, 50m easy, 3 x 100m FC off 1:25, 50m easy, 3 x 100m FC off 1:20, 50m easy
6 x 50m FC off 40s (didn’t make the times this one!), 50m easy
4 x 25m FL, 50m easy, 2 x 50m FC off 35s
Cool down
250m easy mix FC/BA
Total distance: 4550m
Wednesday 17 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park
Sprint set adapted from an original by Jack Maitland
Warm-up
200m FC, 200m kick, 200m BA
Prep set
3 x 66.7m FC descend
Main Set
5 rounds of:
- 100m max, 15s rest, 66.7m max, 15s rest, 33.3m max, 15s rest
- 3 x 66.7m easy + 10s rest after each
Cool down
200m easy
Total distance: 3000m
Tuesday morning 16 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Just two of us in the lane for this threshold set
Warm up
400m mix FC/BA
Prep-set
6 x 66.7m as 1 length easy, 1 length sprint on FL, BA, BS x 2
Main set (continuous. All FC at threshold pace)
- 6 x 100m off 1:35
- 2 x 200m off 3:10
- 4 x 100m off 1:35
- 2 x 200m off 3:10
- 2 x 100m off 1:35
- 2 x 200m off 3:10
Cool down
200m easy
Total distance: 3400m
Monday morning 15 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Scaled down version of usual Monday morning set – and swam more slowly than usual.
Warm up
600m mix of FC and BA
Main set
6 x 400m off 6:15 descending 5:55 to 5:30
Cool down
200m easy
Total: 3200m
Saturday evening 13 April 2019 – Crawley K2 (50m pool)
1500m race (long course)
Warm up
200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA, 4 x 50m at race pace.
Race
1500m – 20:18.71
Cool down
200m easy
Total distance: 2700m
Thursday evening 11 April 2019 – Hanworth Pool (25m)
First hour of 90 minute session with Teddington Masters (got out early ahead of Saturday’s 1500m race)
Warm up
200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC
Main set
4 x 50m FC off 45s / 50m easy / 4 x 50m FC off 45s / 50m easy
4 x 200m FC off 2:55 (approx. 15s res after each)
100m easy / 200m FC max effort / 100m easy
4 x 25m FL + 20s rest after each
100m BA
Cool down
250m easy mixed strokes
Total: 3200m
Wednesday morning 10 April 19 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Sprint set adapted from an original by Jack Maitland
Warm up
200m FC, 200m drill, 200m alt FC/BA (600m)
Main set
4 x (33.3m sprint, 15s rest, 100m easy, 20s rest) (533.3m)
3 x (66.7m sprint, 20s rest, 133.3m easy, 20s rest) (600m)
2 x (100m sprint, 20s rest, 200m easy, 20s rest) (600m)
1 x 133m sprint
Second set
4 x 66.7m kick (1-2 easy, 3 moderate, 4 hard) (266.7m)
200m FC steady breathing on 3, 5 and 7 strokes, changing each length
Cool down
266.7m easy
Total: 3200m
Tuesday morning 9 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Focus on holding 1500m pace over 100m repeats
Warm up
8 lengths (266.7m) alt FC/BA
4 x 100m FC descending off 2:00
4 x 33.3m FC descending off 0:45
Main set
15 x 100m FC at 1500m race pace off 1:35
100m easy
5 x 100m FC at 1500m race pace, count strokes and keep consistent, off 1:35
100m easy
2 x 100m FC at 1500m race pace, count strokes and keep consistent, off 1:35
Cool down
200m mixed FC/BA/BS
Total distance: 3400m
Monday morning 8 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Regular set of 400s with some changes in pace, a backstroke twist and flying finish.
Warm up
600m mixed FC and BA
Main set
8 x 400m FC off 6:15.
- Odds: 200m at CSS + 5-7s per 100, 200m at CSS + 3-4s per 100m
- Evens: 200m at CSS + 3-4s per 100, 200m at CSS + 5-7s per 100m
- Include 1 length backstroke in each 400m
6 x 33.3m FL + 30s rest after each
Cool down
200m alt FC/BA
Total distance: 4200m
Sunday afternoon 7 April 2019 – Hampton Pool (36m)
Relaxed recovery swim to enjoy the spring sunshine after a long run
Main set
4 x 3 lengths FC, relaxed pace, choose different technique focal point for each set of 3
6 lengths back stroke – relax and enjoy the water
4 x 1 IM
2 lengths kick, lightly scull to breathe otherwise stay streamlined
24 x 1 length FC, easy, best possible technique, about 5 to 10s rest after each.
Total distance = 1728m
Saturday morning 6 April 2019 – Hampton Pool (36m)
Club session with Teddington Masters
Warm up
24 lengths as 1 length FC, 1 length medley order (drill on FL) (864m)
Set 1 (1,224m)
4 x 8 lengths as 1 FL, 1 FC, 1 BA, 1 FC, 1 BS, 3 FC + 45s rest after each
2 lengths easy
Set 2 (2,016m)
1 x 8 lengths FC off 4:15
2 x 4 lengths FC off 2:30
4 x 2 lengths FC off 1:15
8 x 1 length FC off 0:40
4 x 2 lengths FC off 1:15
2 x 4 lengths FC off 2:30
1 x 8 lengths FC off 4:15
Cool down
14 lengths mixed strokes (504m)
Total distance: 4,608m
Thursday 4 April 2019 – Hanworth Pool (25m)
Thursday night freestyle session with Teddington Masters
Warm up
200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC, 200m BA, 200m FC
Prep set (FC + choice of stroke on recovery swims)
4 x 50m off 45s, 50m easy, 3 x 50m off 40s, 50m easy, 2 x 50m off 35s, 50m easy, 50m sprint, 50m easy (total = 700m)
Main set (2350m aim to hold same pace throughout except on recovery swims)
4 x 100m FC off 1:30, 50m easy
2 x 200m FC off 3:00, 50m easy
1 x 400m FC, 100m easy
2 x 200m FC off 3:00, 50m easy
4 x 100m FC of 1:25, 100m easy
Second set (FC + choice of stroke on recovery swims)
50m sprint, 50m easy, 2 x 50m off 35s, 50m easy, 3 x 50m off 40s (total = 400m)
Cool down
200m mixed strokes
Total distance = 4650m
Wednesday morning 3 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Sprint set from 2011 originally by Jack Maitland and adapted to 33.3m
Warm up
100m FC, 100m BA
200m as 33.3 doggy paddle, 33.3m fists, 33.3m swim, repeat
100m FC, 100m BA
Prep
3 x 66.67m FC descending (head up polo style optional on first length) + 20s rest
Main set
2 rounds of:
• 3 x 66.7m FC sprint + 90s rest after each
• 200m steady recovery
• 2 x 66.7m FC sprint + 2 minutes rest after each
• 133m steady recovery
• 1 x 66.7m FC sprint (dive optional)
• 133m steady recovery
200m kick alternating 33.3m sprint, 33.3m steady
Cool down
266.7m FC/BA
Total distance: 3000m
Tuesday morning 2 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park (33.3m)
Another threshold/CSS session by Chris Freeman
Warm up
100m FC, 100m BA, 133.3m FC, 100m BA, 100m FC
Prep set
6 x 66.7m FC as 1 length build, 1 length sprint + 15s rest
Main set – all FC at threshold or CSS pace
(Choose swim and rest intervals that give you ~15s rest per 100m swim at CSS pace)
6 x 100m off 1:35
3 x 133.3m off 2:05
3 x 200m off 3:10
4 x 100m off 1:35
4 x 66.7m off 1:00
1 x 200m off 3:10
Cool down
200m easy
Total distance: 3600m
Monday morning 1 April 2019 – Richmond Pools on the Park
Hard to get up after the clocks changed for a regular session of the 400 club
Warm up
400m mixed FC/BA
Main set
8 x 400m FC off 6:15 – swim times between 5:35 and 5:25
Cool down
400m mixed FC/BA
Total distance: 4000m