Race Preperation Swim Sets

Some key swims for your training:

1) The aerobic set I would do would be 6 to 8 x 400. I would have all 400’s at a even split and low aerobic heart rate. Do this for 3 or 4 weeks and just feel the “shape” of the set, should not be too hard, but you would feel a load on your arms. As the athlete gains strength you can build this to a pull set with paddles for their key aerobic set of the week. Stroke rate and heart rate should stay consistent throughout all the 400’s.

2) The threshold set I’d focus on is 16 – 30 x 100 on 10-15 seconds rest at the pace you want to swim your event. This is a key race pace set, I would do this every second week.

3) If you have specific tactics in your racing I would address them in a set. If you want to get out and have to deal with lactate production, then start a set as 2 x 50-75 up to 100 all out and then settle into a race pace 200-300, you might repeat that 2 up to 4 times through. But, if that is not an issue in your race tactics then it is not necessary.

4) Another key race set is some short rest type work where you swim 2 – 3000 meters on short rest, but come in and out of pace. So something like this: 300 free on a pace that gives you max 5 seconds rest,“touch and go” rest, then push off into a 100 at pace , then 100 back, and do this 6 times through.