Swimming Set of the Week - April 18, 2008

 With triathlon season just a few weeks away, it's time to start honing your sense of pace (there are no pace clocks out there in the middle of the lake).  Here's a set that will help you find a sustainable pace for race day.

24 X 100 at a pace you think you can maintain on race day

Here's how the set might play out, based on a swimmer who wants to hold a 1:30 pace per 100 on race day.    Adjust the sendoffs to match your own pace.   Your minimum rest interval should be 5 or 10 seconds.  Your goal is to maintain the same pace, no matter what your interval.  To keep the set interesting, pick one or two focus points that you want to work on for the entire set.  This might be keeping your hips up by pressing in at the sternum.  It might be stroke counting -- trying to maintain the same stroke-count pattern on each 100.  It might be taking a sighting stroke on each length.  It might be keeping your toes pointed when you breathe, or it might be breathing equally to both sides on each 100.

1 X 100 @ 1:50 sendoff
1 X 100 @ 1:45 sendoff
1 X 100 @ 1:40 sendoff
1 X 100 @ 1:35 sendoff
2 X 100 @ 1:50 sendoff
2 X 100 @ 1:45 sendoff
2 X 100 @ 1:40 sendoff
2 X 100 @ 1:35 sendoff
3 X 100 @ 1:50
3 X 100 @ 1:45
3 X 100 @ 1:40
3 X 100 @ 1:35