Swimming Set of the Week - April 22, 2011

Negative splits and pace work.

With triathlon season just beginning, here's a workout that will help you develop a sense of pace (the negative-split portion) and will help you develop a feel for how to hold on to your pace even as fatigue sets in at the end of a race (the 100s-on-short-rest portion).    Those swimmers with longer races in their future might want to increase the number of 100s to 6 or even 8.   

This workout can also be used to work on stroke, e.g., you could swim the 400 as 50 free/50 stroke...and the 100s as 25 free/25 stroke.

Total yards/meters:  1800

1 X 400 negative split (second 200 is faster than first 200) on 45 to 60 seconds rest

4 X 100 strong effort but on short rest (a sendoff that gives 10-15 seconds rest or 20 seconds rest if you're throwing in some breast or fly)

100 easy recovery, choice

1 X 400 negative split on 45 to 60 seconds rest

4 X 100 strong effort on short rest

100 easy recovery, choice