Swimming Set of the Week - January 11, 2013

Doing the USMS One-Hour Swim this month?  Here's a set that will help get you ready.

This set gots many thumbs up and one "best set EVER" from Barbara's masters swimmers this week.  

This set takes about one hour and was written for swimmers aiming to complete 3000-4300 yards during the OHS.  The distance could be increased by adding 6 X 100 plus 1 X 200 at the beginning of the set.   Our beginning masters turned this into an 1800-yard set by starting wth 4 X 100.  Or...if you're looking to complete 4400-5000 yards during the One-Hour Swim, check out our set of the week from last year.

WARMUP:  400

MAIN SET:  2500
Come into this set knowing your arobic threshold pace (AT) pace.  This is the pace per 100 yards that you can maintain for 15 to 30+ minutes of continuous swimming.  During the set, you're trying to hit this pace on every 100 that you swim.   Do not take any extra rest until later in the set when extra rest is indicated.  You will need to make quick equipment changes!

Example:  If your AT pace is 1:30 (this would give you 4000 yards for the One-Hour Swim), you should start the main set with 5 X 100 on 1:40 sendoff/turnaround, and swim every 100 in 1:30.  You should then use a 3:20 sendoff on the 200s pull.

5 X 100 on a sendoff/turnaround that's your AT plus approximately 10 seconds
1 X 200 pull on double your 100 sendoff; breathe with your normal pattern on the first 50...breathe with an extended pattern on the second 50...breathe as much as you want on the final 100.

4 X 100 on same sendoff as before
1 X 200 pull on same sendoff as before; breathe as before

3 X 100 on same sendoff as before
Extra 20-30 seconds rest to hydrate
1 X 200 pull on same sendoff as before; breathe as before

2 X 100 PULL on same sendoff as before
Extra 20-30 seconds rest to hydrate
1 X 200 SWIM on same sendoff as before

1 X 100 swim on same sendoff as before
Extra 20-30 seconds rest
1 X 200 swim at your AT pace per 100.

WARMDOWN:  100