Swimming Set of the Week - January 13, 2012

This week's set will help Masters swimmers prepare for the One Hour Swim postal event taking place during the month of January.  

The set was written for swimmers aiming to complete 4400-5000 yards during the One Hour Swim.   If you aim to swim 3500-4400 yards during OHS, you could skip the first 1000 yards of the main set or skip the final 500 yards.

WARMUP:  400
MAIN SET:  4500
Come into this set knowing your aerobic threshold pace (AT pace).  This is the pace per 100 yards that you can maintain for 15 to 60 minutes of continuous swimming.    During the set, you're trying to hit this pace on every 100 that you swim.

Example:  If your AT pace is 1:12 (this would give you 5000 yards for the One Hour Swim), you should start the main set with 6 X 100 on 1:20 sendoff, and swim every 100 in 1:11 or 1:12.   You should then use a 5:00 sendoff on the 400 pull.  

6 X 100 on a sendoff that is 8-10 seconds greater than your AT pace; aim to hit your AT pace
1 X 400 pull on a sendoff that equals your AT pace X 4 + roughly 10 seconds; breathe normally for the first 100, bump up your breathing pattern (give yourself a little bit less air) on the second 100, and breathe as much as you want on the final 200

5 X 100 on same sendoff as before
1 X 400 pull on same sendoff as before; use same breathing pattern as before

4 X 100 on a sendoff that is 5 seconds less than previous sendoff
Extra 30 seconds rest to hydrate and change equipment
1 X 400 pull, same as before

3 X 100 on same sendoff as last round
Extra 30 seconds rest to hydrate and change equipment
1 X 400 pull, same as before

2 X 100 pull on same sendoff as last round
Extra 15 seconds rest
1 X 400 swim, same as other 400s pull

1 X 100 swim on same sendoff as last round
Extra 30 seconds rest
1 X 400 swim

WARMDOWN:  100 gives you 5000