Long Course - Perpetual Interval Work

My base pace for a challenging set in a 50 meter LCM pool is 1:30 per 100.  I am unsure how many more years I'll be able to hold that pace, as required in this main set:

4 x 250 warm up on 4:00
8 x 100 kick on 1:50
16 x 50 choice on :55
8 x 300 swim on 4:30
100 swim down
Total 5100 LCM

Typical Thursday workout

8 x 125 warm up on 1:45   (1 min. between each set)
10 x 50 25 fly, 25 free on :50
5 x 200 free on 2:50
6 x 75 easy on 1:15
5 x 200 pull on 2:50
6 x 75 easy on 1:15
5 x 200 kick on 3:20
200 swim down
5300 scy

With USMS Nationals and the 18th Annual 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim scheduled for the end of April, it's time to begin to start to increase quality and to start to decrease yardage.  Everyone's method is different, but the main idea is to produce results by swimming fast as possible.   

This morning's workout shows what a workout looks like at the beginning of the process:

10 x 125 warmup on 1:50
10 x 100 kick on 1:50
8 x 50 drill/swim on :55
{6 x 50 catchup on :45           }
{10 x 100 race pace on 1:20}    x 2
{150 easy                                }
 Total 5500 scy

Fun Friday

5 x 250 on 3:30 warmup
6 x 200 on 3:30 kick
10 x 50 on :55 fly
{4 x 125 on 1:40 swim or pull}
{4 x 200 on 2:30 swim or pull}  X 2  
150 swim down
5700 scy TOTAL

This is why I don't look ahead to see what is going to be, "The Next Set."

I am going to post these workouts, but I'm not going to look at this until after Wednesday's workout.  Since I was a kid, I have always tried to avoid knowing what is the next set.

Test Pace Set

Today's workout was short, and to-the-point.  The main set was 4 broken 500s,  holding the best average possible.   The pace you establish can be used to calculate your mile time.   So, if you average 1:30 every 100 yards, your mile time will be about 26 1/2 minutes.

90 seconds 
x 17.6  (a mile is 1760 yards, not 1650 yards)
--------------------
1584 seconds or 26.4 minutes to swim a mile in a pool

We trained at a municipal outdoor pool, thinking that there would be few people willing to brave the mid-40s temperatures.  We were right, and had the entire place to ourselves on a day that broke a 100+ year old record for the lowest high temperature for this date.  Gulf Temp:  52F

300 warmup

4 x 125 on 1:40      }
100 easy on 2:00   }     x 4

20 x 50    1 Fly, 1 Free - 5 on :60, 5 on :55

300 swim down

4000 SCY Total

 

Angela and Gabriel - Happy Florida Swimmers

Foggy Thursday

After yesterday's open water training at Madeira Beach in 64F, today's pool temp felt extremely warm.  It was probably 82F, but it felt even warmer.  We had a mix-up w/ the clock programming, so we ended up doing a couple hundred extra on this foggy Thursday morning.

5 x 200 warm up on 3:00

5 x 200 kick on 3:30

3 x 200 drill on 3:20

18 x 150 swim on 2:20 

     (2x150 fast, 2x100 fast, 2x50 fast)x3

4 x 25 fast on :45

150 swim down

5550 scy Total