18 / / Open-Water Swim Special 2019
OPEN WATER SWIM SPECIAL
JACK’S SESSION JESS’S SESSION
Pool session for Ironman athletes
Totalling 6,200m Jack’s favourite pool session is designed
for those planning to race Ironman. Get your body used to
swimming long and 3.8km on race day will feel easy!WARM-UP
This warm-up will get you loose and switched on for the main
set to come, commit to the bits that require speed efforts, as
this will ensure you have elevated your heart rate sufficiently.
500m as (20 0 Fc, 50 Bc) x 2 , easy loosening pace
400m as Pull (Ideally with big paddles on), decent tempo
300m as (3x100 with 15m burst of speed at the start of each)
200m as Kick (Ideally with a kick board, build to fast finish
100m as Easy swimMAIN SET
This set is designed to replicate the feeling you get at the
back end of the race. The 1000m at the start is to install a
small amount of fatigue before you go into the 9x300s
1000m Fc, steady state swimming, 5/10 effort
(don’t overcook it!)
9x300m as: 1-3 build 70bbm, 60bbm, 50bbm (Start nice
and steady, building to around a 6/10 effort on the 3rd rep)
4-6 Hold 40bbm (This should be a pace you can hold but is
not comfortable, around a 7 out of 10 effort)
7-9 Hold the best average pace you can over the last 3 reps
(Your last rep should be to failure – so all out!)COOL-DOWN
400m as (150 Bc, 50 Fc) x 2 loosen off, you deserve it!
300m as (3x100 with 10m burst of speed at the start of
each 100) this will help remove lactic from the muscles.
200m as Easy kick (With a board or on your back)
100m as Easy swimPool session for triathlon swim speed
This 2,100m set that Jess recommends is designed to work
on ‘get out’ speed for race starts and then let you settle
into a nice tempo rhythm. You can switch the dive start to
a deep water start depending on your preference and
training goals and the main set can be done twice
through, if you want a longer swim session.WARM-UP
400m as (150 Fc, 50 Bc)
200m as (50m choice of drill, 50m swim)
100m as individual medley (eg 25m Fly/Bc/Brs/Fc)PREP SET
4x50m as (descending pace 1-4)
3x100m as (descending pace 1-3)
6x25 as (25max, 25 Bc)MAIN SET
2x50m max dive star t (first 50 with 30sec rest ,
second 50 with 15 sec rest)
300m tempo
100m easy
1x50m max dive start (with 10 rest)
200m tempo
100m easyRepeat the main set if you want a longer session, or are
training for a race with a longer swim distance.COOL-DOWN
300m as 100 Fc, 50 kick, 100 Fc, 50 Bk
outside of the pool. Being from
a swim background, I have a lot
of range of movement, whereas
those who have come to it later on
in life are not as flexible in their
upper body. Activities such as yoga
can help open up your shoulders and
increase your reach.220: Finally, how would you handle
rough race day conditions?Jack: I would change my stroke. It’s
quite hard to practise but it’s
something that you do have to adapt
as trying to swim with a really
smooth, high elbow and controlled
stroke like you would do in the pool
in really choppy water is not going
to work, because the catch phase of
the stroke is going to get caught by awave! A much straighter arm
recovery is a far more efficient way
of swimming in those conditions,
as it is about getting over the top of
the water. The problem with it is
that it is hard to train in the pool
because it feels quite strange and
also looks quite strange but there’s
no reason why you can’t just give it
a go every now and again and throw
in a couple of 100s of straight-arm
freestyling in there!Jess: Keep an open mind when you
go in – trying to relax is the main
thing because as soon as you panic
it makes it worse! We have some
really choppy swims in our races
and you’ve got to try to think
to yourself ‘just relax’. It makes
such a difference.