A Faster 1.5km Swim in the Key of S- Part 3: Sustainable

I proudly present the third of my four part Massive SwimSplosion of Advice series. In Part 1 I covered swimming Smooth, and in Part 2 I talked about swimming Strong. In Part 3 I'm covering what I think is the second most important part, behind Smooth, of a good Olympic-distance or greater triathlon swim- Sustainable.

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Sustainable
Along with Smooth, swimming with Sustainability is the most important skill for a triathlete to have. It does a triathlete no good to get out in front of the pack, swim Strong to the first buoy, then completely come apart and struggle the rest of the way. The ability to Sustain a high intensity is paramount, behind only Smooth in importance. Truly, Sustainability and Smoothness are tied closely together. Having a pretty stroke for half the race and then watching your arms come off and float to the bottom of the ocean isn’t terribly useful.
As stated, a major part of Sustainable work will be focused on maintaining Smooth swimming. The other focus of Sustainable swimming is being fit enough to allow you to get out of the water after 1.5km and blast up the beach, through T1, and out onto your bike.
These will be longer sets, much like your LSD runs and rides. Maintaining a steady pace and heart rate is the goal, not cranking it to 11.
Be sure to warm-up before you go into your main sets with 200-500 yards nice and easy. This should shake the cobwebs out and get the blood into your muscles. You can also use active rest, 50-100yds easy, between these sets to ease the lactic acid build-up out.
Please note that under Set #2 there are many ideas for drill variation. Be creative with this. These are guidelines and ideas. They can be used on almost any of these sets. Many of the other sets also have variation possibilities.

Set #1
3 x 500- Sustainable pace/set rest
total- 1500yds
*Notes* Much like the 10 x 100 Strong set, this is an excellent benchmark set for Sustainable. While swimming these 500s you should be monitoring stroke deterioration, preventing yourself from dropping your hips, driving the stroke from your hips, letting your elbow fall below your hand, and cutting your finish short. Your goal should be to finish each 500 at about the same time. You don’t want to fade, you want to pace properly. This set is nearly 1.5km, and so is a good test set.

Set #2 (with Smooth variations)
5-10 x 200- Sustainable pace/ set rest
total- 1000-2000yds
*Notes* 200s are a great bread-and-butter set for 1.5km preparation. They are long enough that you build endurance, but not so long as to be intimidating. You can’t crank a 200 like it is a 100, but you don’t need to worry about swimming too hard and getting exhausted like a 500.
*Smooth Variations*
a) Mixing the 1, 2, 3, Swim drill into the 200 set is an excellent way to get both distance and technique worked at the same time. Suggest doing the first 100 1, 2, 3, Swim and the second 100 normal, while focusing on the grab.
b) Breathing drills are very helpful for Sustainability. A good breathing drill is 5, 7, 9. This is done by counting strokes and breathing on the 5th, then 7th, then 9th, then back to 5th stroke. It will hurt, but it will force you to Smooth your stroke out and make it more efficient. Efficient strokes use less oxygen. Breathing on odd numbered strokes also means that you will be bilaterally breathing, or breathing to both sides. Bilateral breathing is important because you don’t want to be breathing directly into a wave or another swimmer. Beginners should modify the 5, 7, 9 drill to 3, 5, 7. The goal is success, not failure. You will not get better through failure in these drills. You need to practice correctly. If getting all the way to 7 is too hard at the beginning only do a 3, 5 repeat. Do not Ego Swim.
Incorporate the 5, 7, 9 (3, 5, 7) drill into the 200s the same way you would incorporate the 1, 2, 3, Swim drill. As 100 drill/100 Swim.
c) Mix two drills into one 200. For example- 100- 5, 7, 9/100- Fingertip Drag.

Set #3 (with variation)
4/5 x 300/400- Sustainable pace/set rest
total- Varies
*Notes* Repeating heavier distances will be beneficial. Different distances and different numbers of reps allow for different intensities. The goal for all of these, like the goal in the 3 x 500 set, is for there to be very little fade between each swim. You want to be swimming hard enough to feel it, pushing it, but not so hard that things are going wrong.
*Smooth variation* Odd/Even- Easy/Hard swim. On the Odd numbered laps swim easy. On the Even numbered laps swim hard. So you are repeating 300s, but only swimming half of it hard. Mentally, this makes the set so much easier. Hard laps need to be done with a Strong intensity. A variation on this variation is to alternate by 50s rather than 25s. So Easy 50/Hard 50.

Set #4 (with variation)
Giant Ladder
1 x 100- sustainable pace/set rest
1 x 200
1 x 300
1 x 400
1 x 500
total- 1500yds
*Notes* Giant ladders are great. You need to be looking forward to that 500 at the end, so you need to pace the easier seeming 100 and 200 smart so you still have energy for the 500, but you don’t want to dog the early swim either. Nothing makes it harder to swim hard than to start out too easy. You get lazy and complacent. The most difficult part of the longer sets is staying within your body the whole time. It is very easy to drift and lose focus. When you drift your body begins to betray you and you lose intensity and Smoothness. Stay focused. Monitor what your hands, hips, core, head, elbows, shoulders are doing. Anything to be present.
*Higher difficulty variation* Climb back down the ladder. After the 500 do a 400, 300, 200, 100. Blast the 100.

Set #6
1 x 1650
total- 1650yds
*Notes* This should not be a regular set. It is a good test to do every once in a while. The key is staying within yourself and being sure to push the whole time. Focus on nothing but the lap count and fill your mind with positive self-talk. Don’t think, “Ugh, 40 more laps!” Break it into smaller chunks and think, “That was a good 200. Let’s do another one.”

*Triathlon-Specific Sustainability Notes*
The cliche, in case you haven’t heard it enough, is that you can not win a triathlon in the water, but you can lose one. Most triathletes, however, aren’t interested in winning. They want to finish, they have personal goals. For many triathletes the swim is that awful thing between the gun and the bike. Sustainability and Smoothness are how you go from hating the swim to tolerating or even loving it. It’s a chance to warm up, find your groove, and get your head right. Few things feel better than getting into T1 and seeing a ton of bikes.
But in order to be Sustainable you must work hard and, counter-intuitively, slow. Strokes fall to pieces when they are done too fast. Speed will come, but it takes a lot of work and even more patience.
You are looking for a lower stroke count (less strokes = more energy later remember?) in all of these sets. This will translate well into your open water swims. Long, Smooth strokes. The Sustainable sets are more important than the Strong sets.
Try and keep this simple tenant in your head when working on Sustainability:
A stroke that looks as good at the swim exit as it did at the start is a good stroke.
If you can do that, then your swim will be good, and it will get fast.

A Faster 1.5km Swim in the Key of S- Part 2: Strong

This is the second part of my four part Massive SwimSplosion of Advice series. For Part 1: Smooth click anywhere that looks like a hyperlink in this sentence because it will probably send you there.
In Part Two we will be discussing how to become a Strong swimmer. Not as important to your distance swimming, but not to be disregarded either.

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Strong
Swimmer Strong is the ability to nail shorter, harder sets. A Strong swimmer has a powerful stroke. Strong does not mean bulky, big, or sometimes even all that muscular. Swimming makes you muscular, but it does not make you big. That unique swimmer’s body of Phelps, Lochte, and Yang is narrow hips, big back, wide shoulders. That doesn’t come from lifting weights as much as it comes from repetition. Those are muscles of function, not muscles of vanity.
Strong, powerful swimming means putting a lot of force into the pull phase of the stroke. Strong swimming will allow you to cut precious strokes off your total count, which will save you energy, which will allow you to gap the runners on the bike. You should do half-to-one Strong set a week. This is the least important of the first three “S”s.  

Information on Sets and Timing
Sets will be described as 5 x 100- 1:30. This translates as Five One Hundreds ( default to freestyle unless otherwise noted) on One Minute Thirty seconds. This means that, for this particular set, your timing would look like this:
1- leave at 0:00
2- leave at 1:30
3- leave at 3:00
4- leave at 4:30
5- leave at 6:00
This type of timing means that as you get tired your rest time decreases, forcing you to do the same amount of work with less recovery, which will help you get stronger. Beginner swimmers may struggle to find a happy time standard. You should be able to make 10 x 100 with plenty of rest of the time standard you choose. Experimentation will be needed. By 100s eight and nine you may only be getting five seconds of rest. This is good. It will make you physically and mentally tougher.
Your 100 time standard then translates to all other distances. If you are doing your 100s on the 2:00, then your 200s will be on the 4:00, 300s on the 6:00, 400s on the 8:00, and 500s on the 10:00. Having this baseline will help you gauge progress and see where you ard when evaluating race times. Please remember that open water swim times are normally slower than pool times. Current, waves, and the press of other bodies slow you down.
Another choice for timing is to give yourself a set amount of rest between each effort. So you can do 10 x 100 with 20 seconds rest. This is a good place for beginners to start, since you cannot fail to meet a time standard and it might be less discouraging.
It will be a good idea to use active rest between sets. Active rest includes an easy 50 or 100yd swim. Active rest is better than passive rest (hanging on the wall) because it speed recovery and gets lactic acid out of your muscles faster.

To prepare for a 1.5km (1640 yds) swim your workouts should hover around the 1700yd mark. Strong workouts might be slightly shorter and may include Smooth work as active rest. Sustainable workouts will be slightly longer. Harder, main sets should go towards the front of the workout, after a warm-up of 200-500 yards.


Set #1
10 x 100- Sustainable time
total- 1,000yds
*Notes* You want to be making the 100s comfortably for the first few, and by the end really be struggling. It is not uncommon to get 3 seconds rest with a Strong set. As stated above, that will make you mentally and physically tougher. This is a bread-and-butter type set. You can add Smooth drills to it, but note that turns it from a Strong set into a Smooth set. This is not a problem as long as your goals match your work.

Set #2
10 (15) x 50- Sustainable time
total- 500/750yds
*Notes* This is one of two times 50s will be suggested. Do not fill workouts with 50s, they won’t truly prepare a swimmer for a mile. But as far as creating a deep anaerobic hole to climb out of, its hard to beat them. Plus, while a 100 might be intimidating to a beginner swimmer, anyone will look at a 50 and think, “Two laps? How hard can it be?” With the highest amount of effort, very hard. Every single 50 should be as hard as possible.

Set #3
10 x 100- Build intensity over each 100
total- 1000yds
*Notes* In most pools 100 yards is four laps. In this set Lap One would be about 75% intensity, Lap Two 80%, Lap Three 85%, Lap Four 90-95%. Lap Four is the Chased By A Shark lap. In the case of a long course (Olympic-sized 50m pool) there should still be a line on the pool bottom marking halfway. Change gears there.

Set #4
10 x 50s- Breath count
Total- 500yds
Anaerobic work makes you stronger. Choose a number of breaths-per-lap or breaths-per-fifty and swim hard while keeping to that goal. Don’t give up, you need less oxygen than you think. This set should be on a set amount of rest rather than a time standard.

Set #5
Ladder to 200 by 50s
1 x 50- x time
1 x 100- 2x time
1 x 150- 3x time
1 x 200- 4x time
1 x 150- 3x time
1 x 100- 2x time
1 x 50- x time
Total- 800yds
*Notes* Ladder sets seem longer than they are. The point is to finish the last 50 with the same intensity that you did the first 50. Ladders also teach pacing. It will not take long to find out that maybe you shouldn’t have hit the 100 quite so hard now that you’re halfway into the 200 and sucking wind.

Set #6
5 x 100 IM
total- 500yds
*Notes* This is an advanced set. IM stands for Individual Medley, which is one lap of each stroke in the following order- butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle. Obviously, a swimmer must know all four strokes before attempting this set. Before you wave your hand proclaiming that you will never swim fly, back, or breast in a race you need to realize you will never put your bike on a trainer or ride that specific hill you keep struggling up in a race either. These strokes make you Strong. They make you use different muscles, and they make you struggle and hurt. It’s good for you.

*Triathlon-Specific Strong Notes*
A triathlete will use the skills they develop from Strong sets primarily in the first 200-300yds of a race. That mad dash to the first buoy, when the pack is still thick and there are elbows and feet everywhere. Strong swimmers will be able to get clear of the washing machine quickly without using up their entire store of energy, before settling in to a more Sustainable stroke. Remember, just because you are swimming all out, attacking the walls and breaking off pieces, does not mean your stroke stops being Smooth. The moment your stroke starts to fall apart take a step back. As will be discussed in the Sustainable section, a swimmer’s ability to maintain correct technique throughout an entire race determines their position coming out of the water. Strong does not mean splashing mess. Smooth still comes first.

Olympic Inspired

Swim

1 x 200- warm-up
5 x 100- IM
5 x 50- sideline kick
1 x 500- odd/even hard/easy
1 x 100- cool down

I'm obsessed with the Olympics. I get home, get my workout in, and then park it on the couch for all the swimming, diving, beach volleyball, gymnastics, skeet shooting, whatever else I can possibly handle. I love the Games. I love the drama. One of my favorite things in the whole world is a champion crying on the medal stand as s/he listens to the National Anthem. This is also the only time I don't mind the incessant playing of the National Anthem. The tears after the women's gymnastics team waited for their final scores were so sweet.
Though I hate it when they shove a camera in the face of the fallen. When the male gymnasts struggled so badly I felt bad enough. And then they go and get right in the guy's grill? Back off. He just had four years of work washed away by one stumble. Give him a minute.
Anyway, the Games mean I need to be doing more IMs. And, and I know I've said this before but this time this time I mean it, mixing up my strokes will make me a better triathlon swimmer. Butterfly wears me out and swimming tired is good. Forcing a strong proper stroke after a good IM set leads to better freestyle sets. Hence the IM set this morning. I plan on trying to put one in once a week.
My body feels soft and loose, a consequence of being lazy all summer. I know in a few workouts everything will start coming together again but right now it's hard to be patient. I've been through this cycle, I know the sucktasticness that is early in the rotation, but I don't have to like it. So I spend time kicking myself for letting it get this bad and then I spend time kicking myself for kicking myself for taking some well-deserved time off.
There is the North Shore Challenge this weekend, 2.4mi, but I'm not going to do it. I missed registration and it would cost $50. I'm not willing to drop that much on something I won't do well in, or well for my standards. It's a bummer I let myself miss half of the Swim Series, but I have good reasons. Now I'm looking for a race. Tradewinds is coming up too soon and I don't think I'll be doing Ko'Olina this year. Hmm....

To The Top

Ride
time- 1:33
distance- 19.13mi

You know what is good? Getting back into the groove. Getting back to working out every day at least once a day. Releasing endorphins, burning calories, earning dinner, hurting good. There are a lot of things making me grumpy right now but being able to get out there and sweat is helping.
I looked at the name of the road I'm climbing out of Kapolei but I keep forgetting it. Whatever it is, it hurts. There feels like a ton of up in not much distance, and there are some steep damn portions. I think even if I was trained up much of the climb would still be granny gear worthy.
Last time I did the climb I turned around at the top of the main road. Today I noticed that if I went left there was more climbing to be done. So I went left. Probably not a whole lot more elevation gained (I miss uploading information so much!), but it was pretty steep. First time on the ride I got up out the saddle to put more power through the pedals. Felt good to get all the way to the dead end at the tippy top.
Back down is ripping fast. There was one point where I needed to make a right because I couldn't scrub enough speed before the yellow to stop safely at the red, just enough to turn safely. I think that if I do this too regularly I might set my brakes on fire.
Which would be cool.
Until it wasn't.

FYOOSH!!!

I still love the Olympics. I have lots of thoughts on swimming. Here they are super-quick:
I'm having so much fun watching all of this. So far four world records have fallen in the pool. Guess those suits weren't having as much of an impact as they thought. Phelps is amazing, imagine if he had been really focused for the last four years. Missy Franklin is a water goddess. The 100 free is a start, turn, and finish. This means it's only slightly impressive. The 200 breast is better than the 100 breast because the strokes are longer, smoother, and prettier. The Americans have had the best turns in every race I've watched. Massive glides, massive dolphin kicks off the wall. I love it every time Missy Franklin cries in the pool, then cries again on the medal stand.