BY USMS Coach Jacki Hirsty

Not because sprinting is my personal specialty but since I personally detest swimming 10 repeats of anything, I tend to write workouts for like-minded short-attention span swimmers. Nevertheless, there’s something for everyone here. The plan sets up 3 training seasons (short course yards, long course meters, and short course meters), each concluded by an end-of-season big event (with tapers) in conjunction with the USMS competition calendar. January starts with “laying the base” and hour-swim training. Each week thereafter generally follows the pattern: Mon=distance free, Tues/Thurs= stroke/IM, Wed=middle-distance free, Fri=sprint

The workouts are based upon a “distance pace” or DP, which is the time you can hold for 100 yards within an hour of continuous swimming. The standard interval is that time plus 10 seconds per 100. The default interval is for a swimmer who averages 1:15 per 100 yards of freestyle and takes 10 seconds rest, and the workout length for that swimmer is written to last 75 minutes. If you are on a different interval you may not be able to get the entire workout to fit in your time frame. Therefore, adjust the number of repeats of the first or last set. Try not to alter the main set.

You will set your distance pace (DP), and subsequent interval, in the first workout. The main set is a 30-minute swim. You must count your laps! Then you calculate your average time per 100 yards. (Divide number of lengths swum by 4. Divide 1800 by that number and the result is your 100 pace in seconds.) This becomes your DP until you do the swim again later in the season, or whenever you feel your speed has increased consistently. Your DP interval is the 100 time plus 10 seconds. Once you have your DP, the interval can be found on the chart below, which is also attached in spreadsheet format.

For information about background, my thoughts on swimming, and me, please see www.swimsmart.info. Additionally, all the workouts, each in an interactive excel spreadsheet formulated to automatically adjust the intervals for 11 different speeds, are available on a CD at my website.

WORKOUT ABBREVIATIONS
BA or BK backstroke
BC 3, 5, 7 breath control, number indicates strokes between breaths
BR breaststroke
BUILD build (increase speed through the swim)
DESC descend (each swim faster than the prior one)
DP distance pace (100 time you can hold for an hour of continuous swimming)
DP-2, etc the number of seconds per hundred faster than DP pace
DR drill
EZ easy
FL butterfly
FR freestyle
HARD like it says!
K kick
KICK-SWIM alternate kicking a length and swimming a length
MS main set
NEG SPLIT negative split – second half of swim is faster than the first half
P pull
SP sprint (swim)
SW swim
WU warm-up

Distance Pace Intervals:
these interval times allow for 10 seconds rest for every 100 yards of swimming calibrated according to your average 100 swim time (PACE)

DISTANCE (YDS) = 100 125 150 200 300 400 500
PACE = 1 : 10
INTERVAL = 1 : 20 1 : 40 2 : 00 2 : 40 4 : 00 5 : 20 6 : 40

PACE = 1 : 15
INTERVAL = 1 : 25 1 : 45 2 : 10 2 : 50 4 : 15 5 : 40 7 : 05

PACE = 1 : 20
INTERVAL = 1 : 30 1 : 55 2 : 15 3 : 00 4 : 30 6 : 00 7 : 30

PACE = 1 : 25
INTERVAL = 1 : 35 2 : 00 2 : 25 3 : 10 4 : 45 6 : 20 7 : 55

PACE = 1 : 30
INTERVAL = 1 : 40 2 : 05 2 : 30 3 : 20 5 : 00 6 : 40 8 : 20

PACE = 1 : 35
INTERVAL = 1 : 45 2 : 10 2 : 40 3 : 30 5 : 15 7 : 00 8 : 45

PACE = 1 : 40
INTERVAL = 1 : 50 2 : 20 2 : 45 3 : 40 5 : 30 7 : 20 9 : 10

PACE = 1 : 45
INTERVAL = 1 : 55 2 : 25 2 : 55 3 : 50 5 : 45 7 : 40 9 : 35

PACE = 1 : 50
INTERVAL = 2 : 00 2 : 30 3 : 00 4 : 00 6 : 00 8 : 00 10 : 00

PACE = 2 : 00
INTERVAL = 2 : 15 2 : 50 3 : 25 4 : 30 6 : 45 9 : 00 11 : 15

PACE = 2 : 15
INTERVAL = 2 : 30 3 : 10 3 : 45 5 : 00 7 : 30 10 : 00 12 : 30