I just started getting back into a routine of swimming laps so that I can improve my fitness enough to start taking surf lessons within the next month or two. Right now I aim to swim a mile each workout, and in a few weeks I'm planning on adding some sprints and breath control sets to mix it up and get in better shape. I'm not interested in swimming for speed or joining a Master's group, I simply want to swim regularly to build up my fitness and stamina, and also to challenge myself and get some adrenaline pumping. My question is, how do I know if my swim workouts are hard enough for my fitness and stamina to improve? Is it enough for me to just be breathing a little fast, or do I need to kick my own butt and feel pretty out of breath at the end of a set or workout? I try to swim at a vigorous but constant pace, but after swimming a mile I'm not the least bit tired or out of breath. I know that I need to push myself out of my comfort zone to build fitness, but how far is far enough?
You could do some type of test set every month to see if you are getting better. I'd probably start out with a t-30, that is swim laps for a straight 30 minutes and see how much yardage you get. Do t-30 for 4-6 months each month and chart your improvement. Next do a test set of 200's on a certain interval, for instance try 5 X 200 on a 3:20 interval (or whatever you can handle and get 20 seconds or so rest). Keep track of your average 200 time. If your stamina is increasing you will see a steady time average drop. If your stamina is not improving try more interval speed work in your workout. Most people max out very fast just doing laps. Push yourself and do interval based workouts for measurable results.
You could do some type of test set every month to see if you are getting better. I'd probably start out with a t-30, that is swim laps for a straight 30 minutes and see how much yardage you get. Do t-30 for 4-6 months each month and chart your improvement. Next do a test set of 200's on a certain interval, for instance try 5 X 200 on a 3:20 interval (or whatever you can handle and get 20 seconds or so rest). Keep track of your average 200 time. If your stamina is increasing you will see a steady time average drop. If your stamina is not improving try more interval speed work in your workout. Most people max out very fast just doing laps. Push yourself and do interval based workouts for measurable results.
