I'm just wondering if anyone can explain the trade-offs and considerations when deciding the number of repeats and amount of rest for a race pace set? If one is training for, say, a 200m race and want to do a set like:
N x 50 on interval I
how do you decide on appropriate N and I? How does the training effect differ if you do more repeats with more rest versus fewer repeats with shorter rest? Are there any guidelines relating the target race distance to an appropriate total distance in the set?
Another way of phrasing the question is: if I determine that I can currently complete N repeats on a time interval I, as I get better how do I decide whether to do more repeats or to take less rest?
Thanks,
Lindsay
Parents
Former Member
Lindsay -
I think it's going todepend on exactly what you want to get out of a particualr set...
As you get faster and you want to train more at an aerobic pace, you may just want to lengthen the set (N) with no change in pace. Eventually, you will still get tired doing this. If you should get to a point where you could do something like 60 on :50, and feel like you could do at least 20 more, then you may want to consider dropping the interval back to something like 47.5 or 45.
If you want to benefit more anaerobically, you should drop the interval and keep the count the same. This will force you to work harder, but challenge you more just to make the time, whereas before, the challenge would be to keep going for a longer duration. This is often known as training at anaerobic threshold, or VO2 Max work, if done correctly.
For a real kicker, you could shorten the set dramatically (like to between 6 and 12 on lots of rest (say 1:20 to 2:00)) and sprint them all. THis would be more of a pain/lactic acid tolerance set and benefits the 100/200 quite well.
For a 200 swimmer, you really sould be hitting all of these areas since this race needs each one for the best possible race.
Rob
Lindsay -
I think it's going todepend on exactly what you want to get out of a particualr set...
As you get faster and you want to train more at an aerobic pace, you may just want to lengthen the set (N) with no change in pace. Eventually, you will still get tired doing this. If you should get to a point where you could do something like 60 on :50, and feel like you could do at least 20 more, then you may want to consider dropping the interval back to something like 47.5 or 45.
If you want to benefit more anaerobically, you should drop the interval and keep the count the same. This will force you to work harder, but challenge you more just to make the time, whereas before, the challenge would be to keep going for a longer duration. This is often known as training at anaerobic threshold, or VO2 Max work, if done correctly.
For a real kicker, you could shorten the set dramatically (like to between 6 and 12 on lots of rest (say 1:20 to 2:00)) and sprint them all. THis would be more of a pain/lactic acid tolerance set and benefits the 100/200 quite well.
For a 200 swimmer, you really sould be hitting all of these areas since this race needs each one for the best possible race.
Rob
