Swimming a Faster Mile

Here is a "set" that is really good for a mile-type swim... 1000 m done as a continuous swim, but with the following "intervals": swim 200 m just below race pace, swim 50 m faster than race pace swim 150 m just below race pace, swim 100 m faster than race pace swim 100 m just below race pace, swim 150 m faster than race pace swim 50 m just below race pace, swim 200 m faster than race pace. No stopping any time during this. It looks deceptively easy, but trust me, it's not. -LBJ

go to the workouts section and try some of them. Do interval training. (100s, 200s, pyramids). Learn some drills, especially distance per stroke. Have the lifeguard watch you swim and give you pointers on your technique, especially if they were a competitive swimmer. You can't see what you might be doing wrong. Join a coached workout group. You are already doing a decent workout, you'd fit right in... Good luck in your pursuit.

Wow, Leonard, that's some set!!! I swim open water and I swim the one mile swim as I would a 400. Sometimes, people swim a mile to train for a mile and that will ensure you can cover that mile, but not necessarily very quickly. So, I train for the one mile with not only 1 and 2 mile swims continuously, but I do a lot of interval work at the 400 yd range. I also do 350 yards of continuous 10 ez, 10 fast which allows me to change gears in the mile race so I can pass people if I need to and I usually have to do that. And today I had the great pleasure of swimming in 10 foot seas down here on the island and I only managed slightly less than 1 mile. It was a complete aerobic marathon swim. The seas were so rough, not one boat was in it!!! Now I consider that a great workout!!! Donna