I am a long-time OW swimmer. I do most of my training in a 25 yd pool with once weekly OW swims (mostly spring, summer and fall). I'm gradually getting away from wetsuits. I would like to enter 5K & 10K swims this coming season and want to train accordingly. Mostly, I just do straight laps (typically 1.5 miles/4-5 times per week); there is no interval training. I'm fairly competitive for my age but I just feel that I'm stuck in my workout routine. I need to be convinced that introducing some high intensity interval training - if that's what is called for - will get me to the next level. Any thoughts and experience? Any authoritative reading? I really want my workouts to count!
I'm not an exceptionally experienced swimmer but am quite competitive in the OW, racing at least 10 OW races each of the last two summers, including 5ks and 10ks, so I'll chime in here with my 2 cents.
Training for a 10k is quite different than training for a 5k.
To be competitive swimming a 10k, which takes me about 2.5 hours to complete, I have to do much longer sets in the pool and do some longer (3 to 4 mile) open water swims to build my endurance.
For a 5k, which is only around 1:10 for me, I can pretty much keep my normal routine of 3 days in the pool doing interval training and three days in the OW doing longer (2 to 2.5 mile) swims.
So, the answer to your question depends on which distance you'd prefer to race hard. You could "fake" a 10k on shorter training, but it does hurt much more. I don't think high intensity training is going to help much in a 10k due to the fact that the pace is so much more conservative (unless you're an elite), but it certainly does help in a 5k (or shorter), which has a faster pace (I can almost hammer at my mile pace the entire time).
I'm not an exceptionally experienced swimmer but am quite competitive in the OW, racing at least 10 OW races each of the last two summers, including 5ks and 10ks, so I'll chime in here with my 2 cents.
Training for a 10k is quite different than training for a 5k.
To be competitive swimming a 10k, which takes me about 2.5 hours to complete, I have to do much longer sets in the pool and do some longer (3 to 4 mile) open water swims to build my endurance.
For a 5k, which is only around 1:10 for me, I can pretty much keep my normal routine of 3 days in the pool doing interval training and three days in the OW doing longer (2 to 2.5 mile) swims.
So, the answer to your question depends on which distance you'd prefer to race hard. You could "fake" a 10k on shorter training, but it does hurt much more. I don't think high intensity training is going to help much in a 10k due to the fact that the pace is so much more conservative (unless you're an elite), but it certainly does help in a 5k (or shorter), which has a faster pace (I can almost hammer at my mile pace the entire time).
