triathlon

Hi Nancy, Some definitions: The set, "10x50" consists of 10 50 yd or mtr swims They can be done on an interval of a certain time, such as when Lauren states in her reply that she does them "on 1 minute". That means she leaves for each 50 in 1 minute. If it takes her 45 sec to swim the 50 she gets 15 sec rest, if it takes her 55 secs to swim, she gets 5 secs rest. In a rest interval (ri) you would rest for 15 secs after each swim, regardless of the time of the swim, and therefore the actual interval time for each 50 could vary (no need to keep track of that) My suggestion of "15 - 30 secs rest interval" corresponded to the sets, so for the 50's -- 15 sec ri, the 100's 20 sec ri, etc. Between sets, you might take about a minute -- a good time to adjust goggles/cap, sip a beverage, catch breath. You are much more likely to swim that 500 with good form and energy when broken into intervals, and you may even swim it almost as fast as swimming it in one piece! Even a few seconds rest will refresh your muscles. This allows them to "accept" more work. Interval training will allow you to build your distance and speed much better than continuous laps. However, at some point when your "base" is established (you've been swimming regulary for several weeks), you will definitely want to include sets that equal (or exceed) the race distance, such as the 1x1000 that I suggested to Lauren. I was not a competitive swimmer until I joined Masters 3 years ago and learned all of what I've said here. I was a continuous lap swimmer which I used as my triathlon training. A calf injury ended my triathlon days and started my Masters life. I enjoyed discovering that an 800 is not a sprint! I'm all about 50's and 100's now! That said, for some reason (nostalgia?) I am swimming a one mile open water swim (at lovely Lake Travis) this weekend. I'm not sure I remember how to do it, so I'll have to re-read my advice! I'm pretty sure there's monsters in there! Good luck with your training. Let us know how it goes. Best regards, Kim

Hi Nancy, Some definitions: The set, "10x50" consists of 10 50 yd or mtr swims They can be done on an interval of a certain time, such as when Lauren states in her reply that she does them "on 1 minute". That means she leaves for each 50 in 1 minute. If it takes her 45 sec to swim the 50 she gets 15 sec rest, if it takes her 55 secs to swim, she gets 5 secs rest. In a rest interval (ri) you would rest for 15 secs after each swim, regardless of the time of the swim, and therefore the actual interval time for each 50 could vary (no need to keep track of that) My suggestion of "15 - 30 secs rest interval" corresponded to the sets, so for the 50's -- 15 sec ri, the 100's 20 sec ri, etc. Between sets, you might take about a minute -- a good time to adjust goggles/cap, sip a beverage, catch breath. You are much more likely to swim that 500 with good form and energy when broken into intervals, and you may even swim it almost as fast as swimming it in one piece! Even a few seconds rest will refresh your muscles. This allows them to "accept" more work. Interval training will allow you to build your distance and speed much better than continuous laps. However, at some point when your "base" is established (you've been swimming regulary for several weeks), you will definitely want to include sets that equal (or exceed) the race distance, such as the 1x1000 that I suggested to Lauren. I was not a competitive swimmer until I joined Masters 3 years ago and learned all of what I've said here. I was a continuous lap swimmer which I used as my triathlon training. A calf injury ended my triathlon days and started my Masters life. I enjoyed discovering that an 800 is not a sprint! I'm all about 50's and 100's now! That said, for some reason (nostalgia?) I am swimming a one mile open water swim (at lovely Lake Travis) this weekend. I'm not sure I remember how to do it, so I'll have to re-read my advice! I'm pretty sure there's monsters in there! Good luck with your training. Let us know how it goes. Best regards, Kim