Bellingham Athletic Club

Distance Swimming

Many of us who use the pool are accustomed to a quick workout – put in a few springs, some IM, a few 200’s, and call it a day. We tend to focus on the variety of activity and intensity of the workout, rather than the duration. But distance is a major factor in the success of your swimming workout! When you focus on building speed alone, you may find that you lack the strength training necessary to maintain that speed for a distance. Distance training can also be incredibly useful in triathlon, open water, or really any kind of race training. To get a maximum return on your workout, it’s best to vary the types of workout you complete through the week. For every spring set you do, put in a quick 300-500 yard freestyle. It can even be helpful to set aside an entire workout dedicated to a mile or two at a time. Remember, in the swimming world, we consider 1650 to be a mile. Here’s a starter distance set to get into the swing of things; remember that as you grow stronger, your workouts should increase in difficulty as well. Challenge yourself this summer; train outdoors, in the pool, go for the strokes and distance you’re not comfortable with! The only way to improve is to test yourself, so get to it!

Warm-Up
1×200 swim
1×200 kick with board
1×200 pull with buoy
1×200 sprint

Main Set
1×400 IM at 90% effort
1×200 freestyle easy
1×500 freestyle build to spring
2×100 choice easy
4×50 freestyle spring

Cool Down
1×300 freestyle cool down pace

Total Yardage: 2600