One-Hour Workout: Swimrun-Inspired Swim Strength Set
This article originally appeared on Triathlete
This week's workout is a celebration of last weekend’s Otillo Swimrun World Championships, which boasted some of the fastest times ever in the event and inspired many of us three-sporters to take a look at what this swimrun thing is all about. (Swimming in shoes? While tethered to another person? That sounds wild – sign us up.)
John Stevens, a former collegiate swimmer and five-time Odyssey Swimrun winner, says the best way to prepare for a swimrun event is to simply get out there and swim and run with the proper gear--running shoes, pull buoy, paddles, and more--the set below will help build the strength and power needed to be successful when you're in the pool.
Even if you're not a swimrunner, training like one (and doing a swimrun event) is a great way to build strength and break up the grind of tri training. Check out this piece for more on how swimrun can actually make you a better triathlete.
"In the summer months I love to gear up and just hit the islands in Casco Bay, Maine," Stevens says. "No real plan, just swimrun until I decide it’s enough. Open water training is my preference, but my favorite type of pool workout involves lots of butterfly and pulling with paddles and ankle strap. A good go-to for me in the buildup to the race was this set straight through, only stopping to put on/take off gear."
While this is a truncated version of Stevens' set, he says he tries to hit a time that gives him about 10-15 seconds rest on the 75s and about 20-25 seconds rest on the 200s (yes, he's very fast!). Feel free to adjust the intervals according to your ability level, and/or remove the fly sections based on your experience. If you do leave the fly in, work those intervals very hard, but try to be more smooth on the free.
RELATED: A Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming
SwimRun-Inspired Workout
Warm-Up
200 free easy
4 x 50 as drill 25/swim easy 25
2 x 100 as build 1-2
Main Set
4 x 200 threshold on 2:30 with pull buoy, paddles, ankle band
6 x 75 on 1:00
ODDS: fly/ free/ fly
EVENS: free/ fly/ free
3 x 200 threshold on 2:30 with pull buoy, paddles, ankle band
4 x 75 on 1:00
ODDS: fly/ free/ fly
EVENS: free/ fly/ free
2 x 200 threshold on 2:30 with pull buoy, paddles, ankle band
2 x 75 on 1:00
ODDS: fly/ free/ fly
EVENS: free/ fly/ free
200 threshold with pull buoy, paddles, ankle band
Cooldown
200 free
Total: 3,700
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