Going Longer: Building Intelligently Toward a Mile Swim

Conventional training for a longer swim is with sheer yardage… the main effect of which is to imprint a plodding pace and inefficient stroking. This TI training program imprints an efficient stroke and progressively extends the distances you can maintain that. To prepare for an 800-meter swim, begin with 5  x100 and increase the number by 1, to reach 10  x100 in the final week.

1. Measure your efficiency. Do a relaxed nonstop swim of 10 to 15 minutes (5 to 10 minutes for a half-mile swim). Count your 25-yard split every 100 or so. If you can you maintain it within 10 percent of your lowest count, you’re ready to go longer.

2. Make Flow and economy a habit. Don’t worry about how far or fast at first; focus on “how right.” Swim the benchmark set twice a week. Take eight yoga breaths between repeats. Just count strokes and make Flow and ease a habit. If you lose it, take more yoga breaths and/or slow down.

3. Build distance but maintain efficiency/economy. As you increase your benchmark set, keep the focus on ease. Modify only one variable each week. All other variables remain as before.

WEEK 1. Swim 10 × 100. Take six to eight yoga breaths between swims. Maintain spl at least 10 percent lower than on your initial test swim. (For example, if you averaged 20 spl, aim for 18 on your 100s.) Never breathe hard. Finish the set each time feeling as if you could easily keep going like that. If at any time your spl or ease break down, take a recovery break: a 50 of your favorite drill.

WEEK 2. Decrease rest by one breath.

WEEK 3. Increase pace slightly over last 2 × 100.

WEEK 4. Decrease average spl by 1.

WEEK 5. Increase number of repeats to 12 × 100.

WEEK 6. Decrease rest by one breath.

WEEK 7. Increase pace slightly over last 4 × 100.

WEEK 8. Increase number of repeats to 14 × 100.

WEEK 9. Decrease rest by one breath.

WEEK 10. Increase number of repeats to 16 × 100.

WEEK 11. Increase pace slightly over last 6 × 100.

WEEK 12. Increase number of repeats to 18 × 100.

You don’t fail the course if you can’t stay precisely with the weekly schedule. Use this as a model for a purposeful, progressive approach to increasing your capacity to maintain an efficient stroke over lengthening distances, imprinting the qualities that produce the best long-distance swim, the ability to swim economically for a long time for a duration of your choice.