Open Water Swimming Workout For Masters and Triathletes

Another open water swimming workout from the Wind-n-Sea Masters in La Jolla California. One key to successful open water swimming it training for variable intensities throughout the race. In this workout really focus on the specified up tempo on the sets of 200’s.

A bad attitude it like the flu – you don’t want to catch it

Warm up (first set at :10 after): General warm up or 6 x100 @ 1:30

12 x 50 (odds catch up drill/evens d/p/s (distance per stroke) :50/1:10/1:15

Main Set:
Pick an interval for lane and hold throughout set:
2:45/3:00/3:30

4 x 200 (1st 100 hard/2nd 100 relaxed)
4 x 200 (middle 100 hard/ end 50’s relaxed)
4 x 200 (1st 100 relaxed/2nd 100 fast)
4 x 200 (fasted possible repeat)

4 x 100 pull – build a 25 fast from the back 1:15/1:30/1:45

200 warm down

4400 totalWind-n-Sea Masters  team is based in one of the mecca’s for open water swimming and a large number of it’s members are actively engaged in open water swimming all year round.    The team features many top open water swimmers who have completed Catalina and English channel crossings.    Additionally, many members are new to open water swimming and the program encourages fun and camaraderie in the open water.

The team trains at the Coggan Family Aquatic Center – a beautiful 50m complex that is less than a mile away from the La Jolla Cove – site of the La Jolla Rough Water Swim; the largest open water swim in the United States.   Wind-n-Sea Masters archives all their workouts for the swimming community.
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11 years ago

Great stuff! Love seeing workouts targeted towards open water / triathletes. Question for you: When you look at DPS, do you also take stroke rate into consideration? Open water stroke mechanics should be different from pool mechanics (mostly due to swimming in a crowd, drafting) and the front 1/3 of the stroke can be much shorter (look at Sarah Haskin’s stroke – no front quadrant at all, but she’s a blazing fast swimmer in the open water). Just wondering how you take stroke rate and DPS into consideration.

Reply to  Mike Lewis
11 years ago

Mike, thanks! That’s exactly what we stress with our triathletes. Great to hear it coming from other sources. Tremendous.

ismael zermeno
11 years ago

Love swimming I’m a M.S and thanks for sharing the secrets from the Best:)

11 years ago

In related news, U.S. Masters Swimming is now facing a huge financial crisis after their insurance providers tried to raise the annual premium from the original budgeted amount of $124,000 to $750,000. The change in premium cost was the result of several claims during the last year, including two serious accidents during open water events. Executive Director and Tool Academy reject Rob Butcher used the Jedi Mind Trick (groveled) to get the premium down to $335,000, but USMS can only run 75 open water swims each year and must pay $1800 to insure each additional open water swim after 75. Discussions have led to an idea for a grant program, so USMS can pick which events get financial assistance.

Still… Read more »

About Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a freelance commercial, sport and lifestyle photographer based in San Diego.  Mike began making photos in the early 80’s and immersed himself in all aspects of the photographic arts.  Mike’s professional career in in photography began after 12 years working within the United States Olympic movement; he …

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