My answer - the obvious cop out, all of the above! You need some interval work to stretch your threshold and maxVO2 levels, some long swims for basic endurance and mental toughness, and plenty of technique work.

Technique work may be the most important element of any swim training plan because water is thicker than air, and maximizing swimming efficiency has a big pay-off. The pay-off may not be a faster time, but if you can go the same time with less energy, you have more energy left for the bike and the run.

Ask yourself how important it is to win the swim portion of a triathlon compared to how you will perform overall. The longer the race, the less likely it is that the winner of the swim is the winner of the triathlon. But if it takes all you've got just to get through the swim, you are going to face a big challenge completing the bike and run.

This is a plan I recommend for Olympic distance or longer triathletes (1,500 meters or longer swim legs). This plan will work for shorter triathlons, too, but to maximize those performances requires more interval work.

In running terms, compare plans for those racing a mile versus a 5k, 10k, and 1/2 marathon. The 5k, 10k, and 1/2 marathon plan are much more similar to each other than the mile plan. Same for swimming. An Olympic distance swim, 1,500 meters, is going to take 15 minutes (with a good current) or longer. That means the emphasis of the training will be sub-threshold, since the race is at this level. If you go faster than that in the swim, you won't have much left for the bike or run once you do get out of the water.

To use this plan, the athlete should currently be able to:

All workouts should include:

• 5-10 minutes of easy swimming and kicking to warm-up
• 5-10 minutes of technique work
• 5-10 minutes of easy swimming (and more technique work) to cool-down

Workouts are done in 4 week blocks, then repeated with minor modifications if needed. I recommend separating each swim workout by at least one day (swim every other day or every third day).

Swim with a master's team? Make that your third and/or fourth workout of the week, and take advantage of the coach's eyes and expertise to help you with your technique.

You may want to add or substitute an open water swim for the straight swim every other week as you get closer to your race. This should help you learn some navigation skills and how to work with waves and currents (remember to only do open water swims in safe, guarded locations).

All workouts should include:

• 5-10 minutes of easy swimming and kicking to warm-up
• 5-10 minutes of technique work
• 5-10 minutes of easy swimming (and more technique work) to cool-down

Start this program 14 to 16 weeks before your target event and repeat it three times (12 weeks). The last 4-weeks of training are on the next page; the workouts below are the one you do 8, 10, and 12 weeks away form your race:

Week 1

• Workout 1 - Test Swim - 10 x 100 on :10 seconds rest
  Swim 10 x 100 yard or meter repeats with 10-seconds rest between each one. Take the final time, subtract :90 seconds (the rest you took) and divide by 10 to get your average time per 100. You will use this time for later sets. During this set, try to go the fastest speed you can go and still hold a steady pace for all 10 repeats. You will probably start too fast and slow down a bit as they progress. No problem - you will get the hang of it for the next test in a few weeks.

• Workout 2 - Long Swim
  

  • Olympic Distance Triathlete - do a 10:00 straight swim
  • 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - do a 15:00 straight swim
  • Ironman Distance Triathlete - do a 20:00 straight swim

   

  The goal of this workout is to negative split the swim. Start out very easy, gradually increasing the speed every 5:00 to 10:00 minutes.

• Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest
  Alternate 50's - one maximum effort, one minimum (but steady) effort while using the lowest number of strokes (or arm pulls) for each swim - but not doing it with an exaggerated glide and kick; swim the set, but aim to get the most out distance from each arm pull. Try to maintain or decrease the number of strokes you take on the minimum repeats. Compare the number of strokes you take on the minimum repeats with those taken on the maximum repeats. As the weeks progress, your goal is to close that gap by decreasing the number of strokes taken during the maximum effort repeats. You can take up to a full minute rest between each 50 so that you are 100% ready to focus on technique.

Week 2

Workout 1 - Interval Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 4 x (150 + 2 x 50)
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4 x (250 + 2 x 50)
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4 x (400 + 2 x 100)

All repeats are done on the same "base" - add :15 to :30 seconds to your test set average to determine that base. For example, if your average was 1:45, add :15 seconds to make a 2:00 base (if this seems too fast, then make the base time slower - the key is to repeat the whole set, not to wipe yourself out). Then perform the set for your goal race. You may take 1:00 to 2:00 minutes extra rest between each set of intervals or between each round. A round is each set of (150 + 2 x 50) or (250 + 2 x 50) or (400 + 2 x 100) swims.

Let's use the Olympic Distance to explain. You would do a 150 swim on a 3:00 interval (you have up to 3-minutes to complete the 150, with any leftover time as rest), then swim 2 x 50's on a 1:00 interval. The actual swimming pace or effort for the set is performed with the longer portion of each set done :05 to :10 seconds slower than your test set pace, and the shorter portion done as close as possible to your test set pace, but no faster than that pace. You may take 1:00 to 2:00 minutes extra rest between each set of intervals - swim (150 + 2 x 50) then take extra rest before doing it again.

For the 1/2 Ironman swimmer, if your average from the Test Swim was 1:45 per 100, you would perform the 1/2 Ironman distance set as 250's on 5:00 and the 50's on 1:00, Perform the Ironman distance set as 400's on 8:00 and the 100's on 2:00. The actual swim pace for the set is performed with the longer portion of each set done :05 to :10 seconds slower than your test set pace. The shorter portion is done as close as possible to your test set pace, but no faster than that pace. If possible, also try to go a bit faster (:02 to :04 seconds) faster as you perform each subsequent set of intervals. You may take 1:00 to 2:00 minutes extra rest between each set of intervals.

Workout 2 - Long Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 15-minute straight swim
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 20-minute straight swim
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 30-minute straight swim

Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim

• All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

Week 3

• Workout 1 - Interval Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 4x(100-3x50)
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(200-3x50)
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(300-3x100)

Workout 2 - Long Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 20-minute straight swim
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 30-minute straight swim
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 40-minute straight swim

Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim

• All distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

Week 4

• Workout 1 - Interval Swim

• • Olympic Distance Triathlete - 4x(4x50)
  • 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(150 + 4x50)
  • Ironman Distance Triathlete - 4x(200 + 4x100)

   

  Workout 2 - Long Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 25-minute straight swim
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 40-minute straight swim
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 50-minute straight swim

Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim

• All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

You do these 4-weeks of workouts during the last 4-weeks leading up to your race. The last weeks before your event, decrease the number of intervals by 1 each week, the long swims by 25% from the longest duration, and keep the min/max just as it is up one week before before the event. The final week perform a long swim and two min/max sets (once with the full 12 repeats, once with only 6 repeats).

Remember, all workouts should include:

• 5-10 minutes of easy swimming and kicking to warm-up
• 5-10 minutes of technique work
• 5-10 minutes of easy swimming (and more technique work) to cool-down

• All Distances - 10 x 100 on :10 seconds rest

Workout 2 - Long Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 10-minute straight swim
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 20-minute straight swim
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 30-minute straight swim

Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim

• All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 3x(4x50)
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 3x(150 + 4x50)
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 3x(200 + 4x100)

Workout 2 - Long Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 30-minute straight swim
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 45-minute straight swim
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 60-minute straight swim

Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim

• All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

• All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

• All Distances - 12 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

Workout 2 - Long Swim

• Olympic Distance Triathlete - 10-minute straight swim
• 1/2 Ironman Distance Triathlete - 15-minute straight swim
• Ironman Distance Triathlete - 20-minute straight swim

Workout 3 - Technique & Power Swim

• All Distances - 6 x 50 max/min on 1:00 rest

That's it. Decide where to put your training emphasis for your next big event - but put enough into the swim to give yourself a good bike and run.

Good luck, stick to your paces determined by your test swim, and do some kind of technique swimming work every workout. You can add other sets - like kicking and pulling - to round out the main sets if you desire - but these workouts should be enough to get you through a triathlon swim with energy to spare.

Swim On!