Critical Swim Speed (CSS) is an approximation of your lactate threshold speed and you can find it by doing a couple of swimming tests. It's not precisely the same as lactate threshold but it will be within a second or so per 100m, which is plenty accurate enough to guide your training. The CSS test involves two time trial swims - a 400m and a 200m. Before attempting these swims perform a thorough warm up and a small build set to get you used to swimming fast. We add a third test to get your complete swimming profile. Do the 400m time trial first, it's less likely to effect the 200m than the other way around. Recover completely between each time trial with some easy swimming. Perform both time trials from a push off from the wall, not a dive. Try and pace the trials as evenly as possible, don't start too fast and slow down. If you're not sure get someone to take your 100m splits - they can be very revealing. To calculate your CSS go to: http://tritrainingharderllpblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/swim-testing-critical-swim-speed.html Session: --------------- Warm up: Optional 500m Steady swim (Every 5th length do as Medley) 200m Mixed stroke 200m Drills (Own Choice) 100m Build every 25m Optional second 100m Build every 25m --------------- Main Set: 400m Time Trial - record the time Recovery swim until ready to do it again (mixed stroke) 200m Time Trial - record the time Recovery swim until ready to go again (mixed stroke) 50m Time Trial, record time --------------- Cool Down: 250m Mixed stroke

The purpose of this session is to improve the ability to work at lactate threshold. This is supposed to be easy to begin with, but as it carries on, it gets harder. Really focus on hitting those times. Note the times are taken according to your CSS/100m time and explained as so: If your CSS/100m = 1:40, then: CSS/25m = 25s CSS/50m = 50s CSS/75m = 1:15. Use this to help calculate rest and recovery time. This session works best when using a Finis Temp Trainer Pro (available in our online store). You can set this on setting 1 to beep at CSS/25m intervals. Therefore every time you push off the wall you should be in time with the beep. If you are training in a 50m pool, then the same should also be true, but you can use the 25m beep as a reference when you make it half way. You should not be aiming to swim faster than the beep and then easing off, you should hit the beep each time through the whole set. If you need any assistance with any drills, then please visit our swimming drill playlist (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6z5VWjBAAEjY-gdl4EktRwwMQiAD_M0O). For mixed strokes, do both breaststroke and backstroke to open up your chest and arm muscles in either the warm up or the cool down. Enjoy...! --------------- Warm Up: 300m F/C 300m Mixed stroke, alternating Backstroke and Breaststroke 200m (20seconds recovery) as 50m Fast and fluid, 100m cruising, 50m finishing fast. --------------- Main Set: 400m @CSS/100m (CSS/25m recovery) 16x50m @CSS/100m, Every 4th 50m fast (turning around at the next nearest 5 seconds. I.e. if you swim 50m at CSS/100m, which takes you 42 seconds, then start your next 50m interval at 45 seconds, then the third one at 1:30 etc.) 12x50m @CSS/100m, Every 3rd 50m fast (Turning around at 5 seconds more than the last interval, i.e. 50s.) 8x50m @CSS/100m, Every 2nd one fast (Turning around at 5 seconds more than the last interval, i.e. 55 seconds) 4x50m Fast (turning around at 5 seconds more than the last interval, i.e. 60 seconds) --------------- Cool Down: 300m Mixed Stroke Cool Down

The purpose of this set is to build aerobic endurance and promote good technique while swimming. Throughout this session aim to hold good technique and focus on the rhythm of the stroke, especially on the longer intervals. For any drills, you may need fins (available from our online store), and you may also need the Tempo Trainer Pro (available from our online store). If you are unsure of what drills to do, then have a look at our you tube playlist of all the different drills we recommend (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqTuVNRW9vo&list=PL6z5VWjBAAEjY-gdl4EktRwwMQiAD_M0O). For mixed stroke, do both back and breaststroke to help open your muscles and use them in different way to front crawl. --------------- Warm Up: 200m F/C – Easy 100m Backstroke 100m Breaststroke 100m Kick with fins 200m Waterpolo Drill with fins. 2x50m as 10 strokes hard, 10 strokes easy. --------------- Main Set: Race simulation: pick up the paces at approximately CSS/100m-3 seconds. Otherwise, aim to hold CSS/100m+5 seconds with a CSS/25m as recovery unless specified otherwise. - 6x400m With every 4th length at CSS/100 -3 seconds --------------- Cool Down: 300m Mixed Stroke Upper body stretching

Safety Check: Open water swimming brings a series of challenges and dangers. If you are not confident, please invite a coach or strong swimming friend to be there with you. - Always swim in twos or more. Never swim alone - Always swim somewhere that is guaranteed to be safe with lifeguards or is a designated swim zone. ––––––––––––––– Top Tips: Feel free to adapt the timings slightly to suit your particular swimming venue or loop. If you would like to work on your stroke rate, look to buying a Finis Tempo Trainer Pro (http://www.tritrainingharder.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=69). You can set this to a desired stroke rate and aim to hold it throughout the session ensuring you keep it consistent. Alternatively, you can set your Tempo Trainer to beep every minute so you know how many minutes you have swum for. If you want to know the distance you have swum, put a waterproof GPS under your swimming hat as this will give you distance and speed. Enjoy the open water! ––––––––––––––– Efforts: These efforts or intensities have to be perceived by you and we’d rather you went by feel than tried to work out your pace or speed using a watch! – Easy (L1) – This is an Easy Intensity – you should still be looking to hold good form and technique – RPE: 0-2 Endurance (L2) – This is equivalent to your CSS+5seconds Intensity – RPE: 2-4 CSS (L3) – This is equivalent to your CSS Intensity – RPE: 4-5 Fast (L4) – This is faster than CSS Intensity equivalent approximately to CSS-3 seconds – RPE: 6-7 Max Effort (L5) – Max Effort – RPE 7-10 ––––––––––––––– The purpose of this session is to build confidence of swimming various paces while in open water, improving your pace awareness and open water swimming skills. In this session, we will be using both number of strokes (each hand counts as a stroke) and the Finis Tempo Trainer set to beep every minute to dictate how long you are working at those paces. ––––––––––––––– Warm up: Use the warm up as you would for a race. For the first 8 minutes, complete the following: - Get the blood flow working to your arms with big arm circles in both directions, rotate your shoulders and hips. Complete press ups and tricep dips. If you have dryland cords (http://www.tritrainingharder.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=62_81&product_id=122) Use them to also get the swimming muscles working. - For the first three minutes or so of swimming, break into it gently getting used to the water temperature and doing some mixed stroke. ––––––––––––––– Main Set: 10x Deep water starts and 20 strokes at L5 Swim easy or stop to restart every minute. –––– 5 minutes at L2 ––– 6x – 4 minutes at L3 1 minute at L4 ––––––––––––––– Cool Down: 5 minutes of easy swimming. Once you are back on dry land in dry clothes, stretch out any muscles you have used.

The purpose of this session is to improve technique. It is also a bit easier so allows you a respite from the usual type of conditioning sessions. Here we suggest some swimming drills to use to improve your stroke mechanics. Most of these should be performed with swimming fins (You can purchase some on our online store). If you need any assistance with any drills, then please visit our swimming drill playlist on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6z5VWjBAAEjY-gdl4EktRwwMQiAD_M0O). For mixed strokes, do both breaststroke and backstroke to open up your chest and arm muscles in either the warm up or the cool down.
It is really important to get the drills correct, so take your time to be deliberate about the drills. Enjoy these more technical sessions.
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Warm Up:
800m Own choice
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Main Set:
4x100m (15 seconds recovery) Build each 25m Use a straighter arm recovery as if in open water and feel the fluidity and rhythm in your stroke. Aim to extend into the catch without gliding.
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Add some punch and rhythm by using pull buoy and bands.
200m
2x150m
4x100m
6x50m
All with 15 seconds recovery
Do a Deep-water start for each interval and sight every 5 strokes.
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300m straight swim, F/C with paddles. Aim to keep the rhythm from before but now with paddles on.
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Cool Down:
300m mixed stroke cool down.

The purpose of this session is to improve the ability to work at lactate threshold. This is supposed to be easy to begin with, but as it carries on, it gets harder. Really focus on hitting those times. Note the times are taken according to your CSS/100m time and explained as so: If your CSS/100m = 1:40, then: CSS/25m = 25s CSS/50m = 50s CSS/75m = 1:15. Use this to help calculate rest and recovery time. This session works best when using a Finis Temp Trainer Pro (available in our online store). You can set this on setting 1 to beep at CSS/25m intervals. Therefore every time you push off the wall you should be in time with the beep. If you are training in a 50m pool, then the same should also be true, but you can use the 25m beep as a reference when you make it half way. You should not be aiming to swim faster than the beep and then easing off, you should hit the beep each time through the whole set. If you need any assistance with any drills, then please visit our swimming drill playlist (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6z5VWjBAAEjY-gdl4EktRwwMQiAD_M0O). For mixed strokes, do both breaststroke and backstroke to open up your chest and arm muscles in either the warm up or the cool down. Enjoy...! --------------- Warm Up: 300m F/C 300m Mixed stroke, alternating Backstroke and Breaststroke 200m (20seconds recovery) as 50m Fast and fluid, 100m cruising, 50m finishing fast. --------------- Main Set: 200m @CSS/100m (CSS/25m recovery) 400m @CSS/100m (CSS/25m recovery) 800m @CSS/100m (CSS/25m recovery) 400m @CSS/100m (CSS/25m recovery) 200m @CSS/100m (CSS/25m recovery) 400m @CSS/100m --------------- Cool Down: 300m Mixed Stroke Cool Down

The purpose of this session is to promote some speed work with a limited amount of training stress. --------------- Warm Up: 400m F/C 300m Backstroke 200m Breaststroke 100m Fly/Fly drill --------------- 10x100m F/C as 50m CSS 50m Easy Swimming (20 sec recovery – Deep water starts) 5x100m Drills -Own choice of drills: do drills which you feel you need. --------------- Cool Down: 300m Mixed Stroke