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"Recovery" Swim on Long Run Days - What Do I Do?

jhansen21jhansen21
in General Training Discussions

Swimming has always felt very therapeutic to me, especially in that 24 hour window following a hard or long workout.  So now that IMWI prep has begun I'm thinking of adding a swim session on my long run day (run in the morning, swim at lunch). My current swim workouts for the week look like this:

  • Monday: Follow Monday's workout (speed + endurance focus) from IM plan
  • Thursday: Follow Friday's swim workout from IM plan (endurance focus)
  • Friday: 1.6 mi OWS at a steady, consistent pace

I'll be doing my long runs on Wednesday mornings so the "recovery"swim I would like to add would be Wednesday at lunchtime.  My question is...what should I do during these swim sessions?  Swim an easy, nonstop 1500 / 2000 / 3000 meters?  Or 500-1000 meter easy warm up, then do some interval sets at a higher intensity?  Pull buoy only?  No pull buoy?  Drills only?  Also, notice that I only do 2 "structured" swim workouts that follow the IM plan - the Friday OWS replaced the third speed + endurance swim that the weekly schedule calls for.

Just wondering what folks do for these types of swim sessions and any advice from the coaches on what "flavor" to make them.

Thanks team!

Comments

  • Steven FordSteven Ford

    My 2 Cents is drills, Form trumps frequency any day.

     

  • manconamancona
    Not that anyone should take advice from me on swimming, but when adding extra swim workouts I also always focus on drills.

    Personaly, my go to extra swim workout is an easy WU followed by all of the EN swim ebook drills, then a few other drills from Fritz, and an easy CU... no hard sets. If I have a bunch of time or am just feeling like swimming I add in a 500 or 1000 at my HIM or IM pace.

  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    X3 on drills. And as odd as it may sound, I might even do a few easy kick sets (no fins) just to shake out my legs.
  • mattsullmattsull

    I don't think you can go wrong either way. I often find drills to be mentally and physically challenging.  A good long set, maybe with some pulling, will give you a nice therapeutic swim. Turn the brain off and go. You could also choose different focal points during these swims. Change it up a bit. Don't always have to do the same workout.

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