Stroke & Pace Mastery

A self-paced course for mastering stroke skills and pace control the Total Immersion way.

Stage 5 and Stage 6

Stage 5 – Increasing Pace Endurance

Stage 5 Objectives

OBJECTIVES In this step you will be developing your whole distance Pacing abilities in three ways:

  1. Moving from short repeats to longer repeats.
  2. Moving from ‘Passive Rest’ to ‘Active Rest’ to ‘No Rest’ between those distance intervals.
  3. Increasing from Partial Distance to entire Whole Distance.

STEP 4 had you learning how to make careful shifts of SPL and Tempo, or in other words, you shifted Pace Gears on command. Your ability to control Pace Gears is your ability to control how you spend energy – which will give you more control over the distance and speed you can swim. You are at STEP 5 because you are able to hold certain Pace Gears, and you are able to switch them on short distance intervals. Perhaps you are using your ideal SPL x Tempo combination, or you are using an improved SPL and Tempo combination. Now you need to test and strengthen that skill further working your way toward your entire Whole Distance Goal. So, in this step you will start working on holding those Pace Gear combinations over longer distance intervals until you can hold it for your entire Distance Goal.

Stage 5 Skills Test Swim
OBJECTIVE
  • To test your ability to hold your chosen Pace over your Whole Distance goal.

This will test your abilities in two dimensions:

  1. Testing your ability to hold Even Pacing and Average Pacing skills, and
  2. Gradually removing rest intervals until you complete the distance in one continuous swim.

This test is actually multiple tests and you may want to use this test, increasing challenge level gradually, as you work through this step.

INSTRUCTIONS

You already have your Whole Distance goal. That sets the total distance you will swim. Pick your test:

  • Test A – Even Pacing
  • Test B – Average Pacing

Plan when you will switch Pace Gears. Choose your level of challenge:

  • Level 1 – Use Passive Rest Intervals
  • Level 2 – Use Active Rest Intervals (without stopping forward movement)
  • Level 3 – Do not use Rest Intervals, just swim continuously at Pace
REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your results and observations while conducting this test.

Assignment 501: Work-Rest Ratio
OBJECTIVE
  1. To review your Whole Distance Goal.
  2. To determine your current Distance Ability.
  3. To determine your current Work:Rest Ratio.
  4. To plan incremental increases in challenge using your Work:Rest Ratio.

The idea behind this assignment is to review what you want to achieve in terms of total distance and total time and then determine where you are in in current ability in relation to that goal. Then you can plan the incremental steps in interval training you need to make progress toward that goal.

INSTRUCTIONS

This is mostly a thinking, math and writing (in your training journal and in your Discussion Zone) assignment, with one pool assignment at the end.Review your Whole Distance goal.

  • What is your total Whole Distance goal?
  • What distance would you like to be able to swim?

Review your Pace goal. You would like to complete that swim in what total time? Break this total time down into terms of Pace per 100 meters or 25 meters. Assess your current abilities at that distance.

  • At a controlled pace, what continuous distance are you capable of right now?
  • Can you swim the entire distance or only partial distance at this point?
  • At what total time are you able to complete that continuous distance?
  • At a faster controlled pace, what work intervals are you capable of right now?
  • At what Pace are you able to do those distance intervals?
  • How much time are you taking on those intervals for your Passive Rest?
  • Calculate your total time adding the time in work and the time in rest.

Calculate your % Rest from the total time it takes to complete that interval set. Decide how you want to increase the challenge for holding Pace over the Whole Distance:

  • Increase total distance of the set? (from Partial Distance closer to Whole Distance)
  • Increase length of each work interval?
  • Reduce the number of rest intervals?
  • Reduce the amount of time for each rest interval?

Test out your estimate of your Work:Rest Ratio. Design a practice set that will require you to achieve a certain total distance, broken up into pieces which you will swim at a certain pace, with a certain amount of rest in between each one. Plan this set to be just at the edge of what you feel you are capable of, in terms of how much distance and at what Pace.

REPORT

Record your answers in your Discussion Zone.

Assignment 502: Even Pacing
OBJECTIVE
  • To hold Even Pace over your entire Whole Distance goal, using intervals.

Using your calculations for and experience with Even Pace combinations in Step 4, you will use these combinations to construct a series of practice sets which use gradually increasing distance repeats, up to your entire Whole Distance goal. You will design and conduct one practice set per practice, so that you are making gradual increases in challenge over several days – or in other words, you’ll need to work on this over several practices.

INSTRUCTIONS

Review your three Even Pace combinations: N-1 x Ts Combo, N x Tt Pace Combo and N+1 x Tf Combo, where all three combinations produce the exact same pace. (Ts = Slower Tempo, Tt = Target Tempo, Tf = Faster Tempo) Divide up the time between the three combinations. The time you assign to each one does not have to be equal since they all achieve the exact same pace. Design a series of practice sets that are gradually more and more challenging for you. Increase the challenge by increasing the distance of the repeats, increasing the number of repeats, or decreasing the amount of rest.

REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your plans for this series of Even Pace practice sets. Conduct the practices and record your results and observations there also.

Assignment 503: Build Distance
OBJECTIVE
  1. To design a series of practice sets that take you from Partial Distance to your Whole Distance goal.
  2. To work through that series of practices and achieve your Whole Distance goal (with or without distance intervals).

Obviously, this assignment is for those who have not yet achieved their entire Whole Distance goal. This assignment is to help you create a plan for how you will do that.

INSTRUCTIONS

Design a series of practice sets that will start with comfortable distance repeats and rest intervals and, over a series of practices will gradually increase the total distance from what you are confidently capable of now, to your Whole Distance goal. You do not have to increase the length of the repeats or reduce rest intervals unless you would like to. This assignment is simply focused upon building up to your total Whole Distance goal in comfortable segments. You may refer to the other assignments to control pace and reduce rest intervals.

REPORT

Record your series of practice sets in your Discussion Zone as well as your results and observations while doing these.

Assignment 504: Passive Rest Intervals with Nasal Breathing
OBJECTIVE
  • To improve precision and art of using Passive Rest intervals, using nasal breathing.

The purpose of the rest interval is to allow the systems of your body and brain to recover enough that you can resume the skill work at the level of quality you require of yourself.

INSTRUCTIONS

Take any of the practice sets from an assignment you are currently working on, one which uses Passive Rest intervals, and insert nose-only breathing for those rest intervals. While at the wall, breathing through the nose, also watch the clock to notice how many seconds it actually took for your heart rate to drop to a ‘rested’ level, for the intensity level you were swimming at. Compare this number of breaths it took before you reach your recovered ‘shift’ to inhale emphasis and you may note the number of seconds it took also. Now you have a combined objective and subjective reference point for how much Passive Rest you actually need, and how to measure when you are actually improving in fitness. This experiential knowledge will improve your ability to plan practice sets and to use a clock to time rest with respect to what your body really needs, rather than someone else’s arbitrary number written on the workout board.

REPORT

Record your observations about nasal-breathing in your Discussion Zone.

Assignment 505: Active Rest Intervals
OBJECTIVE
  • To transition from Passive Rest to Active Rest in your Distance Interval training.

In the previous assignment you were instructed to use an improved form of Passive Rest. And, as you progress toward your pace goal you can shorten rest intervals, and you can shift from Passive to Active Rest Intervals in order to train your body to recover while still swimming forward.

INSTRUCTIONS

From any assignment you are currently working on, take a practice set and replace the Passive Rest Intervals with Active Rest Intervals in some form. By moving from Passive (stationary) Rest to Active (moving) Rest you are coming closer to swimming your entire Whole Distance goal, continuously, at your target Pace.

REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your results and observations in making this transition in your practice sets.

Assignment 506: Averaging Pace
OBJECTIVE
  • To hold Average Pace over your entire Whole Distance goal, using intervals.

Using your calculations for and experience with Average Pace combinations in Step 4, you will use these combinations to construct a series of practice sets which use gradually increasing distance repeats, up to your entire Whole Distance goal. You will design and conduct one practice set per practice, so that you are making gradual increases in challenge over several days – or in other words, you’ll need to work on this over several practices.

INSTRUCTIONS

Review your three Average Pace combinations: Slow Pace Combo, Target Pace Combo and Fast Pace Combo, where all three combinations produce the exact same pace. Divide up the time between the three combinations – either assign equal distance to all three, or make sure at least Slow Pace Combo and Fast Pace Combo have an equal amount of distance assigned to them. The Slow and Fast Pace Combos must balance each other out. Design a series of practice sets that are gradually more and more challenging for you. Increase the challenge by increasing the distance of the repeats, increasing the number of repeats, or decreasing the amount of rest.

REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your plans for this series of Average Pace practice sets. Conduct the practices and record your results and observations there also.

Stage 6 – Increasing Pace

Stage 6 Objectives
OBJECTIVES
  • To increase your overall Pace over the Whole Distance goal.

In this step you will be making small adjustments in your Pace Gears and the timing of switching those gears in order to increase your overall Pace for the Whole Distance. STEP 5 had you more deeply imprinting your control over precise pace, while increasing the total distance and decreasing the amount of rest.

Now, in Step 6 you will use the Pace Combinations you’ve been practicing with and do some careful calculations to decide what variables you will change to slightly increase your Pace in certain parts of the swim in order to lower your total time for the swim – in other words, swim faster with minimal increase in effort. You’ll go back to using intervals, as needed, to further improve your stroke control and fitness to handle this increase in Pace.

Step 6 Reading

Recommended reading…

In our Knowledge Base:

In our FAQs:

In our Practice Library:

Stage 6 Skills Test Swim
OBJECTIVE
  • To test your ability to hold your Faster Pace over your Whole Distance goal.

This will test your abilities in two dimensions:

  1. Testing your ability for Average Pacing skills, and
  2. Gradually removing rest intervals until you complete the distance in one continuous swim.

This test is actually multiple tests and you may want to use this test, increasing challenge level gradually, as you work through this step. When you have succeeded at Level 3 of this Test Swim for your Whole Distance goal – you’ve made it through this entire course! What then? You can set up a new goal and work through the process again, with a lot more understanding and possibly a lot faster with the new skills you have on board.

INSTRUCTIONS

You already have your Whole Distance goal. That sets the total distance you will swim. Review the Pace Combinations you will use for your Faster Average Pace: Plan when you will switch Pace Gears. Choose your level of challenge:

  • Level 1 – Use Passive Rest Intervals
  • Level 2 – Use Active Rest Intervals (without stopping forward movement)
  • Level 3 – Do not use Rest Intervals, just swim continuously at Pace
REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your results and observations while conducting this test.

Assignment 601: Calculate Faster Average Pace Combinations
OBJECTIVES
  • To revise your Average Pace Combinations to create a slightly faster array of Pace Combinations.
INSTRUCTIONS

In the previous two steps you were using an array of Average Pace Combinations – a Slow Pace Combo, a Target Pace Combo, and a Fast Pace Combo. There are two mathematical ways to adjust these combinations in order to increase your over all Pace (and swim ‘faster’!): Slightly increase the Pace of any one of those Combinations – Slow, Target or Fast Pace Combo. Tip the balance in favor of the Fast Pace Combination over the Slow Pace Combination. Study the examples below and… Decide the amount of time you want to save (go faster!) on your Whole Distance goal. Pick a small time improvement – something you can work on over the next couple weeks. Choose a method and do the math to calculate how you can create that time savings by adjusting one of your Pace Combinations.

REPORT

In your Discussion Zone ask any questions you might have about how to adjust your Pace Combinations or the math involved.

Example 1

Juan wants to increase his pace to improve his 1500 meter time by 15 seconds. Juan has been using these three combinations:

  • Slow Pace Combo – 18 SPL x 1.20 = 25.20 seconds (for 25m)
  • Target Pace Combo – 19 SPL x 1.10 = 24.20 seconds
  • Fast Pace Combo – 20 SPL x 1.00 = 23.00 seconds

500m a Slow Pace + 500m at Target Pace + 500m at Fast Pace = 24:12 minutes When he uses this Average Pace array for 1500 meters he achieves a time of 24:12 minutes. He decides to improve his Average Pace by adjusting the Tempo on his Fast Pace Combo, making it a bit faster at 0.97 second Tempo instead of 1.00 seconds. This produces a 25m pace of 22.31 seconds instead of 23.00 seconds. This is 2.8 seconds faster per 100m. Then he uses interval training to adapt to that new Fast Tempo Combo. In his next Test Swim, he divides the distance evenly between his three Pace Combinations. 500m a Slow Pace + 500m at Target Pace + 500m at NEW Fast Pace = 23:58 minutes By swimming 500 meters at his new Fast Pace Combo, while keeping the first and second 500 at his Slow and Target Pace respectively, he improves his overall 1500 meter time by 14 seconds.

Example 2

Instead of changing any of the Pace Combinations that he has imprinted, he will simply adjust the amount of time he assigns to each one. When he uses this Average Pace array for 1500 meters he achieves a time of 24:12 minutes. He decides to improve his Average Pace by assigning less of the distance to the Slow Pace Combination, and giving more to the Fast Pace Combination. 300m at Slow Pace + 500m at Target Pace + 700m at Fast Pace = 23:51 minutes. Juan saved 21 seconds by devoting more of the swim to the Fast Pace Combo and less to the Slow Pace Combo.

Assignment 602: Passive Rest Intervals
OBJECTIVE
  • To achieve your Faster Average Pace using Passive Rest Intervals.
INSTRUCTIONS

Design a series of practice sets using your Faster Average Pace and Passive Rest Intervals. Over the series of sets you will gradually reduce the amount of Passive Rest in the set.

REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your series of practice sets, as well as your results and observations while doing them.

Assignment 603: Active Rest Intervals
OBJECTIVE
  • To achieve your Faster Average Pace using Active Rest Intervals.
INSTRUCTIONS

Using the same series of practice sets from the previous assignment which are using your Faster Average Pace, insert Active Rest Intervals where you had Passive Rest Intervals previously. Over the series of sets you will gradually reduce the amount of Active Rest in the set.

REPORT

In your Discussion Zone record your series of practice sets, as well as your results and observations while doing them.