Training Plan 2K

This Training Plan is divided into 3 cycles – two 5-plus-1 recovery week cycles, followed by one 4-plus-1 recovery week cycle. And a suggested test swim at the start of each cycle, spanning 17 weeks until the race or the final test swim.

There are 4 recommended practice patterns per week with progressive assignments, for a total of 56 practices. If you can do more practices per week then I encourage you to repeat those practices of that week which have felt most productive to you.

Cycle #1

• Baseline Test Swim #1
• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Rest Week 6

Cycle #2

• Baseline Test Swim #2
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9
• Week 10
• Week 11
• Rest Week 12

Cycle #3

• Baseline Test Swim #3
• Week 13
• Week 14
• Week 15
• Week 16
• Taper Week 17

Final 2k Race or Test Swim

The first three test swims are time-trials. You will swim 2000 and your objective is to choose an even pace to hold consistent for as much of that distance as you can.

The test swims should be done on a separate day when you feel your body is in good shape.

Your swim achievement goal is:

• Level 1: to swim 2000 meters for the first time or
• Level 2: to swim 2000 meters faster with more ease than before.

Covering 5000 m for the first time, or swimming it faster is your quantity objective while doing it at the same or lower effort level is your quality objective.

You may regard yourself as either an intermediate or advanced Level 1 or Level 2 swimmer according to our Levels Of Proficiency. This training plan may be a bridge from one level to the next. You may choose to set your expectations according to the level that fits right now. You may go through this training plan again in the future and set higher expectations for yourself then.

Choosing Your Level

Level 1 Considerations

Your main objective in the training is to build up your capacity for swimming this kind of distance at an even pace. ‘Even’ pacing means you are aiming to hold a consistent speed for the entire race, to distribute your energy evenly and have enough at the end to finish feeling well.

The chief challenges you may face are generating and sustaining power for this distance and maintaining focus for that entire time which will protect your energy expense.

Your first skill objective is to reach a suitable stroke length and maintain that for the entire distance. That stroke length may be about 50% to 60% of your height or wingspan. You will need to develop a feel for stroke length in the pool because you won’t be able to monitor it easily in open water.

Your second skill objective is to memorize a suitable tempo and hold that consistent for the entire distance. When consistent stroke length is combined with consistent tempo, you achieve consistent pace.

Level 2 Considerations

You main objective in the training is to build up your resilience for holding average pace over the entire distance. ‘Average’ pacing means you are aiming to vary your pace by calculated amount at different points in the race to adapt to the race and competitor conditions, so that you finish with a better time from a wiser use of your energy.

The chief challenges you may face are maintaining intensity and maintaining focus on your chosen focal points.

Your first skill objective is to develop a feel for a suitable stroke length and maintain that consistently. That stroke length may be about 55% to 65% of your height or wingspan. You will need to develop a feel for stroke length in the pool because you won’t be able to monitor it easily in open water.

Your second skill objective is to develop gradually faster tempos and use certain tempos to set up ‘pace gears’ you will use at different sections of your race.

Skill Projects

There are three categories of skills you will focus on in order to affect greater efficiency:

1. Body position and movement pattern
2. Stroke Synchronization

From these categories the course will assign two particular Skill Projects each week.

Main Set 1

Distance: 600

Skill Topic: Spine Alignment (Laser Lead Spine)

Keep the torpedo tip of your head pointed straight ahead, you spine in line, hips leveled, and thighs straight (like ‘Tippy Toes’) behind the torso. The torso and thighs should feel like one long, lean, solid unit.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round.

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 25 + 50 + 75
• 10 seconds drill as active rest between repeats
• count strokes

Main Set 2

Distance: 600

Skill Topic: Exit and Beginning of Recovery Swing

Pay attention to that very moment right before the elbow leaves the water (at the finish of the catch/pull phase) and make sure that it immediately swings to the side, away from the waist, rather than pull up up high, above the back. The elbow gradually rises higher as the recovery swing progresses – it should not pull high immediately upon exit.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round. 

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 50 + 100
• 15 seconds passive rest between repeats
• count strokes
• optional: use Tempo Trainer at comfortable tempo

Main Set 1

Distance: 500

Inverted Tempo Pyramid

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 5x 50m
• Rest 10 seconds to change TT

Round 1:

• Start tempo at your comfortable tempo TC
• Increase tempo by delta D= -0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.08
• Count strokes
• Attempt to preserve SPL as tempo increases
• Permit one more stroke on your SPL for each 0.06 increase in tempo in order to continually increase in speed

Round 2:

• Start tempo at TC-0.08
• Decrease tempo by +0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC
• Count strokes.
• Note difference in SPL from start to end. There should be fewer strokes at the end than when you started.

Main Set 2

Distance: 1200

Faster Tempo Adaptation

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150
• Passive rest 15 sec on repeats, 30 sec on rounds
• Start tempo at TC
• Increase tempo by -0.02 on each round
• Finish at TC-0.06
• Choose ‘precision’ focal point from Attention Practice this week and require that precision on every length.

Main Set 1

Distance: 600

Skill Topic: Torpedo Frame and Weight Shift Forward

Make your frame long and firm and use it to internally shift weight forward onto your upper chest so that your hips and legs feel slightly lighter, more parallel to the surface.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round.

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 2x 25 + 2x 50 + 2x 75
• 10 seconds drill as active rest between repeats
• count strokes

Main Set 2

Distance: 900

Skill Topic: Recovery Swing To Entry Position

See that your recovery swing brings you to the ideal entry position.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round. 

Swim 3 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150
• 15 seconds passive rest between repeats
• optional: use Tempo Trainer at comfortable tempo

Main Set 1

Distance: 600

Inverted Tempo Pyramid

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 6x 50m
• Rest 10 seconds to change TT

Round 1:

• Start tempo at your comfortable tempo TC
• Increase tempo by delta D= -0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.10
• Count strokes.
• Attempt to preserve SPL as tempo increases
• Permit one more stroke on your SPL for each 0.06 increase in tempo in order to continually increase in speed

Round 2:

• Start tempo at TC-0.10
• Decrease tempo by +0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC
• Count strokes.
• Note difference in SPL from start to end. There should be fewer strokes at the end than when you started.

Main Set 2

Distance: 1200

Faster Tempo Adaptation

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150
• Passive rest 15 sec on repeats, 30 sec on rounds
• Start tempo at TC-.02
• Increase tempo by -0.02 on each round
• Finish at TC-0.08
• Choose ‘precision’ focal point from Attention Practice this week and require that precision on every length.

Main Set 1

Distance: 600

Skill Topic: Low Rotation Angle

Your body will be more stable with a lower rotation angle. With practice you will be able to generate as much power with the smallest arc of rotation. Practice turning so that the back of the scapula just barely breaks the surface. The belly and hips should feel barely tilted away from flat position. When you slide into Skate Position, resist turning farther to length, rather just reach the shoulder forward, opening up the armpit and rib cage.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round.

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 2x 25 + 2x 50 + 2x 75
• 10 seconds drill as active rest between repeats
• count strokes

Main Set 2

Distance: 900

Skill Topic: Entry Shape and Extension To Target

Practice a steep entry path with the hand and forearm, slide down to target depth and slide forward at that same depth to your target. The emphasis should be on sliding forward by lengthening the Skate side of the body. Resist twisting or turning the body farther to reach farther.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round. 

Swim 3 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150
• 15 seconds passive rest between repeats
• optional: use Tempo Trainer at comfortable tempo

Main Set 1

Distance: 500

Inverted Tempo Pyramid

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 5x 50m
• Rest 10 seconds to change TT

Round 1:

• Start tempo at your comfortable tempo TC-0.02
• Increase tempo by delta D= -0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.10
• Count strokes
• Attempt to preserve SPL as tempo increases
• Permit one more stroke on your SPL for each 0.06 increase in tempo in order to continually increase in speed

Round 2:

• Start tempo at TC-0.10
• Decrease tempo by +0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.02
• Count strokes.
• Note difference in SPL from start to end. There should be fewer strokes at the end than when you started.

Main Set 2

Distance: 1200

Faster Tempo Adaptation

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 100 + 200
• Passive rest 15 sec on repeats, 30 sec on rounds
• Start tempo at TC-0.02
• Increase tempo by -0.02 on each round
• Finish at TC-0.08
• Choose ‘precision’ focal point from Attention Practice this week and require that precision on every length.

Main Set 1

Distance: 800

Skill Topic: Rotation Stability

Your body will be more stable with a lower rotation angle. When you slide into Skate Position, you are to hold this position steady for the approximate 1.5 seconds until the recovery arm comes forward to shift you to the other side. Your Skate side is long and firm like a skate blade, while your Recovery side is relaxed and swinging forward. You should be able to hold the same streamline, stable Skate Position whether the recovery swing is slow or fast. There should be no sense of pushing or pulling on the spine while the recovery arm is swinging forward.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round.

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 3x 50 + 2x 75 + 1x 100
• 10 seconds drill as active rest between repeats
• count strokes

Main Set 2

Distance: 900

Skill Topic: The Catch and Hold

The emphasis of the catch is to get a grip on a pressure-zone of water, hold that point with a steady, firm sense of pressure, and slide the body past that point. The better the shape of your catch, the more pressure you will feel.

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round. 

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150 + 100 + 50
• 15 seconds passive rest between repeats
• use Tempo Trainer at comfortable tempo

Main Set 1

Distance: 600

Inverted Tempo Pyramid

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 6x 50m
• Rest 10 seconds to change TT

Round 1:

• Start tempo at your comfortable tempo TC-0.02
• Increase tempo by delta D= -0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.12
• Count strokes.
• Attempt to preserve SPL as tempo increases
• Permit one more stroke on your SPL for each 0.06 increase in tempo in order to continually increase in speed

Round 2:

• Start tempo at TC-0.12
• Decrease tempo by +0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.02
• Count strokes.
• Note difference in SPL from start to end. There should be fewer strokes at the end than when you started.

Main Set 2

Distance: 1200

Faster Tempo Adaptation

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150
• Passive rest 15 sec on repeats, 30 sec on rounds
• Start tempo at TC-.04
• Increase tempo by -0.02 on each round
• Finish at TC-0.10
• Choose ‘precision’ focal point from Attention Practice this week and require that precision on every length.

Main Set 1

Distance: 800

Skill Topic: Skate Position

You cannot over-practice Skate. Skate Position is how you deliver force forward so that the body slides forward more than the catch hand slides backward. Work on improving your Skate Position so that the lead hand is at the perfect target, the body is aligned and streamlined, and rotation is at a low, stable angle. 

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round.

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 3x 50 + 2x 75 + 1x 100
• 10 seconds drill as active rest between repeats
• count strokes

Main Set 2

Distance: 900

Skill Topic: Tapping Into Torso Power

The turn of the massive torso is the main piston of your propulsion system. Feel the turn of the torso pushing your body into Skate Position on that side. Feel the turn of the torso taking the greater part of the load while the catch arm is holding and applying pressure. 

Choose your own focal points. Use a different focal point on each round. 

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 50 + 100 + 150 + 100 + 50
• 15 seconds passive rest between repeats
• use Tempo Trainer at comfortable tempo

Main Set 1

Distance: 500

Inverted Tempo Pyramid

Swim 2 rounds of:

• 5x 50m
• Rest 10 seconds to change TT

Round 1:

• Start tempo at your comfortable tempo TC-0.04
• Increase tempo by delta D= -0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.12
• Count strokes
• Attempt to preserve SPL as tempo increases
• Permit one more stroke on your SPL for each 0.06 increase in tempo in order to continually increase in speed

Round 2:

• Start tempo at TC-0.12
• Decrease tempo by +0.02 on each repeat
• Finish on TC-0.04
• Count strokes.
• Note difference in SPL from start to end. There should be fewer strokes at the end than when you started.

Main Set 2

Distance: 1200

Faster Tempo Adaptation

Swim 4 rounds of:

• 100 + 200
• Passive rest 15 sec on repeats, 30 sec on rounds
• Start tempo at TC-0.04
• Increase tempo by -0.02 on each round
• Finish at TC-0.10
• Choose ‘precision’ focal point from Attention Practice this week and require that precision on every length.