Nobody is ever going to mistake me for a swim coach, but I have found a swim set in "Swim Workouts for Triathletes" that is really useful, especially for newbie non-swimmers like me. It teaches one how to tolerate short, anaerobic bursts, it teaches pacing, and it teaches one how to "recover" from oxygen debt (like at the beginning of a race) while maintaining your stroke rather than breaking to a back float or breast stroke. It can be used toward the middle or end of any workout when you have 800 to 1000 yards or work remaining.
When you get to that point in your workout swim 4 or 5 x 200 with 15 to 20 second rest intervals, but do it this way:
1. Do your first 50 hard and fast, as if you were going to quit when you finished.
2. Do the middle 100 easy, learning how to recovery your oxygen equilibrium while swimming with perfectly balanced form.
3. Do the last 50 at your ordinary endurance workout pace.
This breaks down 1000 yards into easily managed bite-sized pieces, each of which has a specific skill to teach. Try it out.
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I've found that my biggest challenge to recovering from an oxygen debt is the actual breathing part. Eventually, I'm going to just cave in, hire a coach, and let that person know that breathing is first on the agenda.
Of course, the "Pause One" drill I learned the other day paid huge dividends (in Iron Pol terms). Slightly improved times, vastly improved core rotation, and better overall focus on form.
Good luck with the brick. Just keep thinking about what awaits you at the end of the run. Just make sure you get to the end of the run with enough left to fulfill all anniversary obligations without falling asleep in the soup/movie/hot tub/whatever.
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