Race Shape › Swimming
SwimmingSwimming training plans
Race Shape swimming plans set pool paces from Critical Swim Speed, worked out from a timed 400 m and 200 m. Sessions mix technique, endurance, CSS and speed work, and open-water races get open-water sessions, because pools do not teach sighting.
For most amateur swimmers technique limits speed more than fitness does. The plans prescribe the work honestly, and say plainly that a few sessions with a coach on the pool deck will often do more than extra sets.
Open water is slower than the pool and less predictable. The distance pages below show predicted finish times by CSS, and what changes as the distance grows.
A typical week has three kinds of swim: a technique session built around drills and short, controlled repeats; an endurance session of longer steady sets; and one harder session at CSS pace or faster. Quality swims are placed away from other hard days, and swimmers training for open water move one session outside as the race gets closer, water and weather allowing.
South African open-water swimming is seasonal. Cold water on the Atlantic side of the Cape, warmer water on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, and dams inland that are best in summer all change what a realistic open-water session looks like, so the town pages below cover when outdoor practice is sensible.
Build my swimming plan — freeWhat you need to get started
| A 400 m and a 200 m time | Swum in the same session, 400 m first, with a full recovery between. Together they set Critical Swim Speed. |
|---|---|
| Your weekly metres | What you swim now. |
| Pool or open water race | Open-water races get open-water sessions and sighting practice. |
| The days and time you have | Sessions are fitted to the time you give them. |
| Where you are with technique | Honestly. If your stroke is the limit, the plan will say a coach will help more than sets. |
Building a plan takes about four minutes and is free, and the first week is yours to train on. The whole block is paid for once, from R150.
Plans by distance
- 8-week open water mile plan
- 12-week open water mile plan
- 10-week 3 km open water swim plan
- 16-week 5 km open water swim plan
South African races
By town
- Johannesburg — 1 753 m
- Cape Town — 25 m
- Durban — 8 m