This week, Coach Stan Corcoran has provided an open water workout that is a great template and can be adapted for any level of open water swimmer. For younger, less-experienced swimmers, try keeping the structure of the workout the same, but reduce the amount of time for each item. If you are working with a group of more experienced open water swimmers, feel free to mix it up by adding more time, stroke work or equipment.

Coach Stan is the head coach for the McCallie School Swim Team in Chattanooga, Tennessee and he was the club coach for 2016 open water Olympian Sean Ryan.

Try it out!

Level: Any

Focus: changing speeds

• Warm-up
  • 5-minute swim in one direction. Nice and smooth just get used to the water
    • Blow whistle at 5 minutes for everyone to stop.
    • 30 seconds rest - blow whistle and return to the start
• 5 minutes swim - 15 strokes smooth / 10 strokes fast return to the start area.
  • 30 seconds rest - blow whistle to start again
• 5 minutes - 15 strokes smooth / 20 strokes fast
  • blow whistle at 5 minutes for everyone to stop 
• 5 minutes swim - 15 strokes smooth / 30 strokes fast
  • blow whistle at 5 minutes for everyone to stop 
• Repeat below 4 to 6 times
  • 30 seconds fast swim / 30 seconds smooth swim / 1-minute fast swim / 30 seconds smooth swim / 1:30 fast swim / 30 seconds smooth swim / 2:00 fast swim / 30 seconds smooth swim. 1-minute rest. return to start area
• Kick set- if the water is not too cold:
  • Have lines of 4 to 6 swimmers with kick boards kicking in the same direction but spread out. Last swimmer in line kicks to the front of line all out. When the swimmer gets to front of the line the last swimmer starts kicking hard to front. Swimmers not going to front of the line kick medium to smooth speed.
  • 5 to 7 minutes out / 5 to 7 minutes back to the start
• Warm down:
  • 5 min. smooth - 10 strokes free / 10 strokes no free - blow whistle to stop / return to the start.