Training
The Club in the pool year round trains and also in the sea (May-Oct). Pool training usually focuses on using swimming to stay healthy, technique improvement, drills and general preparation for major competitions in the pool or the sea.
Sea training typically happens in Killiney. The focus is on acclimatising to sea conditions, building up confidence in the sea, sighting and more. New swimmers are buddied up and we swim in pods.
Pool Training times
Thursdays, 8pm to 9pm, Sportsco, Ringsend. This is a coached session and the fee is €7.50. A discount of €2.50 may apply if you travel more sustainably since a new Green initiative was started in August 2022.
Sundays, 8.30am to 9.30am, UCD. This is a coached session and the fee per session is €7.50. This session restarts on 25 September, 2022. A discount of €2.50 may apply if you travel more sustainably since a new Green initiative was started in August 2022.
Pay in advance for either session using the link provided by the club WhatsApp. The posted payment link becomes inactive when the capacity of the lanes has been reached.
See here for more information re locations.
Masters Points Calculator
You may be interested in comparing your swim times with your own previous times or others’. Follow the link: http://www.masters-swim-calculators.com/
Sample Training Sets and Hints
Session 1
3-5 minute easy swim (200m-300m)
10 x 25m fc – fast but not sprinting, 10 seconds rest between each
10 x 100m fc
50m easy backstroke
5 x 100m IM
8 x 50m fc
Cool down
Total c2,400m
Session 2
3-5 minute easy swim (200m-300m)
10 x 25m fc – fast but not sprinting, 10 seconds rest between each
20 x 100m fc 10 seconds rest between each
50m easy backstroke
Cool down
Total c2,500m
Session 3
3-5 minute easy swim (200m-300m)
10 x 25m fc – fast but not sprinting, 10 seconds rest between each, include catch up or finger drag on every second one
5 x 50m fc – count stroke on first 50 reduce stroke count by 1 on each subsequent 50
Repeat 5 x50m – count stroke on first 50 reduce stroke count by 1 on each subsequent 50
4 x 100m IM
10 x 25m – watch the clock, your 2nd 25m should be faster than the 1st, the 3rd faster than the 2nd , 4th easy , 5th faster than 4th etc….
Swim down
Session 4
3-5 minute easy swim (200m-300m)
10 x 25m fc – fast but not sprinting, 10 seconds rest between each, include catch up or finger drag on every second one
Pyramids – fc
- 1 x 25 fc
- 1 x 50m
- 1 x 75
- 1 x 100
- 1 x 75
- 1 x 50
- 1 x 25 and repeat 4 times, 1 minute rest between each
Alternative pyramid – below is fast version – amend based on your own preferred pace
- 4 x 25 fc on 30 sec
- 4 x 50m on 50 sec
- 4 x75 on 1.10
- 4 x 100 on 1.30
Take a 2 minute break and then resume in reverse
- 4 x 100 on 1.30
- 4 x75 on 1.10
- 4×50 on 50 sec
- 4 x25 on 30 sec
Easy swim / cool down
Session 5
3-5 minute easy swim (200m-300m)
10 x 25m fc – fast but not sprinting, 10 seconds rest between each, include catch up or finger drag on every second one
4 x 400m fc
5 x 50m bc
Cool down
Total c2,300m
Hints for Swimming in a Public Lane
- Buddy up with folks in the lane to organise an informal set
- Sometimes people of varying abilities / speeds will be in your lane, so what to do – swim drills such as swimming with fists closed, doggy paddle or catch-up to focus on your stroke.
- Do short sets, e.g. mostly x25m and 50m per set, accepting that rest times may need to vary depending on lane traffic. Do these as sprints where possible.