Swim 2.4 miles for ironman

           The Ironman swim distance is 2.4 miles. 

If you can swim one mile (0 to One Mile), it is easy to increase to 2.4 miles without unusual effort.  Beginning with a straight swim of 1650 yards or 1500 meters every Monday for a month, + two swim workouts of the same distance per week, increasing by 500 meters per month, it will take 6 months to reach 2.4 miles.  Fridays the distance is broken into 10 times 150, increasing by 50 yards or meters each month so that the final month includes 10 x 400.  It is a tedious set and fully prepares the Ironman swimmer for the mental endurance required.  Wednesdays are mentally easier, but train the body better than a distance swim.  Those workouts can consist of ladders, pyramids, descending sets, alternating straight and broken swims, and similar sets.  Examples can be found at: Fifty Swim Workouts.   Tuesdays and Thursdays, if you swim five times per week, can be other strokes, drills, running in water, generally enjoyable swimming.

For example

First Month

Mondays



Straight 1500

Months 2 to 6

Increase by 500s to 4000

Tuesdays

 

Various strokes, drills, or water run, or no swim No change in distance

Wednesdays

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ladder,1650
11 lengths, 10, 9,
8, down to 1 (10 sec.rest between)
or
Pyramid
2x50 on :50
or whatever gives you 5 to 10 seconds rest
2x100 on 1:45
2x150 on 2:40
2x200 on 3:30
2x150 on 2:40
2x100 on 1:45
2x50 on :50

or
Descending sets
3x100
(each 100 2 seconds faster)
rest 15 seconds
3x100 (same as above)
repeat until you've done 5 (3x100)
each time starting slowly and decreasing the 100s by 2 seconds

or
Alternate straight/broken swims
150
6x50 on whatever gives you 10 seconds rest
repeat four times

Increase the distance by
500 meters or yards per month.  The same formats
can be used or varied, but
the yardage adjusted.
 
For example:
Pyramid...
8x50
6x75
4x100
200
4x100
6x75
8x50
= 2400
or
200
2x175
3x150
4x125
5x100
6x75
7x50
8x25
=3000

There are many workouts like
these at 50 Swim Workouts

Thursdays Same as Tuesday Remains  short and sweet
Fridays 10 x 150 Increase to ugh 10x400

The last week of the last month, after doing the 4000 straight 3 times
  cut back radically to about 1000 yards or meters per day before
the race.Two days before, do nothing and the day before the race
just get in thewater long enough to loosen up,not more 15 minutes.

(New - A Facebook discussion group has been put up
by a swimmer doing the swim-one-mile plan. If you would
like to join or begin a discussion please go to FB 0-1650 talk
)

Home
SWIMMING
50 WORKOUTS
ZERO TO ONE MILE IN SIX WEEKS
BARE BONE BASICS
IRONMAN SWIM
ULTRA DISTANCE SWIM
FLIP TURNS
SWIM GLOSSARY
THE ADULT LEARNER
MINIMAL TRAINING FOR A SPRINT TRIATHLON
surviving the swim leg of the triathlon