Swimming: Understanding T-Pace by John Josephs
Filed under: Workouts & Training Plans
Many of you may have seen "T-Pace" or Threshold Pace listed in Triathlete or Inside Tri magazine when describing swimming workouts. Since all of our training zones are calculated using Lactate Threshold (LT), it is necessary to determine our swimming LT. It is pretty simple to calculate and works well for describing workouts for various speed swimmers. Improving “T-Pace” after several weeks of training is an indicator of improved fitness and increased swimming speed.
In order to use T-pace you first need to calculate your individual swimming threshold. It is best described as the pace per 100 yards that you can consistently hold for a medium distance time trial (1000 - 1500 yards). There are a few different ways to calculate this but the easiest way is in the workout listed below. (WU stands for Warm-up, MS stands for Main Set, and CD stands for Cool-down.)
T-Pace Test:
WU: 10-20 minute total warm up - Start slow then gradually mixing in some pace/effort.
MS: This set will establish your “T-time.” After the warm-up,
Do 3 x 300 with :30 rest between each 300. The goal is to swim “race pace” but to keep at 300’s with :15 seconds of each other.
Record the total time in seconds into your log. Divide this time by 9. Record your average pace per 100. This pace will be called your “T-pace.”
CD: 5 -10 minutes
Total=approx 1500 yds.
Example:
Dave does his 1st 300 yard swim in 3:58, his second in 4:02 and his 3rd in 3:55. Add up all of the times and convert this time to seconds – 11:55 – or 715 seconds. Divide this by 9 and you get 79 seconds per 100 or 1:19/100 yards. A 50 yard T-pace is 39.5/50 yards.
This is your T-pace until you test again. There are other tests that are designed to get the same T-pace number but I think this is the most accurate way to calculate it.
How does T-pace fit into a "normal" swim workout?
Swim workouts will generally fall into 3 categories: Endurance, Muscular Endurance and Anaerobic Endurance.
Endurance: The primary purpose of endurance workouts is to improve aerobic capacity. Basically, E workouts are slightly SLOWER than T-pace. Muscular Endurance: The main emphasis of muscular endurance workouts is to improve LT. ME workouts are EQUAL to T-pace. Anaerobic Endurance: The significance of these sessions is to condition the body toward lactate tolerance and clearance. AE workouts are FASTER than T-pace.
Example of an Endurance Workout:
WU: Start slow and gradually build pace/effort. 4 x 200 done as 100 swim, 100 kick; 10 x 50 done as 25 drill (your limiter), 25 swim.
MS: 8 x 200 (10”) at T-pace + 10 sec (Dave would use 1:20+:10 seconds = 1:30 per 100 as his goal pace - he would aim to finish the 200's on 3:00 and then rest 10 seconds).
CD: 200 easy. Stretch out your stroke.
Total=3100 yds.
Example of a Muscular Endurance Workout:
WU: 5-10 minutes of swimming and kicking.
MS: 4 x 100 at T-pace (10”) with 30” recovery. (Dave would try and hold 1:20 per 100 and then rest 10 seconds after each 100. After the 4th - he gets 30 seconds rest)
4 x 100 at T-pace (10”). 30” recovery. (same) 4 x 100 at T-pace (10”). 30” recovery. (same)
CD: 500 steady swim. 6 x 50 kick easy
Total=2100+ yds.
Example of an Anaerobic Endurance Workout:
WU: 400 easy swim.
MS: 3 x 100 very fast (T-pace minus 5 seconds) (20”). (Dave would try and hold 1:15 per 100) 50 kick easy. 3 x 100 hold 1st set pace (30”). 50 kick easy. 3 x 100 hold 1st set pace (40”).
CD: 400 easy swim.
Total=1800 yds.
If you want any additional information on pacing, training or strokes work - feel free to contact jjkona@yahoo.com.