Mixed Stroke Recovery Swim
A 1900 m easy session that alternates freestyle with backstroke and breaststroke to loosen the shoulders and back after hard training days.
- Duration
- 51 minestimated
- Distance
- 1,900 m
- Effort
- 41
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus zone
- Recovery
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
100% is your threshold pace. Higher values are faster, lower values are slower.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upRecovery Easy freestyle | 300 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 2 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 3.1 | IntervalRecovery Kick, easy, any stroke | 50 m | 55-70% CSS pace |
| 3.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 4.1 | IntervalRecovery Freestyle, easy | 100 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 4.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4.3 | IntervalRecovery Backstroke, easy | 100 m | 72-82% CSS pace |
| 4.4 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 5.1 | IntervalRecovery Breaststroke, easy, long glide | 50 m | 60-75% CSS pace |
| 5.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 6.1 | IntervalRecovery Sculling, pull buoy, very easy | 50 m | 45-65% CSS pace |
| 6.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 7 | Cool-downRecovery Easy choice of stroke | 200 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
About this workout
Swimming other strokes at an easy pace uses the muscles differently from freestyle and spreads the load. Backstroke opens the chest and moves the shoulders in the opposite direction, breaststroke loosens the hips, and gentle sculling at the end needs almost no effort at all. Together they make a relaxed session that leaves you looser than before.
Everything here is swum at a recovery effort, well below your usual aerobic pace. Alternate easy freestyle and backstroke 100s with short rest, then swim a few lengths of breaststroke with a long glide, and finish with sculling on a pull buoy. There is no clock to beat and no stroke count to hit.
Use this session the day after a race, a hard threshold set or a long bike ride or run. If breaststroke bothers your knees, swim those lengths as freestyle or backstroke instead.
Tips
- Keep the heart rate low enough that you could chat at the wall.
- Let the backstroke lengths be long and slow, with a relaxed kick.
- Skip anything that feels stiff or sore.
Good forPoolMasters swimmingStandard-distance triathlon
Season phaseRecoveryAny time