[ivantriker]

Hi!

I plan to start IM 70.3 Level 3 training plan next week, but I would like to increase the swimming.

I would like to increase the meters by 50% up to 10-12km /week. I would add more volume to some workuts (up to 2500-3500m) and/or add a 4th weekly session.

would it be reasonable to add volume by adding same “addon” blocks: “4×50 drill + 200 Z2 + 4×25 Z4” = 500m 80% (Z1Z2) 20% (Z3Z4)?

[leyla@8020endurance.com]

Hi Ivan!

Yes I’m a big fan of more swimming for triathletes..:)
What you have suggested is a great start. If you want to improve your swimming technique then adding in an additional session can be good (so frequency over volume first). This allows you to swim well more often and protects those shoulders as they adjust to the increase in volume.
If you have a good swim technique and simply looking to now add more volume to the existing workouts then I like to do a couple of things with different workouts to achieve this:

1. Extend the warm up (up to double) and add a preset to shorter high intensity sessions.
2. Add a post set to longer endurance sessions with drill work and use of swim aids like pull buoy or fins.

Keep the intensity part as is designed in the plan, and you are simply adding volume at low intensity this way. Once you feel pretty solid with this approach you can then add in the additional intensity to these approaches (so some faster swimming in the preset of the first example, and some fast short intervals in the post set of the second).

Leyla

[ivantriker]

thanks! I will do as you say!

[Bstarr]

Ivantriker

I asked a similar question to which David responded here:

Incorporating more swim volume in a L1 tri plan

I asked about a slightly different approach. Mine is simply to choose a same family workout with more volume (ie. replace an SCI2 with an SCI3) as well as add a 4th day varied to maintain the 80/20 ratio.

[ivantriker]

@Bstarr thanks for your answer.

Yes, I read your post previously, I may may my question there instead opening a new thread.

I would like a different approach because next reasons:
– it would be easier to mantain the ratio (or not modify them too much by adding 80/20 blocks), like proposed.
– I think that introducing that kind of additional work, would not introduce so much fatigue but it would be an extra work with technical focus.
– I would like to mantain the “progression” estimulous in the “main part” of the workout.

During the maintenance work (I have to say that I followed for only last 5 weeks because I followed another training plan before) I found that p.e. that 5×100 Z3 is enough for me, and in the first week of the L3 plan I ‘ll find a 500Z3 or 10x100Z3 (5x200Z3 in the second week), I don’t want to make it harder than that from start, because later I should progress even more.

It is my first 80/20 plan, so I have to test it.

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