2km is the sweet spot for most intermediate swimmers. Long enough to build aerobic fitness, short enough to do on a weekday morning. Here’s a workout that works.
Who This Is For
This workout is designed for swimmers who can:
- Complete 400m without stopping
- Sustain a pace of around 2:00–2:30 per 100m
- Have been swimming regularly for at least 3–6 months
If this feels too hard, scale down the main set. If it’s too easy, reduce the rest intervals.
The Workout
Total: 2,000m
Warm-Up — 400m
- 200m easy freestyle
- 4×50m as: 25m drill + 25m easy freestyle, :10 rest
Pre-Set — 300m
- 6×50m build (start easy, finish fast within each 50m), :15 rest
Main Set — 1,000m
- 10×100m on 2:00 (aim to finish in 1:40–1:50, leaving :10–:20 rest)
- Focus: hold consistent splits. Rep 10 should be close to rep 1.
Cool-Down — 300m
- 300m easy, any stroke
Pacing Strategy
The main set is the key. Ten 100s on 2:00 sounds manageable — and it is, if you pace correctly.
Common mistake: going out at 1:30 on rep 1 and dying through reps 7–10. Aim for your actual comfortable threshold pace. If that’s 1:45, swim 1:45 every rep.
Your goal is to complete rep 10 at the same pace as rep 1, not to survive rep 10.
How to Scale It
Too hard:
- Change to 8×100m instead of 10
- Increase rest to :30 instead of :20
- Slow the target pace — 2:00/100m instead of 1:45
Too easy:
- Reduce rest to :10
- Add a 5×100m descend set after the main set (swim each one faster)
- Add a kick-only set in the warm-up
Logging the Workout
Record your average pace per 100m across the main set. That’s your benchmark number. Track it over time in SwimBeat or your swim log — if it’s trending down week over week, your aerobic fitness is building.
Running This Weekly
This workout is sustainable 1–2 times per week. Alternate it with a technique-focused session (more drills, shorter intervals) or a longer easy swim.
After 4–6 weeks of consistent training, try dropping the rest interval by :05 and see if you can hold the same pace. That’s the simplest way to progressively overload this workout.