How to Determine a Threshold Swimming Pace

Threshold pace, in the world of sports, is a pace that is "comfortably hard." That means you're approaching the border between an effort that can be maintained for long period of times and one that causes the muscles to burn to the point where you're unable to continue. Threshold pace workouts are helpful for improving swimming speed over long distances. Determining your threshold pace is the first step in allowing you to move faster through the water for longer periods of time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measured-distance pool (in yards or meters)
• Stopwatch
• Friend to help with timing, counting, and recording

1. Warm up. Your warmup should consist of 300-500 yards of easy swimming, followed by 5 or 6, 50-yard laps at a slightly faster pace. Rest for 10 to 20 seconds in between each lap.

2. Have a friend time you. This friend can also count your laps for you, and stop the stopwatch when you are done. Be sure also to have your friend tell you when you have completed your 1000 yards so that you don't keep swimming any more than you have to.

3. Swim for 1000 yards. You will do this at the fastest pace that you can maintain throughout the entire distance. This can be done without stopping, or you can do shorter distances such as 100 yards at a time with very short rests in between.

4. Cool down. Swim 200 yards at a slow and easy pace.

5. Record your time. After you've completed your swim, you'll have a time in minutes and seconds. It's useful to convert this entirely to seconds. Once you have that number, divide it by 10. Converting this number back to minutes and seconds at this point is helpful. This is your "T100" pace, the swimming pace per 100 yards that you can use to design threshold workouts for yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• The goal is to cover 1000 yards in the least amount of time possible, while keeping a steady pace throughout. In other words, don't start out too fast and then burn out at the end. You will get better at determining this with more swimming experience, so in subsequent weeks, as you repeat the test, it will become a better measure of your true "T" pace.
• Performing 100 yard repeats at your threshold pace will improve your performance. Therefore, it will be necessary to repeat this test at regular intervals to insure that you are getting the most benefit from your threshold-pace swims.
• If your pool is measured in meters, the same test can be performed using meters instead of yards.
• Consult your physician before beginning an exercise program, particularly if you have not been physically active or have a medical condition.
• Never swim alone. The best option is to have a lifeguard present.

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