This week’s open water workout feature comes from Nation’s Capital Swim Club head coach Bruce Gemmell.  Gemmell coached his son Andrew to open water prominence at the international level and the 2012 Olympic team. He was also Katie Ledecky’s coach heading into the 2016 Olympic Games. Gemmell served assistant coach for the 2016 U.S. Olympic women’s team.

The practice below is for intermediate-advanced level athletes with open water experience and incorporates a variety of strokes and drills that can be utilized in both open water and pool training.

Open water workouts do not have to be limited to freestyle. The practice coach Gemmell has provided is an example of how to incorporate variety.

Try it out:

Warm up: 12 minutes; 1:00 swim / 1:00 kick / 1:00 fly drill or breast (with or without fins)

36 minute continuous swim: 4:00 swim + :30 rest, or easy descend 1-4/5-8 on the swims; with or without fins is fine

Find “about 100m,” or 1:00-1:20 worth of swimming (You can use stroke count or shore markings, too)

• 12 x 100 @ 1:30: every 4th one fast
• 4 x 200 @ 3:00: odds, free/evens free/fly x 50 (with fins if doing fly)
• 8 x 50 @ 1:00: descend 1-4 / 5-8

• 3 x 40 strokes “out “(away / along shore) easy/smooth; flip turn + sprint back
• 3 x 20 strokes “out “(away / along shore) easy/smooth; flip turn + sprint back
• 3 x 10 strokes “out “(away / along shore) easy/smooth; flip turn + sprint back