One a day or two a day training?
tortuga
Senior Member
Which is more beneficial? One 2+ hour training session daily or two 1+ hour sessions?
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loneswimmer.com
You really do improve during the recovery time. And I firmly believe that marathon swimming, just like competitve pool swimming, has to go through similar yearly training cycles to not only be most effective, but prevent injury and burn out. I'm looking forward VERY MUCH to a taper time in only a little over a week! And then a period where I'll go back to more dryland/injury prevention, and stroke work. The cycle just continues. Like seasons of weather.
If time isn't a factor, I would value two workouts more if the sum of time/yardage in the water is greater than the single swim. Splitting a workout 50/50 is essentially taking a several hour break on the wall thereby killing your momentum.
However, I've discovered that splitting up a days training into 2 workouts has it's benefits. I did a bunch of pool meets in 2008-09. My pool in Texas got up to the high 80s in the summertime. We would often use morning workout to get long and easy yardage in. I would meet my coach at a different pool over lunch that was indoors. Since I had a morning swim, I was able to warm up pretty fast. After that, my main set (@ 3000 yards) would be at max performance with regards to short intervals and/or race pace. I was training to chase age group pool records at that time.
Each option has it's benefits and it's up to you to decide what your particular goal is at that particular time.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
The first workout of the day is the quality, "deliberate", primary workout of the day. I hit that one as prime importance. The poster above that mentioned the importance of doing high quality intense repeats all at once is correct and that's put first in the day for now. The second one is a base workout that stays the same and is about recovery and/or strength building. Always at least 4 hours between these workouts, and the 2nd one gets ditched if life or exhaustion intervenes to make it impossible. I pretty much make it always possible cause I'm crazy that way.
I have my suspicions that as I train over the next few years that these doubles will have an interesting effect on building my ability to truly swim all day.
I am fortunate in that I have a coach that designs what I do day to day and across the season and years. I also am a lucky lady in that I work at an aquatic facility so my training works with my actual work, and my family supports the time demands of my insanity. I'd be crazier without it, and they know it!:)
All that to just make the point that doubles can be beneficial depending on your events, your swim background, and your ability to actually swim 2x/day!
Not me. Having my sixth operation this Friday on my F-ed up back/hip. Comeback delayed again.
I did push a :58.5 100 free this AM, so you may live vicariously through me in that respect.
Was that SCY? Holy crap.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Thanks. I about had a heart attack! This is the most out of shape since back in 1994 when I started swimming again after blowing off the last few years of college swimming.
My back injury lets me swim some token workouts a few times a week, but nobodyb would mistake them as actual training.
I'd give almost anything to grind out 70k a week and pay a $1500 entry fee again. I live through you guys!
SO it's an old thread, but I'll jump in as I just had this conversation with my coach this week.
2 a days are helpful in two situations. Maybe more.
First one: you are new, recovering, or working on a specific stroke problem. It is better to do shorter sessions where you can focus and do good work than a long session where you get really tired at the end, and your technique etc fall apart.
Second situation: you are very fit and have the time to put in two excellent sessions.
I'm right now trying to correct an issue with my catch, and I am coming back from back injury, so I'm in the first one. Two a days can be a super effective tool to build base and endurance, but that said, once a week I still do one long swim....