Suggested Sessions to try with your Wetronome!

By Paul Newsome

The aim of this article is to provide you, the Wetronome Pacing Tool user, with 3 suggested swim sessions and 2 suggested run sessions to try utilising your newly purchased Wetronome Pacing Tool as effectively as possible.

Download the printable version of this article.

What is Stroke Rate?

Before we move any further, may I suggest that you have a good read through this Stroke Rate article for reference to acquiring an optimal balance between stroke / stride length and stroke / stride rate in the first instance. Particularly with respect to swimming, acquiring a good, smooth and efficient freestyle stroke where the emphasis is on developing stroke length should be your primary purpose. You will see though with these training sessions, how stroke rate training doesn't have to mean increased stroke rate training, we can use the Wetronome Pacing Tool just as effectively to slow the stroke rate down and increase the stroke length in order to allow the swimmer to work on enhancing their catch and feel for the water. This will lead to a smooth and relaxed freestyle stroke through enhanced core body rotation.

Defining Your Individual "Base Rate" for Swimming:

OK, first things first; stroke rate in swimming (even more-so than stride rate in running) is a very individualistic thing, and whilst the article detailed above serves to demonstrate the typical range of stroke rates exhibited by certain swimmers in certain situations / environments or at certain levels of ability, the most important thing to remember is that you are an individual. So, rather than saying "try to hit a stroke rate of 66spm for 200m freestyle" we more accurately need to say "try to hit a stroke rate of xspm higher or lower than your base rate". So obviously before you get started training with the Wetronome, we need to ascertain your base rate stroke or stride rate. Here's how to do that:

Unlike counting your strokes in the pool over 25, 50 or 100m, which you can obviously easily do for yourself to determine your relative stroke length; to determine your stroke rate (as expressed as a certain number of strokes per minute or SPM), you will need the aid of a coach or friend to help you. A suggested way of doing this would be to swim 400m continuously and ask a friend or coach to count the number of strokes (left = 1, right = 2, left = 3…etc) you take in either 15 / 20 seconds (in a 25m pool) or in 30 seconds (in a 50m pool) and multiply this value by either 4/3 or 2 respectively to give you a stroke rate per minute.

Ideally this 400m should be done at about race pace for your target race distance (i.e. 750, 1500, 1.9km or 3.8km), and the stroke rate should be assessed in the latter half of the 400m swim once you have settled into your natural rhythm. Make no attempt to change your stroke whilst doing this. The coach or friend might like to do this 2 or 3 times and take an average value to give you a better reflection of your typical stroke rate or "Base Rate" (BR). With the BR determined we are now in a situation where we can progress to the suggested training sessions.

Defining Your Individual "Base Rate" for Running:

With respect to running, stride rate is generally agreed by researchers, coaches and experts alike to be more economical for distance runners to run with a gait which doesn't extend too far forward of a plumb-line directly below your centre or mass (your pelvis essentially). This tries to discourage an "over-stride" or excessive "heel strike" effect, which would be like putting the brakes on and could result in injury in the long-term. The foot strike is generally agreed to be best placed as a mid-foot strike taking place underneath the centre of mass, which will initially encourage a slightly shorter stride but with it a much higher turnover. Whilst body height and leg length will still lead to individual differences in people's gait and turnover (i.e. a smaller runner will by nature have a shorter stride and must therefore have a higher turnover or stride rate in order to keep up with a taller runner running at the same speed), it is generally agreed that a good, economical stride rate would be in the region of 88-92spm, very similar in fact to how an economical cycle pedal cadence is believed to occur around 95rpm (revolutions per minute). However, you will still need to analyse your own gait first, see where its at currently and then work to progress steadily towards a higher turnover if that is what you need to do to improve your economy. So how do you do this?

Well, very simply actually. Head out for a 30 minute run, at some point in the latter half of that run, lift your speed to about typical race pace for 5-minutes at a pace you would be able to realistically maintain for your target race distance (e.g. 5km, 10km, 21.1km, 42.2km etc). Between minutes 3 and 4 count how many times your right foot only (different to swimming where you are counting both right and left arms) strikes the ground. It is best to do this over a flat terrain of uniform surface. This value is your BR strides per minute for your current running gait.

Now we have those two values lets move on>>

(NB. it is well advisable with all these sessions to follow a structured and progressive warm-up prior to commencing the main sets listed below. Examples of good progressive and structured swim sets are available with the Swim Smooth DVD boxset on the bonus CD-ROM, details of which can be found at the program page)