Pace Clock |
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The Pace Clock are those large clocks typically found at the ends of the pool. They have a large second and minute hand and are indispensable for timing your swims and interval sets. You can wear a waterproof Casio type wristwatch but a pace clock can be seen by everyone and is great for performing team interval sets (when everyone does the same sets). Timed swims are an excellent method for measuring your progress. Over the season, you can periodically time yourself over a set distance of 1Km or 1 mile. Alternatively, you can check how far you can swim in a set time period of say, 30 minutes. The most common type of interval training is called Straight Sets. Assume you are doing 10 x 100M on 2:00 (which means 10 repetitions or sets of 100M swum every 2 minutes). You start the first 100M when the second hand is 'on the top' (:00) and if you return in 1:30, you start again 'on the top' (ie 2 minute interval between sets) which gives you 30 seconds rest. The time taken to swim each set should be consistent. With straight sets, the distance and the time interval between sets are constant. Other types of interval training include Fixed Rest Sets where the amount of rest following each set is fixed. An example is 10 x 100M with :40 rest which means 10 sets of 100M and you rest for 40 seconds between each set. There are also Ascending and Descending Interval Sets. An example of the tougher Descending Interval Set is 5 x 100M on :05 descending starting at 2:00. The second 100M is swum on 2:00 and thereafter, the interval between sets (ie starting time) is reduced by 5 seconds after every swim (ie shown on clock as 1:55, 1:50, 1:45 etc). If you start 'on the top' your 2nd-5th sets would start on :00, :55, :45, :30, :10). An Ascending set is the opposite of a Descending Set so that with the same workout, the rest rest time is increased by 5 seconds (ie 2 -5th sets start on :00, :05, :10, :15). Pyramid sets are a combination of Descending/Ascending sets. Assume 10 sets of 100M on :05 descend starting at 2:00. You descend 5 seconds for each set for the first 5 sets and then ascend 5 seconds for the remaining 5 sets. Another type of interval training is Ladders - you swim descending (or ascending or pyramid) distances such as 300, 250, 200, 150, 100 & 50M at a consistent pace and rest according to the distance swum (eg rest 15 secs for every 50M completed). |
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