Broken 1500m Pool Swim: Race Simulation with Rest

Session Overview

This 45-minute pool session uses a broken 1500m format to simulate Olympic triathlon race effort. By splitting the race distance into manageable intervals with short rest, you train at race pace without the accumulated fatigue of a continuous 1500m — making this an excellent sharpening session in the 2–3 weeks before an Olympic race.

What You’ll Need

• Pool lane (25m or 50m)
• Swim goggles and cap
• Pace clock or GPS watch with swim mode
• Pull buoy (optional — use for the final 400m of the main set to isolate upper body)

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

400m easy swim — alternate 50m freestyle with 50m backstroke to loosen your shoulders. Then 4 × 25m as: 1 easy, 1 fingertip drag drill, 1 catch-up drill, 1 easy. Focus on long strokes and a relaxed tempo before the main set.

Main Set

The broken 1500m is structured as three blocks. Start each interval at your target race pace — roughly 5–10 seconds per 100m slower than your CSS (Critical Swim Speed) pace. The short rest allows you to maintain quality without drifting into sprint territory.

• Block 1: 5 × 100m at race pace, 15 seconds rest between each (= 500m)
• Block 2: 4 × 150m at race pace, 20 seconds rest between each (= 600m)
• Block 3: 2 × 200m at race pace, 20 seconds rest between each (= 400m)
• Total main set: 1500m at race effort

Cool-Down (7 minutes)

300m easy — 100m backstroke, 100m easy freestyle focusing on technique, 100m choice. Shake out your shoulders and let your heart rate come down gradually. This is a good time to work on your stroke count per length as a measure of efficiency.

Coaching Notes

• Race pace should feel controlled, not desperate — you should be working hard but finishing each interval with something left.
• Track your times on every interval. Your pace should be consistent across all three blocks, not faster at the start and slower at the end.
• Common mistake: going out too fast in Block 1 and fading badly through Block 2. If this happens, add 5 seconds to your rest intervals next time.
• To make it harder: reduce rest to 10 seconds per interval. To make it easier: increase rest to 25–30 seconds or drop to 4 × 100m in Block 1.
• Target RPE: 7–8 throughout the main set. Heart rate should sit in Zone 4.