Broken 2000m Pool Time Trial Session

Session Overview

A broken time trial uses short rest intervals to let you sustain a pace close to your continuous best. This 2,000m session splits the distance into four 500m blocks with 30-second rests, helping you hold CSS pace or faster while monitoring your consistency lap to lap. It’s an excellent benchmark session to repeat every 4–6 weeks to track swim fitness gains.

What You’ll Need

• Pool access (25m or 50m)
• Pace clock or waterproof watch
• Pull buoy (optional for warm-down)
• Notebook or swim log to record splits

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Swim 400m easy as 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle with relaxed long strokes. Follow with 4x50m as 25m fingertip-drag drill plus 25m full stroke, 15 seconds rest each. Shake out any tightness and get used to the water temperature before starting the main set.

Main Set

The main set is 2,000m broken into four 500m efforts with 30 seconds rest between each. Target the same split for all four — if your 4th 500m is more than 10 seconds slower than your 1st, you started too fast. Aim for CSS pace or slightly faster.

• 500m time trial effort — record your split
• 30 seconds rest
• 500m time trial effort — aim to match your first split
• 30 seconds rest
• 500m time trial effort — hold on and maintain form
• 30 seconds rest
• 500m time trial effort — finish as strong as you started

Cool-Down (8 minutes)

Swim 200m easy backstroke, then 200m gentle freestyle at Zone 1 effort. Focus on controlled breathing and relaxing your stroke after the sustained effort. Note your four 500m splits and calculate your average pace per 100m.

Coaching Notes

• Your average pace across all four 500s is your benchmark — try to improve it next time
• Consistent splits indicate good pacing; a dramatic drop in the final 500 means adjust your target next session
• To make it harder: reduce rest to 20 seconds between each 500m
• To make it easier: break the set into 10x200m with 20 seconds rest instead