Welcome, fellow aquatic enthusiasts, to the first installment of our journey into the mysterious and often perplexing world of swimming metrics. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just getting your feet wet, understanding these test sets and equations can help you transform from a floundering fish to a streamlined speedster. Let's plunge into the basics.

The Basics: SR x SL = SE

Ah, the classic equation that has haunted many a swimmer's dreams (or nightmares). Stroke Rate (SR) multiplied by Stroke Length (SL) equals Swimming Efficiency (SE). Simple, right? Well, sort of. SR is the number of strokes you take per minute, and SL is the distance you cover per stroke. Multiply these two, and you get SE—a measure of how efficiently you're gliding through the water.

But let's be real for a moment. We've all had those days where we feel like we're paddling furiously yet moving nowhere fast. That's where the next set of tests comes in to fine-tune your performance.

Critical Swim Speed (CSS)

CSS is the holy grail for endurance swimmers. It's the pace you can maintain continuously without feeling like your lungs are about to burst. To determine your CSS:

Swim a timed 400m at your best effort.
Rest and recover (aka catch your breath and contemplate life).
Swim a timed 200m at your best effort.
Plug these times into an online CSS calculator or subtract your 200M time from your 400M time…then divide that number by 2 which gives you your CSS pace per 100M.

Voila! You now have your CSS pace, your baseline efficiency, the pace you can hold comfortably over long distances without resembling a gasping fish out of water. CSS pace is a good predictor of your 1500M race time.

The Ramp Test: Pushing Boundaries

Next up is the ramp test, a favorite among those who enjoy flirting with the edge of their capabilities. The ramp test involves incrementally increasing your stroke rate to find your optimal performance balance. This is be performed with a Finis Tempo Trainer on Setting #3 (I use mine all the time). Here's the scoop:

Start at a comfortable stroke rate (55spm/hand splashes for example) and swim a set distance (e.g., 50m).
Record your time, perceived effort, and number of strokes .
Increase your stroke rate slightly (+3spm) and repeat the swim.
Continue increasing the stroke rate until your time plateaus or your heart feels like it's about to pop.

This test helps identify your ideal stroke rate for various distances, balancing speed and exertion without turning you into a wheezing mess.

The T30 Test: Endurance and Aerobic Capacity

The T30 Test is the marathon of swimming tests. It's designed to measure your aerobic capacity and endurance. Here's how you do it:

Warm-Up: Start with a thorough warm-up to get your body ready (and your mind psyched).
Swim: Swim continuously for 30 minutes, maintaining a steady pace.
Count Laps: Keep track of the number of laps or the total distance swum (or have someone do it for you if counting isn't your thing).
Record Data: At the end of the 30 minutes, record the total distance.

For example, if you swim 2,000 meters in 30 minutes, your pace per 100 meters is 1:51.12. It's a simple, way to gauge your endurance.

SWOLF: The Swim-Golf Connection

Just when you thought you could escape golf analogies, here comes SWOLF. SWOLF, or Swim-Golf, is a metric that combines stroke count and time, and is included in most wearables. Here's how it works:

Swim a set distance (e.g., 25m or 50m).
Record your time and stroke count.
Add the time (in seconds) to the number of strokes taken.

A lower SWOLF score indicates better efficiency. It's like a golf score—lower is better. So, if you enjoy keeping score (and let's be honest, who doesn't?), SWOLF is your new best friend.

Conclusion: The Missing Pieces

All these equations and test sets are well and good, but they’re missing two key components: heart rate and goal setting.

Heart Rate (at what cost?): Sure, you might be swimming faster, but if your heart rate is through the roof, you're not exactly swimming efficiently. In our next post, we'll dive into how to incorporate heart rate into your swimming efficiency equation, ensuring you're not just swimming fast, but sustainably.

Goal Setting: These tests measure your current condition, but they don't tell you where you need to be for your specific event. How do you set realistic goals and tailor your training to meet them? We'll cover that too, because knowing where you are is only half the battle—knowing where you need to go is the key to victory.

Stay tuned for the next installment, where we’ll bring heart rate and goal setting into the mix, transforming these metrics into a comprehensive training strategy that’s as practical as it is effective. Dive in, swim smart, and remember—efficiency is not just about the numbers; it's about finding the balance that works for you.

Mastering Swimming Efficiency: The Guide to Test Sets