Coach, Hi!! My name is , I am a who is years of age.
This time, I would like swimming workout! I am training for the My best time in that event is: hours, minutes, seconds, and one-hundreths of a second.
I currently train in a pool that is: in length. I would like to swim
I know and would like to do my own drills. I have kicking equipment and would like to kick. I have fins and would like to use them. I have pulling equipment and would like to pull.
I have hour(s) and minutes to swim.

Random Workout Generator 1.1

by My Swim Coach


Begin your workout with a Warm-Up:

Now get your heart rate up with:

Prepare for the Main Set with:

Now take on the Main Set:

After the Main Set wind down with:

End your workout with a Cool-Down:







Frequently Asked Questions:




Click here to view the Version History!



I'm not training for an event, do I still need to enter a time?

Unfortunately, Ginny, the swimming-workout-generating-hamster, cannot generate a workout without knowing how much distance you can swim in a certain amount of time, which is another way of saying, "how fast can you swim?"  If you do not have a time, My Swim Coach encourages you to get a time during one of your swim sessions by swimming a distance equal to that of one of the standard races listed in the generator gadget area.

First, determine an appropriate distance:

If you enjoy swimming workouts with longer distances of swimming and shorter periods of rest, make sure to choose a longer distance with which to test yourself.  If you enjoy swimming workouts with shorter distances of swimming and longer periods of rest, make sure to choose a shorter distance with which to test yourself.  Don't forget to determine the course of the pool and whether the pool is measured in meters or yards!!

Long Course Meters:

This is for all distances swum in a 50 meter pool, a.k.a. "Olympic Size."  No, your neighborhood pool is most likely NOT an Olympic sized pool!  The race options "1500/1650", "800,1000", and "400/500" are separate standards of essentially the same race.  Setting "Long Course Meters" or "Short Course Meters" along with those races sets the race distance to 1500 meters, 800 meters, and 400 meters, respectively.

Short Course Meters:

This is for all distances swum in a 25 meter pool, which is the standard short course for most of the world.  The race options "1500/1650", "800,1000", and "400/500" are separate standards of essentially the same race.  Setting "Long Course Meters" or "Short Course Meters" along with those race distances sets the race distance to 1500 meters, 800 meters, and 400 meters, respectively.

Short Course Yards:

This is for all distances swum in a 25 yard pool, which is the standard short course for most of the USA, its age group programs, and its collegiate swimming conferences.  The race options "1500/1650", "800,1000", and "400/500" are separate standards of essentially the same race.  Setting "Short Course Yards" along with those race distances sets the race distance to 1650 yards, 1000 yards, or 500 yards, respectively.

Open Course Meters:

This is for all distances, measured in meters, swum in the open water, where all triathlon and open water races are held.  Yes, you may get a time in your Grandma's lake as long as you know the distance in meters that you swam--try your best to avoid any alligators!

Record your time!

Make sure to record how long it took you to complete that distance so that you may enter that time into the generator for next time you swim.  Also, consider entering a time which is faster than the time you recorded so that it may be used as a goal time!  Once the user is able to find their correct pace, it is easy to generate a workout appropriate for their needs.  In other words, using this tool you can track your progress and improvement as time goes on!!

Example:

Joe doesn't have a time, but he would like to start getting in shape and thought he would give the generator a try!  He is down in Florida at the moment; and, they have plenty of 50m pools.  But, soon, he is heading back up North, where there are very few 50m pools because indoor pools are more expensive to maintain.  Joe's plan is to time himself in a 1500m freestyle in the nearby 50m pool while he is still down in Florida.  He chose the 1500m freestyle because he likes to keep swimming and thought he would rather have longer distances to swim and shorter rest cycles between each distance.

Once up north, Joe can enter the time from his 1500m swim into the workout generator and choose "1500/1650", "Long Course Meters," and "freestyle."  The pool length he enters, though, does not have to be 50 meters.  Instead he can enter 20 yards, which is the length of the small pool which is closer to where he's going to be staying.  Not too much farther away still there is a pool that is 25 yards in length, in which he will swim every once in a while.  Either way the Random Swimming Workout Generator has Joe covered.  He can just change the pool length option accordingly.

Moving forward, Joe can set the time in the generator to a time faster than his current time, as a goal time to be achieved in the future.  This will increase the pace times and intervals of his workout.  Also, he has the freedom to use the intensity modifier to adjust his workout.  If, after a while of swimming, he finds that "difficult" workouts are no longer challenging, he can bump it up to "gut wrenching."  Once he is comfortable swimming 100-110% workouts, Joe can assume that he could swim a faster time than the time that he had entered previously.  If Joe decides, at that point, to enter a faster time as a goal, he can then set the workout intensity to 85% to 90%, and then continue to aim towards being able to accomplish a workout with the new goal time at 100% intensity.

How are the intervals determined?

Sprint Energy System:

If the user enters a race distance that is shorter than 200 units of distance, the race is considered a "sprint" event.  All workouts generated with a "sprint" event will include goal times which are sometimes significantly slower than the user's race pace with longer intervals for rest cycles during the set before the main set, and the main set.  During these two sets, the user is strongly encouraged to swim the distances at a pace  faster than the goal time if possible, according to the overall intensity of the workout, allowing for plenty of time to recover during the rest cycle before starting the next distance.

Anaerobic Threshold Energy System:

If the user enters a race distance that is longer than 200 and shorter than 800 units of distance, the race is considered an "anaerobic" event.  All workouts generated with an "anaerobic" event will include goal times which are slower than the user's race pace with average intervals for rest cycles during the set before the main set, and the main set.  During these two sets, the user is encouraged to swim the distances at a pace faster than the goal time if possible, according to the overall intensity of the workout, allowing for a modest amount of time to recover during the rest cycle before starting the next distance.

Aerobic Threshold Energy System:

If the user enters a race distance that is 800 units of distance or more in length, the race is considered an "aerobic" event.  All workouts generated with an "aerobic" event will include goal times which are only slightly slower than the user's race pace with short intervals for rest cycles during all of the sets.  For each set, the user is encouraged to swim the distances at a pace equal to the goal time if possible, according to the overall intensity of the workout, allowing for just enough time during the rest cycle to recover before starting the next distance.

Why does My Swim Coach need all of that data and how is it used?

User data will not be used for any other purpose other than to generate a random workout.  All of the fields are required for the computation of the workout except for the name and preference choices.  Each individual input field is covered in more detail below.

The data is fed through an algorithm that is designed to write a workout with randomly generated sets based on the pace that the user is capable of swimming and how much available time the user has to swim.  JavaScript MUST be enabled in order for the generator to function.  All of the functions of the generator are run on the client browser window.  No information is stored or computed server-side.

Name:

The name input is an optional feature.  If the user prefers not to enter a name, a novelty random name will be created based on the entered gender.  While it is possible to generate a workout for "Seymore Butts," My Swim Coach is not responsible for potentially offensive names which may be entered into the generator.  String validation for name input is not possible without inconvenient unintended consequences or fewer options for users.  Other than to personalize the randomly generated workout, entered names will not be saved or used for any other reason by My Swim Coach.

Gender:

Conversion factors used in the generator differ for men and women because of statistical physiological differences in strength and endurance.  Statistically speaking*, and in very general terms, men are stronger and women have more endurance.  In regards to the generator, men gain more of an advantage from flip-turns than women do; conversely, women can hold a faster pace in the longer races based on their times in the shorter races.  Gender is also a factor in determining the Max Heart Rate.

*Individual results may vary if the user were to have a level of strength or endurance that may be considered a statistical outlier compared to the normal distribution of their gender.

Age:

Age is only used in order to determine max heart rate respective of gender.  In combination with the intensity factor, which is explained below, the target heart rate for each set is given.  The generator will not give heart rate data for those swimmers under the age of 18 or over the age of 120. The target heart rate is meant to be an approximate guide and is based on statistical averages in female and male samples.

The target heart rate will be listed last in each set, like in this example format, "HR: 150 BPM (25 per 10 sec)." In order for the user to determine if the target heart rate is being met, find the pulse at any point during or just after the set, count the number of beats for 10 seconds, and match that with the number inside the parenthesis "per 10 sec" to gauge the effort of the swim against the proposed target heart rate. The target heart rate is determined using statistical averages and therefore the user may find the target heart rate too demanding or too easy to accomplish.

The target heart rate is not to be strictly followed especially in the event of unreasonable discomfort!!  My Swim Coach does not recommend pushing the body beyond its comfortable limit and does not assume responsibility for potential risks to the cardiovascular health of the user. If the user finds that the workouts are challenging beyond unreasonable discomfort, a more appropriate Workout Intensity of a lesser challenge level may be required.

Intensity:

The intensity factor represents the overall intensity of the workout by modifying the race pace determined from the entered best time, which is explained below, and will also modify the target heart-rate for each set.

WARNING:  A workout intensity factor of 100% may support results in the Main Set portion of the workout that could have the swimmer hold pace times EQUAL to or very close to the pace of the best-time for the race entered!!  Please be careful while selecting the workout intensity!  Entering extreme intensity levels introduces the possibility of generating a workout that is outside of the physiological capability of the individual swimmer!  The individual user takes full responsibility for the health risks involved in attempting to swim very difficult workouts.  My Swim Coach only knows how to write workouts based on entered data, and does not assume responsibility for the potential health risks involved with selecting extreme intensity levels.

Race Distance:

The generator supports all standard FINA distances, several sprint triathlon distances, Olympic, Half and Full Triathlon distances, and two open water distances of 5k and 10k. The distances listed for the triathlon races are for the swim portion only.  For the inputs that have 2 distances, the Race Standard must be set accordingly in order to get the correct distance.  For example, while selecting the "400 or 500," a distance of 500 will be selected if  "Short Course Yards" is selected for the Race Standard, and a distance of 400 will be selected if "Short Course Meters" or "Long Course Meters" are selected for the Race Standard, which is discussed in more detail below.

Race Standard:

Set the appropriate FINA course which may or may not modify the Race Distance, as explained above.  "Open Course Meters" must be selected in order to enter a triathlon or an open-water Race Distance.  The "Open Course" standard is listed in "meters" and therefore all of the "Open" class races are to be calculated from meters.

Race Stroke:

All four standard strokes and individual medley are included.  For all pseudo-strokes like "total immersion freestyle" or any other type of stroke the user is comfortable with, in regards to the generator, please select "Freestyle."

Individual Medley will be converted to a set pace based on statistically based formulas, but the generated workouts will NOT include Individual Medley as a stroke result.  The option solely exists in order to give the user flexibility in the entering of a race at a certain distance and time.

Race Time:

The generator will accept 100 pace times from a minimum of around 35-40 seconds, depending on the distance of the race, up to a maximum of 2 minutes and 40 seconds!  A pace time determines how much the user can swim in a given amount of time, and therefore there must be limits on the Race Time or there will not be realistic results in the workout.

For example, in a 30 minute workout the user will only have 5 minutes allotted for some of the sets, which barely allows someone, who can swim a 100 distance every 2 minutes and 40 seconds, very much distance to break up into a proper set.  If you are not able to cover a distance of 100 yard or meters in under 2 minutes and 40 seconds and live in the metro Atlanta area, contact My Swim Coach in order to inquire about private instruction!

For triathlon races, input the time for the swimming portion of the corresponding event only! Do not enter a total time for the event, which may include the two transition sections along with the bike and the run portions. The generator is only concerned with the swim portion of triathlon races. Conditional factors such as inclement weather, incorrect navigation, and substandard course measurements may contribute to apparent statistical deviations to converted pace times from the open course to the training pool course.

If, after swimming a randomly generated workout, the user feels that the set paces are too fast or too slow compared to the entered race time, do not adjust the race time, simply adjust the Workout Intensity accordingly.  Either way, the user has enough flexibility to generate a workout appropriately paced for the user's benefit.

Pool Length:

Non-standard pool distances are available between 10 and 50!!  This is especially handy for those who swim in pools which have an "unorthodox" length, which may have been designed for recreational use, as is often the case with hotel pools, for instance.  For your convenience, My Swim Coach has included the number of lengths within the set instructions for clarification!

Preferences:

Customize your workout with drills, kicking, and with whatever you have brought with you inside of your equipment bag!  If you dislike swimming a particular stroke, select the "all strokes except <the disliked stroke>" option.  If you only want to swim freestyle, select the "to swim only Freestyle" option.  If you have no particular preference, select the "all strokes equally" option.

Workout Time:

Workouts from 30 minutes long up to 5 hours long are possible!  Warning: My Swim Coach does not recommend that the user participate in extended periods of exertion for longer than an hour and a half.  To perform at a high intensity for much longer than an hour and a half, the body must have sufficient nutrition in the form of readily available fuel inside the muscle.  The individual user takes full responsibility for the health risks involved in attempting to swim very long workout times.  My Swim Coach only knows how to write workouts based on entered data, and does not assume responsibility for the possible health risks involved with attempting extreme workout times.

What's up with the hamster?

Ginny the hamster volunteered to help My Swim Coach power the servers responsible for generating your workouts.  Ginny is currently training for the Hamster Olympics in the 1500 paw otter-stroke, but rather enjoys cross-training on her modified hamster-wheel which generates a whopping 1.21 ginny-watts of generation power.  Tell her to "get a move on it" in order to generate your workout!!

Why was the link to donate via Paypal added?

My Swim Coach is dedicated to keeping this service readily and freely available to the swimming world. Ginny, the hamster, is very efficient at what she does but she eats more than she would like to let on, if you know what I mean. Several requests have been made for a way to offer support. Donations are not necessary, but are very appreciated!! Thank you very much!! Please let us know if there are any questions or concerns!!

Will a donation make my workouts any easier?

No.

For more information please contact us










Version History




Click here to view the F.A.Q.


Version 1.1 Notes:


The Random Swimming Workout Generator has moved! Minor fixes and adjustments:

12/17/2015: v1.1.1:

A PayPal Donation button has been added.

The visual layout of the interface was simplified and made to be more responsive across differing device platforms.

The wording of one of the input alerts was changed in order to clear up potential ambiguity.

The Random Swimming Workout Generator will now be at swimmingworkouts.online. The old version will eventually redirect to the new site so the old link will never be useless.

Version 1.0 Notes:

Minor fixes and adjustments:

6/17/2014: v1.0.11:

Fixed an issue in which text wrapping within the gadget area caused some input fields to be displayed on top of one another while the browser is zoomed out below 90%.

5/8/2014: v1.0.10:

For sets containing only one sendoff distance in a sprint or anaerobic threshold workout, where the amount of rest is already sufficient, the 1:00 of additional rest before the next set was removed and was added as left-over time to be distributed to the following sets in the workout, thereby increasing the overall time available for their respective set generation.

Formatting was improved to properly describe the sets of all workouts containing only one sendoff distance.

5/7/2014: v1.0.9:

Added a welcome alert on the initial page load with helpful tips for using the generator.

3/25/2014: v1.0.8:

Formatting for Race Time validation has been improved.

3/19/2014: v1.0.7:

The way the generator looks on handheld devices has been improved.

2/23/2014: v1.0.6:

Actual workout time was designed to be just under the total workout time entered by the user.  This apparent left over time has been added to the Cool-down time.  This will not have any effect on the workout; however, actual workout time and total workout time should now be exactly the same.

2/18/2014: v1.0.5:

The goal times for distances above 100 for the sprint workouts and for distances of 300 and above for the anaerobic threshold workouts have been adjusted according to their respective energy systems.  This will result in more realistic goal times for relatively long distances according to a sprint or anaerobic threshold workout.

The calculation to determine the target heart rate was improved to better reflect the set intensity according to each energy system.

Rest cycles were increased slightly for the set before the main set, and the main set of workouts made for races of the sprint and anaerobic energy system.

Set intensity has been increased slightly, respective of the energy system.  At 100% intensity: the sprint and anaerobic threshold set paces will build up to a pace slightly slower than back-end race pace (the split of the last 50 of a 100 or 200 race) so that the user can achieve the goal of swimming faster than the goal time.  At 100% intensity: the aerobic threshold set paces will build up to a pace equal to the race pace of the time entered which is the goal of the user.

Formatting has been improved.  The set instructions on the workout sheet and the instructions in the gadget area are now more clear.

2/16/2014: v1.0.4:

Formatting has been improved, especially for results constrained by set distances resulting from slower pace times over shorter available workout times.

The Warm-Up and Cool-Down pace has been increased.

Rest cycles for the first and last anaerobic threshold sets have been increased.

Intensity modifiers for first and last sprint and anaerobic threshold sets have been changed to allow for a more gradual increase in intensity throughout the workout.

The conversion factors which modify all race times in order to convert them into an appropriate base set pace have been changed to reflect a more realistic statistical distribution.

2/15/2014: v1.0.3:

The combined effect of setting the race options to "400/500" "SCY" and "individual medley," set the race distance to  500 yards for the 400 SCY IM.  This set of options now uses the proper distance of 400 yards.

The modifying factor for "kicking with fins" has been changed so that the set pace times for that preference are faster.

2/14/2014: v1.0.2:

Fixed an issue in which the total workout time deviated from how much time would elapse if the actual set times were added together.

2/10/2014: v1.0.1:

Bugs in the programming are to be expected, if you wish to report a bug, please contact us in order to help My Swim Coach continue to fine tune the generator.  All serious bug or error reports that you wish to be addressed should have "Bug Report" in the subject line of your email.  Please leave a detailed message about a particular bug or error you are experiencing.  Your patience is appreciated in the addressing of bug reports.  We will make an attempt to address each and every concern as time and resources allow.

Added support for .pdf save, print, and help page.

Optimized Formatting.

Added QR code to workout header.

Added support for preference choices.



Click here to view the F.A.Q.



If you have any questions, concerns, or specific requests in regards to the generator, please, don't hesitate to contact us!

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