August is complete. I finished the month with 68,700 meters of swimming, approximately 75,131 yards, reaching the 75,000-yard goal I had set for myself. September has a very different purpose.
The Huntsman World Senior Games are getting close, and my first priority event, the 200-meter breaststroke, is October 7. It will be followed by the 800-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle. Instead of chasing another monthly distance goal, September training will be structured around preparing specifically for those races.
Meters still matter because training volume has to be planned and controlled. The difference is that the monthly total is now a result of the training plan rather than the objective of the training plan.
September Training Priorities
There are three primary Huntsman events driving the September program:
- 200 m Breaststroke – race pace, speed endurance, pacing and race execution.
- 800 m Freestyle – race-pace endurance and the ability to maintain speed across eight consecutive 100-meter segments.
- 1500 m Freestyle – aerobic endurance, efficient pacing and maintaining technique over the entire race.
The 100-meter breaststroke will probably still be part of my Huntsman experience, but the September training program will not be designed around it.
The September Training Rules
Several practical limitations determine how the month has to be structured.
- One no-swim day every week.
- The normal rest day will be Saturday or Sunday.
- The rest day can move to Friday when work or scheduling requires it.
- Weekday workouts have a maximum of 2,500 meters.
- I normally have only about 45 minutes in the pool during my weekday lunch break.
- Longer endurance workouts will normally be scheduled for the weekend.
- The September meter total is not a goal that needs to be chased.
The final rule is particularly important for race-specific workouts.
When a 200 breaststroke, 800 freestyle or 1500 freestyle race-pace effort is scheduled, it will occur at the beginning of the workout after a very short warm-up.
This is intended to better reproduce race conditions. At Huntsman I will not swim a long training workout before stepping onto the starting block for one of my events. A race simulation performed after 1,500 or 2,000 meters of previous training would measure something different.
Race-specific work performed later in a workout can still be useful, but I will consider that endurance-under-fatigue training rather than a race simulation.
How September Is Divided
The month begins with a short recovery period following the large training load at the end of August. Training then builds toward increasingly specific Huntsman work before the taper begins during the final part of September.
| Dates | Phase | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 1–2 | Reset | Recover from August |
| Sep. 3–9 | Build I | Race endurance |
| Sep. 10–16 | Build II | Strong quality work |
| Sep. 17–22 | Peak | Race specificity |
| Sep. 23–30 | Taper | Reduce volume |
| Oct. 1–6 | Final Taper | Freshness + race feel |
| Oct. 7 | Race | 200 m Breaststroke |
The provisional taper begins around September 23. Tapering will not mean stopping hard swimming. The intention is to progressively reduce total meters while retaining short amounts of race-speed work so that fitness is maintained while accumulated fatigue decreases.
Preliminary September Schedule
The following is the preliminary framework for the month. Individual workouts may change based on completed workout data, recovery, work obligations and how I am responding to training.
September 1–6 – Recovery and Reset
| Date | Meters | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 1 | 1,800 | Recovery + technique |
| Sep. 2 | 2,500 | Aerobic FR + BR |
| Sep. 3 | 2,500 | 200 BR endurance |
| Sep. 4 | 2,500 | 800/1500 FR endurance |
| Sep. 5 | 3,000 | Long mixed aerobic |
| Sep. 6 | OFF | Recovery |
Planned swimming: 12,300 meters
September 7–13 – Main Build
| Date | Meters | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 7 | 2,500 | 1500 FR pace/endurance |
| Sep. 8 | 2,500 | 200 BR race endurance |
| Sep. 9 | 2,500 | Recovery + technique |
| Sep. 10 | 2,500 | 800 FR threshold/pace |
| Sep. 11 | 2,500 | Mixed endurance |
| Sep. 12 | 3,500 | Long 1500 FR focus |
| Sep. 13 | OFF | Recovery |
Planned swimming: 16,000 meters
September 14–20 – Peak Training Week
| Date | Meters | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 14 | 2,500 | 200 BR race pace |
| Sep. 15 | 2,500 | 1500 FR race endurance |
| Sep. 16 | 2,500 | Recovery + technique |
| Sep. 17 | 2,500 | 800 FR race pace |
| Sep. 18 | 2,500 | BR + FR combination |
| Sep. 19 | 3,500 | Long race-specific work |
| Sep. 20 | OFF | Recovery |
Planned swimming: 16,000 meters
This is currently planned as the strongest race-specific week of September. The objective isn’t simply maximum volume. The important work will be performed at increasingly precise Huntsman race intensities.
September 21–27 – Transition to Taper
| Date | Meters | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 21 | 2,500 | 1500 FR race pace |
| Sep. 22 | 2,500 | 200 BR rehearsal |
| Sep. 23 | 2,000 | Taper begins |
| Sep. 24 | 2,000 | 800 FR race pace |
| Sep. 25 | 2,000 | BR speed + turns |
| Sep. 26 | 2,500 | Controlled endurance |
| Sep. 27 | OFF | Recovery |
Planned swimming: 13,500 meters
September 28–30 – Taper Continues
| Date | Meters | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 28 | 1,800 | 200 BR race pace |
| Sep. 29 | 1,800 | 800/1500 FR pace |
| Sep. 30 | 1,600 | Technique + speed |
The preliminary September plan totals approximately 59,200 meters. That number will almost certainly change as individual workouts are evaluated and adjusted. Unlike August, there is no requirement to reach a particular monthly total.
Week One – September 1–6
The first week is already planned in detail. Because August ended with a very large workload, there are no true race simulations during this opening block. The progression is recovery, aerobic work, breaststroke endurance, freestyle endurance, a longer mixed session and then a complete day away from the pool.
Tuesday, September 1 – Recovery and Technique
Total: 1,800 meters
Warmup: 200 Freestyle easy, 20s rest 100 Breaststroke easy, 30s rest Main Set: 4x100 Freestyle easy, 15s rest. 30s rest after set 4x50 Breaststroke smooth, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x100 Freestyle aerobic, 15s rest. 30s rest after set 4x50 Breaststroke smooth, 20s rest. 30s rest after set Warm Down: 300 Freestyle easy
The purpose is recovery rather than performance. Freestyle should remain comfortable and breaststroke should emphasize smooth timing and technique.
Wednesday, September 2 – Aerobic Freestyle and Controlled Breaststroke
Total: 2,500 meters
Warmup: 200 Freestyle easy, 20s rest 100 Breaststroke easy, 30s rest Main Set: 4x200 Freestyle aerobic, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x50 Breaststroke smooth, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x100 Freestyle aerobic strong, 15s rest. 30s rest after set 4x100 Breaststroke controlled, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 2x100 Freestyle easy, 15s rest Warm Down: 200 Freestyle easy
This returns to the normal weekday maximum while keeping the intensity controlled. The objective is aerobic conditioning and clean swimming rather than threshold work.
Thursday, September 3 – 200 Breaststroke Endurance
Total: 2,500 meters
Warmup: 200 Freestyle easy, 20s rest 100 Breaststroke easy, 30s rest Main Set: 4x50 Breaststroke build, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x100 Breaststroke strong controlled, 25s rest. 30s rest after set 200 Freestyle easy, 20s rest 4x150 Breaststroke endurance, 25s rest. 30s rest after set 200 Freestyle easy, 20s rest 4x100 Breaststroke strong, 25s rest. 30s rest after set Warm Down: 200 Freestyle easy
This is breaststroke endurance training rather than a 200-meter race simulation. The goal is to sustain efficient breaststroke while accumulating meaningful race-specific volume.
Friday, September 4 – 800/1500 Freestyle Endurance
Total: 2,500 meters
Warmup: 200 Freestyle easy, 20s rest 100 Breaststroke easy, 30s rest Main Set: 3x400 Freestyle endurance, 30s rest. 30s rest after set 4x100 Freestyle strong aerobic, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x50 Breaststroke smooth, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 2x100 Freestyle strong, 20s rest Warm Down: 200 Freestyle easy
The 400-meter repetitions provide the primary endurance work. The goal is to progressively move toward threshold pace without turning the workout into another CSS test.
Saturday, September 5 – Long Mixed Aerobic
Total: 3,000 meters
Warmup: 200 Freestyle easy 100 Breaststroke easy, 30s rest Main Set: 4x200 Freestyle aerobic, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x100 Breaststroke smooth endurance, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 5x200 Freestyle strong aerobic, 20s rest. 30s rest after set 4x50 Breaststroke smooth, 20s rest Warm Down: 300 Freestyle easy
This is the week’s longest session, but there is no reason to repeat the 6,000-meter swims from August. The goal is controlled endurance with the ability to finish the primary freestyle work strongly.
Sunday, September 6 – No Swim
Planned recovery day.
This is a complete day away from swimming rather than an optional recovery workout. Normal daily activity is fine, but the purpose is to absorb the first five days of September training before beginning the next build week.
Week One at a Glance
| Date | Meters | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 1 | 1,800 | Recovery |
| Sep. 2 | 2,500 | Aerobic |
| Sep. 3 | 2,500 | 200 BR |
| Sep. 4 | 2,500 | 800/1500 FR |
| Sep. 5 | 3,000 | Long aerobic |
| Sep. 6 | OFF | Recovery |
| Total | 12,300 |
Planning One Week at a Time
The overall September framework is established, but I am not going to lock every individual workout into place a month in advance.
I want each training week planned ahead so I know exactly what I am doing when I arrive at the pool. At the end of each week, however, I will evaluate the completed FORM and TrainingPeaks data before finalizing the following week’s workouts.
That gives the program structure without preventing it from responding to actual performance. Pace, heart rate, stroke consistency, fatigue and recovery can all influence what happens next.
The Shift from August to September
August was largely about rebuilding endurance, establishing benchmarks and discovering what I could currently do. By the end of the month I had a 1:39.5/100-meter CSS benchmark, meaningful training performances at my Huntsman race distances and more than 68 kilometers of swimming completed during the month.
September is about converting that fitness into racing ability.
The 1500 freestyle needs sustainable aerobic speed. The 800 freestyle needs increasingly precise race-pace endurance. The 200 breaststroke needs speed endurance, pacing and race execution. All three need enough recovery that I arrive in October with the fitness from August and September available rather than buried underneath accumulated fatigue.
The distance goal is behind me. September is where training starts becoming racing.
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