600m Open Swim - This Girl Can campaign get involved!

Calling all women who are keen to get themselves more active - we have the program, the training schedule and the event for you to do it!

You have approximately 12 weeks until the Burson 2019 Rock2Ramp Ocean swim to get yourself ready and we are providing a program for you written by ASLSC very own Naantali Marshall.

For those who don't know, Naant started as a pool swimmer and won over 50 State Age and open titles. She held the Victorian Open 50 Freestyle record for over a decade and won several national titles as well. When her pool swimming career ended in her early 20's she got more involved in surf life saving and competed in the professional Ironwoman series for 7 years until she was 31.

She is still the only Victorian to compete in the series whilst living in Victoria. Across this time she has won several Australian and World titles medals in various disciplines, not to mention multiple State titles.

Ocean swims have also been an important part of Naantali's training and she won a few junior Pier to Pub races but it took her a while to crack the open event and once she won it she then won 6 consecutive races.

So who could be better to guide us on this journey of increasing our activity and getting back in the pool and culminating the training with participation in the 600m Ocean Swim?

Week 1 training is listed below!

Week 1

Session 1

Set 1 - 8 x 25m as 2 freestyle and 2 form stroke then repeat

Set 2 - 2 x 50m flippers

Set 3 - 4 x 25m counting strokes each lap. Note your lowest number to see if you improve by the end of the 8 weeks.

Set 4 - 2 x 50m pull

Set 5 - 4 x 25m freestyle

Session 2

Set 1 - 6 x 25m freestyle

Set 2 - 4 x 25m form stroke

Set 3 - 6 x 50m trying to get faster for 1 - 3 and then repeat.

Set 4 - 2 x 25m kick

Set 5 - 2 x 50m pull

Please find the 8 week program by clicking here!

Definitions to help

Rest intervals - approx 15 seconds between repeats & 1 to 2 minutes between sets

Form strokes - any stroke except freestyle

Pull - pull buoy ( bouyancy device you put between your thighs)

Kick - freestyle kick with kick board ( can be done with flippers)

Counting strokes - encourages efficiency so that you stretch out and have a long stroke (straight arms at the catch and when your arm exits the water after pulling through)