Paul's Wetronome Tutorials Defining Your Base Rate (BR) by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

OK, first things first; stroke rate in swimming (even more-so than stride rate in running) is a very individualistic thing, and whilst the article detailed above serves to demonstrate the typical range of stroke rates exhibited by certain swimmers in certain situations / environments or at certain levels of ability, the most important thing to remember is that you are an individual. So, rather than saying "try to hit a stroke rate of 66spm for 200m freestyle" we more accurately need to say "try to hit a stroke rate of xspm higher or lower than your base rate". So obviously before you get started training with the Wetronome, we need to ascertain your base rate stroke or stride rate. Here's how to do that:

Unlike counting your strokes in the pool over 25, 50 or 100m, which you can obviously easily do for yourself to determine your relative stroke length; to determine your stroke rate (as expressed as a certain number of strokes per minute or SPM), you will need the aid of a coach or friend to help you. A suggested way of doing this would be to swim 400m continuously and ask a friend or coach to count the number of strokes (left = 1, right = 2, left = 3?etc) you take in either 15 / 20 seconds (in a 25m pool) or in 30 seconds (in a 50m pool) and multiply this value by either 4/3 or 2 respectively to give you a stroke rate per minute.

Ideally this 400m should be done at about race pace for your target race distance (i.e. 750, 1500, 1.9km or 3.8km), and the stroke rate should be assessed in the latter half of the 400m swim once you have settled into your natural rhythm. Make no attempt to change your stroke whilst doing this. The coach or friend might like to do this 2 or 3 times and take an average value to give you a better reflection of your typical stroke rate or "Base Rate" (BR). With the BR determined we are now in a situation where we can progress to the suggested training sessions.

Getting ready: Base Rate as Stride Rate for Runners»

(Kindly reprinted from the Swim Smooth website. All material © 2007 Swim Smooth)