Saturday Swim Session: Natasha Van Der Merwe's Beginner Endurance Focus Session
Swimming, August 08, 2026
The **Descending Distance, Building Speed** swim session develops endurance, pacing and speed by gradually increasing intensity as the repetitions become shorter. Choose from three workout options (1,850m, 2,600m or 3,100m), progressing from controlled aerobic swimming through moderate and moderate-fast efforts before finishing with faster swimming. The challenge is to increase your pace while maintaining efficient freestyle technique as fatigue builds.
This week's Saturday Swim Session is inspired by a session from triathlon coach Natasha Van Der Merwe and focuses on developing endurance while learning to increase your swimming speed without sacrificing technique.
The workout follows a simple but effective progression: as the repetitions become shorter, the intensity increases.
You'll begin with relaxed swimming and kick work before progressing through longer aerobic repetitions. The 300m efforts are completed at a moderate intensity before stepping up to moderate-fast 200s. Swimmers completing the longer options then finish the main set with fast 100m repetitions.
The challenge isn't simply to swim each set faster. It's to increase your speed while continuing to maintain good body position, an effective catch and an efficient freestyle stroke.
Three Workout Options
As with most of my Saturday Swim Sessions, there are three distances available:
🏊 Option A: 1,850m
🏊 Option B: 2,600m
🏊 Option C: 3,100m
This allows you to select the session that best suits your current swimming fitness, available training time and overall training volume.
The Key To Getting This Session Right
Don't start too fast.
Your moderate swimming should feel controlled. As the distances decrease, gradually move through the gears and allow your pace to increase.
By the time you reach the shortest repetitions, you should be swimming considerably faster—but you should still look like a swimmer, rather than simply throwing your arms around as quickly as possible!
The short Rest Intervals are also an important part of the session. Stick closely to them rather than extending the recovery so you can swim the next repetition faster.
If you pace the workout correctly, you'll finish having developed your aerobic endurance, speed and ability to maintain efficient technique as the intensity increases.
Want The Complete Workout?
In the full article, I've included all three workouts along with the exact distances, repetitions and Rest Intervals. I also explain why you're doing the session, what you should focus on, common mistakes to avoid and my coaching tips for completing it successfully.
👉 Read the full Saturday Swim Session here:
https://www.coachray.nz/2026/08/08/saturday-swim-session-natasha-van-der-merwes-beginner-endurance-focus-session/