#202: Front End, Back End: Training the Whole Race

Olly Espinasse - a lifelong Basingstoke Bluefins swimmer, British and European record-holder, and former coach - joins Julie Howe to share training sets spanning three decades of his swimming life.

We look back to Olly’s teenage years, when he trained for everything from the 200m to the 1500m freestyle, tackling high-volume sets at high heart rates. It was a grind that taught him to hold his form under pressure, long before pace work became the buzzword it is today.

We then turn to the sprint work that has helped define his successful Masters career. From lactate-inducing fast 50s to technical race-pace work using the tools of the sprinting trade, Olly shares the sets that have shaped his speed.

If you lack back-end speed, Olly’s final set could be the one for you! Built specifically to train the second half of a race, it targets the part of the race Olly believes many front-end-strong swimmers neglect.

Throughout the episode, Olly returns to one central idea: you have to train the discomfort you’ll face in a race, or you won’t be able to produce it when it matters on race day.

He also reflects on how his relationship with swimming has changed - from something that was once a childhood obligation to an adult source of community, competition and joy.

Thanks to Julie Howe for continuing our series bringing training sets to life. If you try any of these sets, let us know on social media @freestyle_media_swimming.