Whether a pool swimmer or an open water swimmer, young or old, it seems that everyone is reporting a pool swimming set of 100 x 100 (yards or meters, short course or long course) during the holiday season. The annual rite of traditional long-distance training seems to come out of the mega-distance tradition of the 1970s when Olympians like Mike Bruner and Bobby Hackett reeled off sets in a short-course yard pool of 100 x 100 on 1:00 interval.

Under the tutelage of Joe Bernal, the Harvard graduate and silver medalist from New York once did an early legendary set of 100 x 100s.

In a short-course yards pool, Bobby started out holding 57s per 100 and then gradually picked up the pace until he held 54s for #81-#99. Showing his renowned sprinting and endurance abilities, he finished in a sprint of 52.1 over the final 100.

Hard work comes in all forms, but the 100 x 100 retains a special place in the distance freestyle training annals for many.

Photo by Swimming World Magazine.

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