I think @Hammerer has said the same in the past.
Do a bit of everything in your swim workouts. I’ve definitely tried to incorporate that myself
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Yer i always add “take home sprints” , usually relays for kids but can be IM for adult top lane triathletes after aerobic main sets. Typically add a build set of 16x25 off 30 holding 17spl and a stretch time. Its 7/10 RPE but speed is typically faster than that due to short reps and rest. Ie a 6min 400 swimmer can hold 20secs usually. Sprint sets will be interspersed with things like 200 recovery, maybe pull paddles to focus on the catch.
Nothing wrong with a traditional variations of 40x100 - 10x400 straight aerobic though, key for Ironman but i may even build into that descending every so many reps or even descending each interval. Key is trick the body and force adaptations. Dont get lazy.
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This is my issue with OW swims… i tend to he lazy. After a coached pool session i am wrecked as the session always contains some high intensity sets
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This is the reason I didn’t do OW swims for Roth as I found my pool swims in an outdoor 50m pool were of a higher quality.
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I thrash around the lake and try to get the KoM.
It’s 750m
1st and 3rd look like dodgy traces (their overall pace is >2:00/100m for >3km, so I doubt they’re swimming a lap that quick!)
I will say that there is some merit to doing OW swims, but they need to have structure. Last 2 weeks Ive swam in the lake and my sighting is awful, the wetsuit affects my stroke, I find I’m lazy with my kick and my 2 beat is crap, 6 beat is too much, need to practice turns around buoys, and just swimming without a wall, even every 50 makes it really easy to lose focus and just plod so even mentally its good. The more experienced you are, the less you may need especially if its not practical (my lake is 30min drive each way so a good 2 hours for an hour of swimming)
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When I did Roth 09 I had a bad start and end to the race, but great in between. I remember in the swim I had a panic attack at the start, so did some breast stroke, then built back up again and tried to make some ground.
Because of the funnel effect of some of these IM ow swims its sometimes better to put a little more effort into the first half of the race to get some space (if you’re a <60min swimmer). This way the congestion at the end of the swim won’t be so bad and you get a breather as the pace drops (albeit the fists come out lol).
I’d recommend starting wide in Roth, going strong early, and trying to get on some fast feet. Get your position sorted before everyone comes together towards the end.
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Oh and I used/use a pull-buoy for all my swimming in the pool. It meant I used my legs less in the IM swim, saving them more for the bike/run. I find the buoyancy of the wetsuit and a light flutter kick is enough once settled. I was relatively crap in pool based tris though 
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Couzens sounds like a Sociopath.
a good post today and my type of thinking re CTL etc :-
"A question that’s not asked often enough:
Is the load making you better?"
Some good answers also particularly :-
"Goodhart’s law, when the measure becomes the target it ceases to be a good measure (the cobra story is hilarious). For athletes the lure of the blue PMC line haha. Not-great measure in a not-great system, but the struggle to not be obsessed with it is a daily one "
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Half the time, my CTL just made me tired. I swear training apps and the advent of GPS smartwatches made me train too hard. When it was just a HRM and a handwritten book, there was less ego involved.
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strava! “Just an easy recovery run today” (5k at sub 4min k pace )
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I think he is a good guy and really knowledgeable. I have been reading his posts since he was on Gordo’s Endurance Corner website. He just seems to have become a bit fixated with his own message, if that makes sense. Although, it’s funny that he used to go after sweet spot training as much as he does high intensity and then the Norwegians started saying how much sub-threshold (LT2) work they do, and that message stopped.
ETA: He has recently been on a blocking purge on twitter and has blocked some really knowledgeable people who questioned his posts. Not criticised but coming back with questions for him to vaildate his initial tweet. People who work in elite sport e.g. with TdF winners, so defo not trolls.
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Not a good sign really; when you want to live in your own echo chamber. Does he engage with his clients across a really long table?
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Just did my last big run before Roth. 2.???km swim (Garmin went wonky, I recon 2.2-2.4k), followed by 36k run in 3h10m. Temp was 30 degrees by the end, so good training for heat. I really enjoyed the run, my Avg HR was 130bpm, 92% zone 1, not feeling tired after the run, which is a great sign. I started the swim with no food since dinner last night, but was fueling on run as if I was racing.
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Excellent racing Chris and the way you changed your plans when you were feeling it on the run.
Really annoying about the bug in the build-up, on a mega fast Euro course without the sore throat and elevated HR etc. I think there could be an 8:45 in there at least! Big commitment though.
Really enjoyed following the progress and although it’s streets ahead of where I’ll ever be the approach and hints people have chipped in are still useful.
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Its getting close. Focus this week has been dominated by swim/run and bike/run sessions and lots of Practicing fueling. It’s also been hot, so good opportunity to get some acclimatisation in. Luckily I am still OK running in the heat, but really need to force myself to eat when running in 30 degrees.
Swim is still disappointing; I am in much better shape than I was last year, but realistically 1h10m is looking much more likely than 1h. It’s strange, I am really comfy in the pool doing 1:40/100m pace, just not seeing it in OW
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I struggle to match my pace from pool to open-water. Do you do tumbleturns in the pool? I have bought a new wetsuit as my old one was 10 years old and plenty of war wounds. The new one is thinner and so I’m hoping it won’t make my shoulders ache as much! 
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I can tumbleturn (badly), but tend not to bother for anything longer than 100m… Since I am unlikely to race in a pool, it’s a skill i’ve really not bothered with
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There are no push-offs in OW!
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