ha ha ha - now that sounds like a challenge…do 3 as the AM session, one for lunch, then the remaining two for PM.
As JaRok says, your 200 is way faster than your 400. Extrapolate that level of drop off, and your 1500 pace would be really rather poor.
The whole point of CSS sessions is working at a level for roughly 1500-1600m continuously (over reps of 100, 200,or 400) that will develop your weakness. For you, this is swimming long at a steady effort level. You’re already fairly good for 200m (ave 1:26, which is what you swam those 100s at recently), so you don’t need to do lots of faster reps. You need to do some slower reps, but way more of them, with no extended rest, and also off a strict 10s rest per interval.
As it stands, you’re effectively just training what you’re already good at … faster reps with high rest.
If you followed the CSS sessions, you might not make any significant improvement on your 200 time, but might bring your 400 time down to, say, 5:50. That would significantly reduce your CSS (2:52/5:50 would give 1:29, so a 7s/100 improvement). At that point, trying to do those same sessions would shift more towards the anaerobic level, you might not even be able to finish a session, and then you’d see more improvement in your 200 times. CSS will then slow you down a bit (2:45/5:50 gives a CSS of 1:33), which then allows your endurance base to catch up with your new short interval speed.
It will continue to seesaw. That’s the theory at least.
But from my experience you need to be strict on the limited rest, and also mix in the 200 and 400m sessions. Before being coached, I used to do:
Wk1 - CSS test
Wk2 - 200 session
Wk3 - 400 session
Wk4 - 100 session
Repeat
In all honesty, I should probably put some of this back in. I’ve got into a habit of swimming either very fast at the club swims, or pretty steady in my own aerobic swims. Threshold repeats have fallen away, which could explain my plateau… 
@Poet plugging those 400 and 200 into my calculator, admittedly they arent current bests, but you have a sprint distance index of 1.08 (the decay of time over distance) most triathletes should aim for about 1.06 which is the Target Fatigue Decay. This would give you a 400 of 5.59 if that 200 was your best effort.
you are looking at a 1:09+ ironman with that SDI where as you should be sub 1:05. looks like aerobic conditioning could be an issue so your form is dropping off over distance. I would target a majority of longer steady repetitions , 200’s or 300’s and keep the sprint work for intensity and form. Lose the “threshold” sets. they are for peaking, not winter
Time for a ‘nice’ 10x200 or 5x400 @Poet 
GAH!!!
DAMN YOU @stenard, @Hammerer and @Jorgan 
I hate the 300s, 400s and 500s.
Cheers for the explanation on the way it works, @stenard.
I’d only do a CSS every 8 weeks, if that.
More of at the start of a period of focus. and end.
@Hammerer - Yeah, I swam bang on 1:10 at the Outlaw this year, when I was expecting a 64.
Think I’ll start off with 10 * 200s next week…and I’ll crank out a solo 400TT at some point, just to be sure to be sure that that one wasn’t garbaloid.
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That’s kind of the point. If you only ever do sessions that are of rep durations you’re already comfortable with, where exactly do you think the stimulus for improvement will come from?!!
I’ve started doing kick in every session 
Today I did 4*50 kick with a 50 tempo in between. So far, managed to get my 50m kick time down from around 1:55 to 1:40 (no fins)
I also believe I’ve gotten very slack on my body rotation, so I’m trying to concentrate on that too.
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I currently have a compressed nerve in my shoulder. It was excruciating at the start of last week, to the point where I very nearly cried at one stage. I’m now getting physio treatment, and it’s slowly easing off with regular nerve mobilisation exercises. But it’s still pretty bad … it gets quite uncomfortable after prolonged running.
It basically means I’m banned from swimming for now. But your post above has made me realise I could still maintain some feel for the water by getting in and doing some kick stuff. Mix in some torpedo work for rotation etc. And who knows, it might solve my similar inability to get any propulsion from my lower half!
Basically just write down all the different types of sessions - short reps, long reps, tempo, endurance, drills - and look at which one you prefer least. That’s the one you probably need to do.
Worked for me in running. Used to be the long track reps, now probably the short ones. Love a good tempo though.
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@stenard and @buzz - any set over 2km petrifies me. If I’m solo. As you can see by my plans, I do a 600 a week and an 800 in the other week.
Oh, there’s also one 500 and a couple of 400s.
But not much else 
So yes, 300+ it is. Bastard.
Oh, and @Jorgan - I thought my 90s for 50m kick was bad 
Popov time
The swimsmooth website has some example CSS sets for when you get to a point of wanting to do regular in-season CSS work. Pretty much all of them are 2000m or less in terms of main set distance, so you’d only need to add in a bit of a warm up and cool down.
Pretty sure the rest for the 600s must be a typo however!
First decent swim I’ve had for a few weeks last night. Threw in a couple of 400s 
definitely a bit of a slog! More of this needed for sure
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600m reps have to be 60s rest.
Managed 3.1km with the club this am, arms are dead.
@Poet maybe try a Mile Pyramid like I did just now (100/200/300/400/3/2/1). I was blowing on those last two reps! Splits with 20s RI were: 1:34/3:14/4:55/6:34/4:58/3:17/1:34
There was a time I could churn out 5x400 off 7:00 doing them all around 6:20 
I think I have a little bit of Poet’s problem, where I have gone to shorter reps in order to make it mentally easier, but have then lost my ‘diesel engine’. I blame @Hammerer for banging on about sprinting reps too much 
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I like these pyramids and mixed sets much more than block Repeats for variety. Like what you’ve posted, or something like 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3 1,2, 1 (00m), or 400, 2x300, 3x200, 4x100.
I prefer doing them off a set interval, eg 1:45 so you get proportional rest. And depending on aim of session would try set off bit slower if you’re looking for constant threshold, eg 1:37, 3:15, so you could go 6:30 and 4:51, but I’m being slightly picky - that’s quite good pacing this morning.
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When I’m in better shape, I usually negative split that pyramid set. I need to go back to my ‘diesel’ set being something with longer reps full stroke, rather than just trying to hammer-out a 1500/2k with paddles/PB/Band.
Genuine question - swimmers better than me often say their arms hurt after a big session. Which bits hurt? I thought a good technique was meant to use back muscles predominantly, but I find shoulders go first which I guess is a symptom of me being at best MOP swim. Never really get pain in my arms, apart from my wrist which I cock a bit so gets a bit crampy on longer swims.
I sprained my wrist playing goalkeeper at 5-a-side a fortnight ago, so that hurts. A lot.
My triceps ache (but that’s probably due to cycling on the lanes)
But yes, my lats and back kill.
When I’m in the pool, it feels like my arms.
Day out of the water tomorrow.
Mix it up! 1 sprint session a week, but remember in s sprint you WU and CD easy and longer.
Do a 50 and 400 TT for me all out none of this CSS bolox.
Pec’s and lat’s but I’m hench bruv.
(Not much of a swimmer though)
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