Opened with IM and closed with a broken IM today (3000m session)
The fly (first BR for each) feels quite slow but I think the stats are okay? The kind of stroke I can get through 50m anyway. Never tried 100.
Back feels a lot better with greater rotation but no obvious change in stats so will keep working on that
Breast was a bit shorter between strokes but still trying for an easy pace
I did a broken 100IM on Friday (had a really bad chest) 25s on a minute, 22,24,26,17 secs. I took a bit longer rest after Fly, Back and Breast though 
the back nearly killed me.
It also made my son laugh out loud as well when I told him my times. I was quite happy before that
I’m in such a funk with my swimming. Gone a little bit backwards since I was ill before Christmas and just not enjoying it - even short sets feels a struggle. Arms are so heavy all the time.
Not sure whether it’s best to drop it for a few weeks and come back with a fresh head, or if that will make it worse and I should just power through. I am looking forward to getting back outdoors in the better weather so maybe it’s just the time of year and boredom of the same pool. Plus I’ve been doing more over the winter in the gym so maybe my upper body is just more tired.
Trying to keep my progress going not being helped by a shut pool this morning. No idea why. No notification from my home gym either. Did mean I instead did some rehab exercises though, which is probably no bad thing.
Has anyone got experience using FORM goggles or Swim Smooth Guru? Any hype they may have had seems to have disappeared but wondering if some tech might give me some incentive to improve.
Before anyone pipes in with just join a swim club and get proper coaching regularly, this is not an option - my daily timings between school run etc just don’t allow it
There’s a thread for you right here…
I’m a bit old school, don’t even like watches being worn (although they are a necessity for remote coaching) but my attitude has mellowed a bit, and if they help you to swim more good strokes, and actually get you thinking and even in the pool, then why not.
Only negatives I have with tech now is people that don’t finish a length properly to stop their watches, spend too much time “goggle fiddling” and actually wasting time that’s better spent swimming and thinking about swimming.
As for the actual product I have no reviews of it to see how well built it is, but me personally, I would be wary spending such a large amount on essentially a disposable item. Even swimmers racing goggles at about £45 a pair get used once a month at most, as goggles don’t last long generally!
I see Finis do a smart goggle with replaceable goggles. They claim Head Position feedback post workout, so not real-time. Just the normal pace, laps, stroke rate etc in real time.
Swim Smooth abandoned their Apple Watch stroke analysis thing. Always thought you needed one on both wrists to get useful information from that.
Off topic but stryd now offer a pair option with full analysis, similar for swimming could work, like those power paddle things (they are close to a grand though iirc)
I did wonder why I couldn’t see anything on the Swim Smooth analysis thing. It looked good but maybe too good to be true.
Maybe I won’t rushing out right away to buy anything soon. I suppose what I was after was the ability to see some improvement with regard hand position or technique. I know one of the key areas where I need to improve my stroke but never seem to be able to actually make that change and know if it is doing anything
I bought some Arena Swedix after you mentioned them, they sit pretty well, the split lens takes some time getting used to, but overall pretty nice, cheers.
That’s a shame, but not surprised. Their refusal to give a date for expanding to Garmin watches was the indicator of doom for me.
I suspect they couldn’t make it profitable.
Should be fire and forget tech. User problems are, well…
Feel like I’m finally getting somewhere again.
Lot of rest today, but three sets of 4x100 with varying target paces. First two sets off 2:15, last off 2:00.
Sets were:
My tempos all came in at the 1:28ish sort of range, and the fasts in 1:22-23 range, altho the final one was 1:26. The last fast one was clearly the slowest, but I was second in the lane and got held up over the last 50 (it’s definitely harder with no draft, so no criticism of the girl leading the lane dying slightly on the last rep). I felt I could have held the same effort as the first two had I been able.
Still some way to go before I’m back repping 1:29s off 1:40 like I was at the faster club session 5 or 6 years ago. The big rest today definitely helped a lot.
I finally joined the local tri club for a coached swim session tonight.
First proper swim since September and I turn up when the main set is 3x800. Fark me that was hard. I had to sack off the final 800 as my form had completely gone. tbf, it probably went during the second set but I ploughed on.
First time I’ve ever swum as part of a group which was a welcome change. Left my goggles and cap behind so I’ll have to go back!
Good effort. Can’t be much coaching or instruction going on though, if you’re swimming long sets like that?!
How was the relative paces of the swimmers? I’d imagine there was a lot of passing and letting people through in intervals of that length? Regardless though, swimming in a session where everyone is doing the same and you don’t have the concern of lane aggro is always so much nicer!
The two coaches gave their input at the start.
It started with 3x4 lengths which is weird 144 metres courtesy of a 36m pool. Then, 2x im and I can’t swim butterfly and backstroke for shit so just swam crawl. The others in the lane weren’t fussed.
Not too much passing to be honest only myself really. I was second in the lane and then dropped to the back during the second 800 as I was done
I dread to think what happened to 99% of the swimmers strokes. Very rare I ever go over 200s, but 400 is usually max for pool based sessions (unless we are doing some simulations for super series weekend, but they are kids in top 60 in country)
Id like to understand the goal of the session and the thought process behind that set.
I wondered the same but wasn’t going to question it being my first time. 800s! Bloody hell, first time I’ve done them in my life!
I’ve got some very heavy arms this morning
Yeah, 800s are a strange session. Apart from the loss of form in my experience people can start lapping/getting lapped from 300m in which is dissatisfying all round.
Kudos to @Adam for sticking it out. That was literally jumping in at the deep end 
