4x400 again today. First two felt great, really steady. Third felt more taxing, then last one I hit 200 in 3:11, kept pressing on but finished in 6:38. Can only think that I misread my watch 
6:31/32/35/38. 40 secs RI
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Do you try and read your watch mid interval? Just set a vibration alert for whatever time you want to hit the wall each length. That way, you’ll know how far ahead or behind you are, and you can quite quickly tell if you’re pacing intervals smoothly, or starting fast and fading
Didn’t know you could do that on a Garmin. Every so many mins would be fine.
I have mine set for every lap, but yes, you can do it for whatever you want. It’s in “alerts”, the setting above where you choose pool length (on the 920 at least)
I have mine set to vibrate every 100m because I can’t count.
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Answer was about 75spm is where is started to feel a bit unnatural, and from 85+ the SPL really started to ramp up. 60-65 is definitely where I most naturally sat based on RPE.
Anything that jumps out of these spm numbers that might explain why my OW times have historically been poor?
The next thing to test is some longer reps, holding that 60-65spm and see whether I currently hold a consistent spm, or if it starts to change as I tire.
Fourth day of not swimming for me 
Had a lie in after touch down last night 
Missed getting there before school lessons start at 0930, then can’t make this afternoon due to an appointment, then it’s all club swim after 1630 
Chaps, looking for a bit of advice.
I used to be a strong swimmer (consistently under a minute for 100m) but a number of years out of the pool have left me stubbornly at 1:30 pace.
After a bit of self analysis, I think my technique has a couple of weak points. Or, as Paul Newsome (Swimsmooth) calls it, an ‘overkicker’. My leg kick causes a lot of splash and I think my pull needs tweaking (slow-ish turnover).
Any improvement ideas?
Stop making me feel inadequate… I though I had made a breakthrough going from 1:55 to sub 1:40 pace: I can only dream of 1:30
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Most likely de-training is biggest thing if you’ve previously been sub-60, basic technique will be very well established I’d think. Obviously there will be flaws crept in, especially when fatigued but no major basics to correct over the Internet.
But that said, as for your suggestions they’re what I worked on coming from sprint swimmer to triathlete. Proportion of propulsion from kick has trailed off and use legs more for balance.
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impossible to say, but as Chris states, Id say just get in and get fit. A quote from Ben Sansom, he was a circa 15 min 1500 swimmer in his prime, and he turned up at a Brett Sutton camp and told him to let him get fit for a month and then they can work on his stroke. Id say for you it should be a similar process to start. See where fitness gets you. Just swim consciously trying to piece it all back together, but don’t over think it. That technique is in there somewhere. Id probably recommend starting with shorter reps again to find that technique and not over tire yourself
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Thanks all! Just to note I am physically fit (1:26 half earlier in the year, 40-something resting heart rate), but understand the point regarding shorter sets!
I’m due to swim again on Friday, let’s put this into practice!
I’m not sure I understand what you’ve ‘quoted’ here. Sansome was getting told to sort his swimming fitness by a fat bloke in Uggs? Or did BS say his stroke was pants? All this despite being a 15 min/1500 swimmer.
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nah basically sansom turned up and said listen brett my old china, im fat and unfit, give me a month to get fit then we can start the coaching. There’s a Trisutto blog post on it somewhere I remember
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Swim sets are getting longer. Main set last night
Target pace was
3 x 250m @ 1:40avg - with pace building each 50m 30s RI
2 x 500 @ 1:35 60s RI
5 x 100 @ 1:30 45s RI
3 x 50 flat out 30s RI
I didn’t quite hit the target on the 500’s
Anyone come across this before?
https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Swim_breathing_patterns%2C_too_much_confusion_out_there…_P7107911/?page=unread#unread
I generally breathe every 3 strokes, sometimes dropping to 2 if I’m gasping a bit.
If I understand it right it advocates breathing on 2 consecutive strokes (left-right) then miss one and back to the right again. I haven’t tried but don’t get how you can breathe out and get another breath in so close together.
I do nearly all my full stroke swimming breathing every 2 strokes; certainly I breathe every 2 in events, and can bilateral breathe when required (like OW). If you watch top 1500m swimmers, they generally breathe every 2 strokes.
I get all that, and I go to 2 strokes when working hard, usually around/above CSS.
This seems to be proposing breathing every 1 stroke, then 2 alternately. It’s the 1 I don’t get.
Yes that seems odd; I’d get dizzy.
I used to do breathe only on one side, then switched to bi-lateral and have stuck to that ever since. When I breathe every 2 strokes now I genuinely get really dizzy.
This is a useful hint as to why I probably struggle to work hard for longer efforts, I start to feel very hypoxic. Need to work on technique to ensure the breathe stroke/catch and pull are OK, then start to practice breathing every 2 strokes.
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