There’s still a black bit though right? Or have they changed the design? Maybe based on the feedback I gave them (even though they refused to replace under warranty).
You can loosely see the deterioration in this photo…
Sounds the same as mine, the main issue is that there is very little elastic in it so even when done up tight it doesn’t maintain that grip as you breathe or move your arms overhead to push off. It’s not insurmountable but after a few sessions I decided not to bother in the pool but do like it in the more continuous swims I do in OW where I think it’s probably more valuable anyway.
Ah yea I think you’re right. Shows how much I paid attention to it before putting it back in the box! I suppose a quick pulse check on the neck using the pool clock at the end of a set would give you a good enough idea of intensity
Yeah the swimming HR strap is useless, just falls off all the time.
I’ve done a 2k continuous swim this afternoon, just as a bit of a benchmark, and partially because I was the only one in the pool, so its a good chance to get that swim in without interruption or dodging other swimmers…
My recent work is ‘sort of’ paying off… new pb’s at 750, 1000 and 1500m, but its really noticeable that i’m slowing as I pass the 1k mark, by more than seems reasonable (something like 5 to 8 secs per 100m).
Given that i’m swimming 3 times a week, and have been for 10 months now, I would hope that i’m at least a ‘little’ swimfit…
so, my question… besides the obvious point about not setting off too fast, and pacing better (I’m hardly speedy gonzalez to start with), is… should I be putting in more distance work to build my endurance, or something else?
Just seems like i’m getting at quicker at shorter distances (quite a lot quicker at really short distances), which I’m really happy with, but can’t maintain it over any distance.
(one possible caveat - i’ve been working on catch and pull technique for the last 10 days and have consciously changed my stroke a bit, so am probably using a subtly different set of muscles, and not have conditioned them enough yet)
Its all about periodisaton. Where are you now, what is your time frame and where do you want to get to. As a triathlete you will need to do longer stuff at some point. Using OW sessions is always a good way to get continuous distance swims in but it all depends on your realistic goals and the time frame you have to meet them.
For me for instance i don’t care what my 1500m time is now, I will care come race day so if i can’t hold 20 second 25’s for 16 reps, then no point building my endurance until my form allows me to swim that at 75% effort when fresh. Then I can build the distance out.
OK, thanks… that makes sense.
A-race is IM Copenhagen in mid Aug, so a long way to go yet.
So, basically, sounds like I need to just keep working on technique for pace and effort at shorter distances, and start building out the distance in a few months time… kind of fits with what I’ve been doing anyway (albeit unintentionally), as i’ve knocked chunks off my 25, 50 and 100 pace, and am finding repeat sets of 50’s a lot easier at previously challenging paces, so starting to push harder.
Really interesting point made about head position. Last few swims I’ve really been paying attention to this as I was guilty of pretty much looking straight down following the line.
I think I’ve now been looking about 5 metres ish ahead. I don’t think this has necessarily made me faster but my body now feels longer in the water and I now feel a little more streamlined.
Yeah, similar. I was thinking about the same during some pull&band sets last Friday. Looking slightly further ahead seemed to help reduce the sinky legs feeling
Embracing the “hurt” mentality, I decided I’d see if I could hold onto the kind of paces I was hitting last year and the year before. 5x300 CSS was on the training plan, but with 60s rest, I thought it might allow me to see quite how deep I could dig.
End result … 4:30/28/28/29/31. Happy with that!
The last one was hurting from well inside 100m, so definitely above threshold. I very nearly mentally checked out, but I kept telling myself just do one more length. And suddenly the 300 was over and I’d only dropped a little over a second to the other reps.
Doubt my intended ramp test this evening is going to go quite as well as it might have done now though!
Last session was 5 x 400’s off 1:35 with 60s RI. I tried to hang on but absolutely no chance, however, I found I could maintain 1:40 pace reasonably comfortably, that 5s per 100m feels massive
Yeah, agreed. That’s largely where I want to get back to. If I can be repping shorter intervals at or just under 1:30 again, then the 1:38/100ish I swam in Copenhagen will hopefully be in range once more.
Getting down to under a hour from my 1:01 really isn’t worth the time investment, but getting out in roughly one hour feeling pretty fresh is what is going to hopefully allow me to try and make some gains on the bike and run.
I sould add that when I say I could hold 1:40 comfortably, I don’t mean I could maintain it for 3800m, I needed that 60s rest.
In an IM, if I can draft off someone at a reasonable pace, I am hopeful of 1:05 - but at the moment, no idea what my OW wetsuit swim pace is. I’m taking my wetsuit to Lanza in 2 weeks, hoping to do at least one IM distance sea swim
CSS test completed today. I kind of dread this test as much as my bike FTP test, which is planned for Friday!!
400m 5:26
200m 2:37
New CSS 1:25
Last 400m TT was in November at 5:34, so happy with today’s test.
Lots of slow work in the pool, pull band, pull buoy stuff. roughly 10k week ish since November seems to be helping
Forgive me Hammerer, for I have sinned.
It’s been two weeks since my last confe…swim session. I’ve been having impure thoughts about Butterfly Stroke and Chloe Sutton, Brooke Ince and…CrossFit.
400m FS…7:33 
This mornings club session was with a big focus on SPL. Based on H’s limit of 17spl being the suggested max for a competent swimmer, I suck. I don’t know how that’s even possible without gliding excessively. Does physiology matter … as people have mocked on the Nike thread, I have pretty little feet and hands, and I’m broad with short arms, longer torso and shorter legs. Would that factor?
On one length I was swimming next to one of our better swimmers, and I was roughly matching his stroke rate and length, and even then I only did 18.
I can get a lower stroke rate for 1 length, but it tails off massively. I’m certain it must be a muscular endurance thing. Does that mean trying some paddle type work to build up the swim specific muscles? A la the Sutton chat a while ago?
In the end, I was set a target of 20spl for the rest of the session. I was just about able to maintain that for the 100s we had to do, but then we were tasked with a 400. The issue is, to achieve that spl I’m working so hard in pulling firmly through the water, I’m swimming well above threshold pace. It’s just not sustainable. Which comes back to the above … if I could sustain it, because my muscles were better conditioned, then I would be flying. But how do I get there?!
Anyway, on the 400, I did the first 75m off 20spl, but a few lengths later I was well above that. I finished the interval at more like 24. Still, I swam a 5:57 which I’m seriously pleased with. At the end of a 2.5k total session where I taxed my swim muscles hard, that’s a sign some pace is really coming back.
If only I could hold even 20spl for a full 400, I reckon I’d be close to swimming under 5:40…
If you have the physiology of a 12 year old girl maybe 
Some of my friends have often thrown that at me, does that count?!
I’m getting back in the pool tomorrow for the first time in months. What’s the best thing to do for the first few weeks - CSS test immediately or just stick to steady efforts over x distance? Focus on drills?
I would say volume over effort and concentrate on good habits with your stroke and body position.
