Change of subject back onto swimming.
Can anyone recommend me a set of hand paddles?
Never used them, curious to try them. Seems like a lot of choice and I have no idea where to start. Appreciate that opinions are like arseholes and don’t mean this to be a can of worms!
Decathlon…Wandsworth or Kensington High Street for you, I’d say?
These are nice little finger paddles - super quick to get on and off:
And I’ve had these for around decade now, but with five years of zero use ;-):
Our coach recommended these ones, apparently they’re more of a technique than a strength thing and make you emphasise the high elbow.
They do chuck a bit of a wobbly if you don’t keep everything in-line or try and finish the stroke too soon which seems to back that up.
I like these for training https://www.wiggle.co.uk/finis-agility-paddle-floating/
With no straps if forces good technique. For Swimrun events I use TVR Catalyst 2 
Thanks chaps
I have the speedo biofuse finger paddles, as well as some more full hand ones. The finger ones are good for better feel on the catch. I did a free clinic thing with Cassie Patten and she was of the view you should only attach them via the middle finger. It’s actually very effective … it forces you to do a lot of things better (entry, catch, pull, exit), as otherwise they’ll just fall off.
Definitely feel like things are coming back. 2.5k continuous today. I haven’t done a long, straight swim in ages. I’ve just been focusing on my technique over shorter intervals.
Started deliberately slow, and then just felt great. I sped up throughout, and having only gone under 40mins for that distance once before (and only by a few seconds), easily beat that mark today with 39:24. 500m splits of 8:06, 7:53, 7:49, 7:51, 7:45 reinforce the point that I was feeling strong, and in control, and I think I could have easily carried on at that pace for another 500
First CSS test in a few years after about 4 weeks back now (avg 1.5 sessions per week so not exactly much)
Very happy to see I’m back under 6/3 minutes. Just a shame I’m now swimming in yards and not metres! 
Just read this…
The Red Mist Set
This corker of a session is deceptively simple, it’s just 10x 400m rolling straight through at a gradually faster pace:
4x 400m at CSS pace + 6 sec /100m
3x 400m at CSS pace + 5 sec /100m
2x 400m at CSS pace + 4 sec /100m
1x 400m at CSS pace + 3 sec /100m
The best way of swimming it is by using a Wetronome or Tempo Trainer Pro in lap interval mode to pace you perfectly through each swim, taking one beep rest between 400s - which for most swimmers will be 20-30 seconds recovery. If you are swimming without a beeper, use a turn around time to give you between 20 and 30 seconds rest.
WTAF???
Does anyone do these?
I used to… then I realised I was swimming the second half of the set with such a ragged survival stroke that I was probably doing more harm than good!
I think I’ve only ever been set one 4k swim session, and that was 40x100, plus warm up/cool down. 4k is a mammoth session in general. So I get the WTAF comment!
But that doesnt seem entirely horrendous. The 40x100 set was at target IM pace in a 50m pool. I was hitting 1:39s-ish, I’d have probably said my CSS at that point was 1:33 or so, probably slower in a 50m pool. And it was the Friday of my final massive training weekend (nearly 12hrs over the Fri/Sat/Sun) so was taking it steady as I had a lot more to come.
So that first block of 400s seems reasonable at least! Especially as a lunchtime CSS set I’d do would be 4x400 @CSS. So an extra 24s per 400 is relatively relaxed swimming. And you’ve still got +12s over a standard 400 even at the very end. Hard yes, but I’d not be too daunted about completing it, I have to say. I may have to try it if I get a long lunchtime at some point. I’ll probably then be eating my words!
1 second a 100 difference, they cant see the woods from the trees, it doesn’t make much of a difference. Elite juniors i would want turnaround times hit but not based on CSS+3seconds or such nonsense.For most of us a shoddy turn can cost 2 seconds minimum, over 400 that’d potentially 30seconds! It doesnt mean you aint working hard enough. Do it on effort levels and the times will sort themselves out. Work easy, sprint and work at target race pace quit this CSS + x bullshit. complicating things for the sake of complicating things.
A very good reflection of what is going wrong in many adult triathletes. They end up muscling through with poor technique doing more harm than good
Definitely true. I certainly bin off longer endurance swims if I start to feel the form falling apart. Which was one of the key things that was reassuring about the session I did earlier today. I was getting faster and faster.
Good shout on Wandsworth. Didn’t know there was a Decathlon there and popped in after work
Went for the finger ones. Super easy to get on and off. What a difference they make!
Its also super weird swimming without them after using them.
Will admit to losing one after a turn too 
No worries!!!
I googled it, based on your commute, glad to help.
Yes, I really like the finger paddles and the lack of wrist strap as you really have to concentrate on the leave phase.
I use them and the hand paddles, as the hand paddles stress the shoulders a bit more for me (as that’s a stroke problem for me)
Like the pull buoy and buoyancy shorts, don’t get used to them
So…the Finis Tempo Trainer.
Is it worth the £31?
For me, it’d be making a beep at 22.5s.
I can make my Garmin beep/vibrate at 23s.
Is it much of a muchness?
I probably wouldn’t use it for any stroke rate or DPS work.
Someone won’t be swimming smooth now will they 
ETA: Before my first Outlaw my longest sets were 10 x 400 as swim, pull, pull and paddles (& swim last one) all steady based on RPE.
Today I did:
8 x 100m drills
3 x 800 (12:34, 12:38, 12:36)
100m cool
Tempo trainer is a great tool & well worth the money. 0.5s is a fairly big step and you can also use for stroke rates.
Our swim coach recommends these paddles:
Medium is a good size.