Swimming Isn't Hard (Page 2)

Nice write up Scott, I pretty much agree with everything you say.  I'm also a swimmer so maybe that's why. 

The long continuous swim is probably the thing that frustrates me the most.  Many people seem to think that breaking 3000m down to 30x100 or 15x200 isn't representative of being able to swim 3000m yet if you do it with a short rest and execute the set properly it's incredibly valuable.  Someone mentioned "strength endurance" and how you have to swim continuously to achieve that but 30x100 where you are working slightly harder than that continuous pace with 10-15s rest achieves that goal so much better (again assuming the set is executed properly).  Even when swimming in open water you can do similar things.  I swim once per week open water with a group - we do laps of a ~750s course that is a triangle.  Most people just swim it but I break it down and (after a warmup) I do 1 side of the triangle at a strong effort - just above race effort and then 1 side recovery cruise.  Sometimes I do a full 750m at race effort.

Again, good stuff.