How much endurance training?

To be more specific: I'd like to swim in the range of 5:30-11:30-19:00 for 500-1000-1650 free four months hence. Proving that I can push myself through a set of 5 x 500 on 6:45, descending 6:30 to 6:20 will do little to prepare me swim at those speeds. But cruising a longish set like that, in a non-fatiguing way at 13-14 SPL, on Tuesday night, could help me be ready for a set of 100s at 1:10 or under and 15SPL on Wed or Thurs night that trains the neural patterns it requires to swim my goal times. As I do the 5 x 500 I'm not after aerobic conditioning. I'm thinking of physical recovery and further imprinting some small but critical skill -- perhaps a firm anchor with elbow slightly above wrist -- that I hope will hold up when my stroke rate and HR increase one or two nights later. OR after doing the 5 x 500 one week I may conclude that 500 repeats compromise the recovery and imprinting First, I want to commend you on the goals you have set for the distances above. What I would like to know is why you don't think that pushing yourself on 6:45 with descending times of 6:30 and 6:20, would not benefit your 500? Isn't the objective to swim it faster but with more comfort, so wouldn't working it harder eventually provide that for you? As we work harder, would it not make sense that it won't feel or be as difficult to reach 6:30 and 6:20? And how would you then train to reach these times if you choose to not push yourself through them? If you have a magic bullet, please share. And one more question if you don't mind: what is restorative/recovery about 5x500s? That seems a bit like an oxymoron to me for that is 2,500 yards of more shoulder roation (extra volume), unless a swimmer is swimming an average of 10,000 yds a day, only then would 5x500s be recovery and that is even a stretch. Thanks, Donna

To be more specific: I'd like to swim in the range of 5:30-11:30-19:00 for 500-1000-1650 free four months hence. Proving that I can push myself through a set of 5 x 500 on 6:45, descending 6:30 to 6:20 will do little to prepare me swim at those speeds. But cruising a longish set like that, in a non-fatiguing way at 13-14 SPL, on Tuesday night, could help me be ready for a set of 100s at 1:10 or under and 15SPL on Wed or Thurs night that trains the neural patterns it requires to swim my goal times. As I do the 5 x 500 I'm not after aerobic conditioning. I'm thinking of physical recovery and further imprinting some small but critical skill -- perhaps a firm anchor with elbow slightly above wrist -- that I hope will hold up when my stroke rate and HR increase one or two nights later. OR after doing the 5 x 500 one week I may conclude that 500 repeats compromise the recovery and imprinting First, I want to commend you on the goals you have set for the distances above. What I would like to know is why you don't think that pushing yourself on 6:45 with descending times of 6:30 and 6:20, would not benefit your 500? Isn't the objective to swim it faster but with more comfort, so wouldn't working it harder eventually provide that for you? As we work harder, would it not make sense that it won't feel or be as difficult to reach 6:30 and 6:20? And how would you then train to reach these times if you choose to not push yourself through them? If you have a magic bullet, please share. And one more question if you don't mind: what is restorative/recovery about 5x500s? That seems a bit like an oxymoron to me for that is 2,500 yards of more shoulder roation (extra volume), unless a swimmer is swimming an average of 10,000 yds a day, only then would 5x500s be recovery and that is even a stretch. Thanks, Donna