Training for the 1500/1650: Suggestions?

So my CSS is faster than my "En2/anaerobic threshold" pace (derived from a T-1000) but slightly slower than my goal 1500 pace. You are saying that once or twice a week I should be doing sets like 10 x 200 with 20 seconds rest swimming at my CSS, correct? Hmmm not quite. 1) I absolutely can not issue any recommendation as to how many times a week etc without getting involved little deeper into your planning as a whole. Some have issued recommendations that modulate based on the time of year, I think it is very smart. 2) I don't mind or care about the CSS pace as much as the CSS concept as a whole as a tool to find most accurate pace given the sets you'd like to compose (see note at the bottom) I tried (hopefully I was successful) to attach an excel spreadsheet. Have a look and you'll understand what I meant (see at the very bottom of this post). - - - Note Composing tight threshold or distance sets I agree with every sets that were suggested so far in this thread as long as they meet these two principles: 1) AVG intensity of the segments remains in the zone you want to address 2) The little short recoveries between the intervals are under 30s (ideally 20s and less) so that your body barely notice about these recoveries ** btw, same principle for Maglischo's overload intensity sets, which very often will end up being Vo2Max sets. Sample Threshold set based on CSS Say you want to compose a set that is one 3k long segment. You pick the Excel Sheet (attached), look at the pace you should hold over 3k and build the set accordingly. In the Excel Sheet, the two data point used are 400m=5:40; 1000=14:15. If you look at the row corresponding to 3000, you'll see that the suggested pace is 1:25.7. The set could be built around this. Since 1:25.7 is the target pace, an interval of 1:25 may be little short. 1:30 may be little to long. In such a case, your best option is to see if you get a nice match with 200s. 2:55 would still be little short maybe. But if you think in term of 300s, then it's easy to find a suitable interval. 10x300 off 4:25 may be totally appropriate in this example scenario Or even better here: 10x300 @ 4 off 4:30 / 3 off 4:25 / 2 off 4:20 / last one faster than 4:15. This gives a descending time edge to the set. That's an example of how to use the CSS concept to establish target pace for distance training. hope this clarifies things a bit.

So my CSS is faster than my "En2/anaerobic threshold" pace (derived from a T-1000) but slightly slower than my goal 1500 pace. You are saying that once or twice a week I should be doing sets like 10 x 200 with 20 seconds rest swimming at my CSS, correct? Hmmm not quite. 1) I absolutely can not issue any recommendation as to how many times a week etc without getting involved little deeper into your planning as a whole. Some have issued recommendations that modulate based on the time of year, I think it is very smart. 2) I don't mind or care about the CSS pace as much as the CSS concept as a whole as a tool to find most accurate pace given the sets you'd like to compose (see note at the bottom) I tried (hopefully I was successful) to attach an excel spreadsheet. Have a look and you'll understand what I meant (see at the very bottom of this post). - - - Note Composing tight threshold or distance sets I agree with every sets that were suggested so far in this thread as long as they meet these two principles: 1) AVG intensity of the segments remains in the zone you want to address 2) The little short recoveries between the intervals are under 30s (ideally 20s and less) so that your body barely notice about these recoveries ** btw, same principle for Maglischo's overload intensity sets, which very often will end up being Vo2Max sets. Sample Threshold set based on CSS Say you want to compose a set that is one 3k long segment. You pick the Excel Sheet (attached), look at the pace you should hold over 3k and build the set accordingly. In the Excel Sheet, the two data point used are 400m=5:40; 1000=14:15. If you look at the row corresponding to 3000, you'll see that the suggested pace is 1:25.7. The set could be built around this. Since 1:25.7 is the target pace, an interval of 1:25 may be little short. 1:30 may be little to long. In such a case, your best option is to see if you get a nice match with 200s. 2:55 would still be little short maybe. But if you think in term of 300s, then it's easy to find a suitable interval. 10x300 off 4:25 may be totally appropriate in this example scenario Or even better here: 10x300 @ 4 off 4:30 / 3 off 4:25 / 2 off 4:20 / last one faster than 4:15. This gives a descending time edge to the set. That's an example of how to use the CSS concept to establish target pace for distance training. hope this clarifies things a bit.