Ultra Short Training At Race Pace

Thanks for the compliment Knelson. :) That's exactly how I have been using my tempo trainer for the past few months. It is perfect for interval sendoff. However, it does have its shortcomings. Not sure if the model Tom is talking about above is newer than mine, but mine cannot be set to anything smaller than a second. So, it can be set to 17 but not 17.25. For USRPT I use it like this: I mostly train for the 200 Free and my target time is 2:08. So, I try to do as many 50's as I can at my target pace of 34 seconds. I set it to beep at 17 second intervals. I set it for my 25 target time for two reasons. The first is because it lets me know at the turn if I am on track for my target time or not. The second reason is that it gives me my next sendoff. Rushall suggests an interval of not more than 20 seconds between 50's. I set it to beep every 17 seconds. If I come in at just under the beep (33 high), it will beep as I stand up. Now I just wait for it to beep one more time (17 seconds later), then count 'one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi" and press it once as I duck into the water to synchronize it again. I never have to look at a clock. I love my tempo trainer for this use and it is really the only way I use it. It would be great to be able to set it in increments smaller than a second, though. For instance 16.9 for a 50 time of 33.8. The next step down for me is 16 seconds which is impossible unless I do two or three and then call it quits. Wouldn't your pace 50 time for a 2:08 200 be :32/50?

Thanks for the compliment Knelson. :) That's exactly how I have been using my tempo trainer for the past few months. It is perfect for interval sendoff. However, it does have its shortcomings. Not sure if the model Tom is talking about above is newer than mine, but mine cannot be set to anything smaller than a second. So, it can be set to 17 but not 17.25. For USRPT I use it like this: I mostly train for the 200 Free and my target time is 2:08. So, I try to do as many 50's as I can at my target pace of 34 seconds. I set it to beep at 17 second intervals. I set it for my 25 target time for two reasons. The first is because it lets me know at the turn if I am on track for my target time or not. The second reason is that it gives me my next sendoff. Rushall suggests an interval of not more than 20 seconds between 50's. I set it to beep every 17 seconds. If I come in at just under the beep (33 high), it will beep as I stand up. Now I just wait for it to beep one more time (17 seconds later), then count 'one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi" and press it once as I duck into the water to synchronize it again. I never have to look at a clock. I love my tempo trainer for this use and it is really the only way I use it. It would be great to be able to set it in increments smaller than a second, though. For instance 16.9 for a 50 time of 33.8. The next step down for me is 16 seconds which is impossible unless I do two or three and then call it quits. Wouldn't your pace 50 time for a 2:08 200 be :32/50?