Pulling my way there!Advice needed!

[Kuokyuen]

My catalyst yellow paddles just came in on Monday and Ive grown to love them over my old strokemakers! They feel better and allows me to feel the water after taking them off unlike the older paddles!

Decided for the slightly smaller size compared to the Medium as my stroke is not there yet so would prefer to go smaller as to get the feel better!

Hopefully I'll be able to pull my way to a sub 20min 1500m as Currently it currently stands at about 23mins or so.

Any ideas or tips as to how to try and get there? Other than pull on pull buoy and pull. Any swimming and swimming sets advice other than swim more? Long sets/short?etc etc

[catatonic]

I can't really give you advice since I'm slower in the swim than you ~24 min olympic :p

But damn dude. I saw your other post saying that you started swimming in 2006. That's some serious improvement.
How much are you training per week?

[Kuokyuen]

I try to keep about 20 hrs but not the rule. =)

I did a 22min Oly swim but then that was wetsuit legal and doesnt really count. Need to try and go fast in a 50m pool without wetsuit for the 1500!

[catatonic]

jeebus. you must be in school to be able to rack up those hours

which brings up the next limiter... how are you capable of doing 20 hour / week training only 2 years into triathlons?
Or you focusing mostly on volume with relatively low intensity?

[Kuokyuen]

Well I came from a competitive running background. I remember doing my 1st 100mile week when I was like 18..=P But it was a one off thing as I usually settle in around 50-60miles / week.

Im influenced by Lydiards philosophy of training so I followed it. Not exactly low intensity but everything is moderate.

Yes I am in school, but being an engineering student also I still dont quite as much time as the art students do! Tri and studies have taken up 100% of my time!

[catatonic]

I just googled up Lydiard. Seems like he advocates a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. This also seems to be the pre-periodization era (or at least before it was popular). What I’ve read indicates that it’s also very run focused. Are you applying the same concepts to biking as well? If not, how are you approaching your bike training?

I hope you don’t mind that I’m asking all these questions. The kind of progress you’ve made indicates that you’re probably doing something right
And I really hope I'm not hijacking your thread... which I think I am sorry

[Matthieu O’Halloran - "M@"]

Any ideas or tips as to how to try and get there? Other than pull on pull buoy and pull. Any swimming and swimming sets advice other than swim more? Long sets/short?etc etc

Hey I can't help you with TBB special swim sets, but I'll share some of my theories that I'm sure can help

Its important to have a "tests set" that is challenging and repeated regularly.
With time it will become to you a clear indicator of where your fitness is at!

If you happend to feel like crap in the water during warmup,
especialy in the mornings or in big training blocks,
longer warm ups can make a significant difference in you swim session that day!

Doing a high heart rate swim the same day of a high heart rate run
might take away from each other...

Doing a short short swim,
is better than to not swim at all.

Practice diving sprints! <---No paddles 
It can be very helpfull come race day!

Dont do all your swimming with your new paddles because you wont be using them race day!
Dont do too long of warm downs...theres none on race day.

[doc]

excellent advice from matt