So, I slowly (literally) started running and swimming. Looking back to my swim career and checking out the present day swim recommendations, I saw and see lots of 50s, 100s, 200s in all kinds of sets, ladders and blocks.

If I apply what works on the bike, that would mean lots of 2x1500m and 3x1000m with 1min rest and the occasional 6x400 with 3min rest. Why are these not the staple goods of triathletes?

No one (?) is running lots of 200m or 400m with 10-20s rest as their "base training". Why swim that way?

I still remember the absolute energy drain one went through every day, only to repeat it the next morning... I think my answer to "How are you?" was "Tired" for some ten years of my youth.

6x400m with 30s rest is not VO2max-stuff

So why not 2x1500 or 1500+1000 instead with 30-60s rest?

I don't really see the need to train like a distance freestyler. They are usually racing 1500 and 400, maybe 200.

, that would mean lots of 2x1500m and 3x1000m with 1min rest and the occasional 6x400 with 3min rest. Why are these not the staple goods of triathletes?

Physio - sorry - can't do it.

Practical - lots of former runners/cyclists think the way you think. They're all slow in the water....

I really wonder if the swimmers have it right and the cyclists/runners have it wrong.....maybe you should hammer bike sessions like: 20 x 1 min hard with 10 seconds rest and let me know how hard you think that is....or 25x200 meter runs with 10 seconds rest. Swimmers use repeats that are very short relative to runners/cyclists but they also use very short recoveries so their heart rate/oxygen consumption jumps right back up - so the set ends up being close to a continuous swim as far as the body is concerned. Plus - they do a lot more volume than runners and cyclists.

In an oly - you swim a few sec/100 slower than mile race pace. I'd guess my oly swim is < 1 min (<5%) vs. what I'd do if I was a relay swimmer. My bike is about 15 watts or < 1 mph slower than open TT pace, and my run is about 2 min (again about 5%).....

In an IM - I'd guess within 2-3 minutes of what I'd swim all-out (again a few sec/100 slower = <5%). My run is about 15% slower than open pace. My bike is ? (no idea what 5 1/2-6 hour bike pace is all out).

I do really think that if you took kids and trained them in cycling/running like you train kid swimmers - they'd crush the rest of the world (or get injured :).

Bottom line: Swimmers know how to train - don't try to reinvent the wheel. Train like a swimmer (sort of).

Regarding training - I'm currently copying the info from swimsmooth.com so my main sets are:

1) 2000 meters at threshold pace with rest of 10 sec/100m (I rest 10 sec for 100's, 20 for 200's, 30 for 300's... so work:rest is about 7:1). Threshold pace is 400m time - 200 m time per 200m.

2) Easy Aerobic sets that are about 5 sec(for me)/100 slower - so 2000m-3000m with short rest.

3) I like to swim some short sets about 5 sec/100m faster than threshold as it floats my boat (not a swimsmooth rec).

Dave

Sure you could do pool sets like you describe 2x1500m hard.

But don't you think that you could raise your swimming FTP in other ways?

It's the overall training mix that matters. Just like in cycling, the person who only does long ie<10min (or choose a double digit #) threshold intervals will improve but the person who manipulates their training mix to raise other points on their power curve will improve more.

Why would swimming be different?

Recommendations for running seems to align better with cycling. No one (?) is running lots of 200m or 400m with 10-20s rest as their "base training". Why swim that way?