I started out using it for longer sets, like 3 or 4 by 1000. I set it to beep on the pace I thought I could hold the whole time, which I think was about a 1:32 pace then (mode 2 on the tempo trainer pro). I realized immediately I really, really sucked at pacing in the pool. I would start out way too fast and then blow up and fall behind. After I got my pacing down and could pace 3x1000 well at 1:32, I bumped it up to 1:31. Then 1:30, etc. Now I'm doing them on a 1:24 pace. So I just set it to beep every 1:24 and I focus on trying to hit the wall when it beeps or maybe a bit ahead. If I do something like 3x1000 I might take a minute rest or sometimes I just wait for the next beep before I start the next one so my rest equals my 100 yard pace. I find it really helps mentally on long sets because it gives me something to focus on. You also know if you're falling off pace or if you gained some time, which can be good too if you're playing around with your form. Instant feedback.

I also do stroke rate sets (mode 3). I do 3x10 minutes with 2 minutes rest at a stroke rate that's quick but not so fast my form falls apart. I do this set the day after a hard ride so my legs are tired and I wear my cheater shorts (Roka Sim) and just focus on stroke rate, catch, etc. It's a tough set, but that combined with a distance set and a set with some short, fast intervals each week (like 10x50 all out with a minute rest) and I've been swimming some of my fastest times ever in the pool and my volume is actually lower than it has been the past few years.

Not sure on the distance. So far my watch has been spot on.

I hope this helps.

Yardage accuracy is dependent on a solid push off the wall. The accelerometer I. The device picks up the surge of speed and detects a "lap". Make sure you always push off the wall after your turns and it should be fine. I always update my session totals if they are off in training peaks / Garmin connect.

Finis tempo trainer pro is a great tool. The easiest way to use it is in mode 3. Set your stroke rate and then get a rythem where your hand enters with each beep. Check some recent swims and see what your stroke rate is and begin there. Every week increase by 2-3 spm until you find your most effective stroke rate.

Swim Smooth have a good video on YouTube explaining CSS, stroke rates, etc. It's all related to the Finis Tempo Pro. Good luck!

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"Train so you have no regrets @ the finish line"

So, just out of sheer curiosity, do these Garmin things measure every single 25, i.e. if you swim a 1000, you get 40 splits??? And, if you swim a 7000 yd workout, you get 280 splits??? I can see getting your split every 200 for a 1000, and being able to recall your actual splits for each 100 for say 20 x 100, but a split for every single 25 seems a bit much:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Way too many bells and whistles to try to use while also trying to swim hard. My brain doesn't work that well when I'm trying to go even semi-hard:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Why a diff button/screen for kick sets??? Can't you just use a rest interval, i.e., something like 10 x 100 swim on :15r, 10 x 100 kick on :15r, and 10 x 100 pull on :15r. Obv the kicking takes longer but you should be able to get by with the same 15 sec of rest.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

It keeps of your turns in the pool that is how it knows how far you have gone. So if you have a 50 meter pool it would track every 50 meters. You also don't have to see all the laps. You can just view your total workout and not break it down. You can also just view the interval distance when you click rest. So yea for 7,000 yard swim you would not see 280 splits unless you drilled down that far and swam in a 25 yard/meter pool.

Before i started doing tri, i was "just a swimmer" and so i watched the pace clock religiously. When i started tri, my GF gave me Timex tri watch (Garmins not having yet been invented back then, back in the Dark Ages of the late 90s:) At first I just used the Timex for running and biking but gradually started adding using in the pool in combo with the pace clock. I still watch the pace clock religiously, and watching the pace clock makes swim workouts almost like a Zen experience b/c you're kind of transfixed by watching the clock, but by using the watch I can also record splits as I see fit. If I'm doing a long swim workout of say 7000 yds, in a 25-yd pool, I'll maybe record my warm-up time (usually around 1000), then maybe my total time for the other sets, i.e. if i do 10 x 200 on X:XX, then i'll record the total time for that 2000 and divide by 10 to get the avg pace to record in my logbook. So at end of workout I will have maybe 8 to 10 numbers to record in my logbook. Over the years, the only data i have found really useful is my times for all-out time trials in practice in 100/200/500/1000/1650/2000 scy, and i have all of those times memorized in my head, but it is interesting to look back at my almost-best times for those distances. All of that said, i've got my routine down so well with the pace clock and Timex watch, so i'll just stick with it. I can do without the watch but it kind of nice to be able to look at your time and know exactly what you swam. I have done a couple of 10,000 meter swims in a 25-m pool without the watch, just using the pace clock to keep up with how far I'd gone. I made it a point to start with minute hand and the second hand on the 60, which made keeping up a bit easier:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I want to hit certain splits on every 25 of a repeat. I dont care if the data is stored. Tempo trainer does that for heaps cheaper. Most guys just want to be lazy at improving in the pool and the 920 helps them track their slow progress.

Gotta say I was barely in the red zone in that 1500 last weekend... should have sprinted sooner.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Mode 1 is better for pacing. Set it to 24.0 and it beeps every 25... want 1.23 set to 23.75 and so on. More like racing the red record line.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

You could - but then the data show it as a rest. The extra button is what tells the device to record it as a drill set. That's all.