Dear fellow swimmers
Try swimming at different speeds – it will improve more than your swimming
Last weekend we were invited to Guildford Lido’s open day to celebrate that they will be staying open throughout the winter. I was asked to deliver a short introduction to open water swimming practice session.
As part of that session, I asked people to swim four lots of 50m with a short rest in between. I also asked them to swim each one faster than the one before.
I then asked them to swim 200m non-stop at the same speed that they did the third
50m.
This is an exercise in pace judgement and control – something that I think is hugely important in both open water and pool events.
After, one swimmer told me that changing speed was something of a revelation. She normally only swims at one speed. “It’s made my arms hurt,” she said,
smiling.
It’s common for swimmers – especially outdoor swimmers – to do all their swimming at the same comfortable pace. They swim to switch off, not chase performance targets. That’s more often the domain of competitive swimmers who actually care how fast they are.
But
while varying your pace is usually billed as a way to improve your overall swimming speed, there are actually many other benefits that make it worthwhile for recreational swimmers to experiment with too. Here are a few to think about:
Mind-body connection
Varying your pace helps you notice how your body moves and responds to changing effort, and that’s fun.
It feels different
Swimming faster changes how the water feels against your skin, and how you feel
in the water. Notice how you have to engage your muscles and change your breathing.
It can help ward off open water chills
A few short bursts of speed can help warm you up if you’re starting to feel a little chilled (but, safety
warning, if swimming faster doesn’t help you warm up, or your muscles don’t respond, it’s time to get out).
It boosts your mood and energy
Even short increases in intensity can trigger endorphins and leave you feeling more
invigorated. It’s a free addition to the exhilaration of swimming outside.
It builds resilience and strength
Adding in a few sprints during your swims won’t give you a body-builder physique,
but it will help your overall strength if you do it regularly – and this isn’t just useful for swimming.
It might make you safer
If you ever need to swim against a current or quickly get out of the way of a boat, knowing you can
power up if necessary is reassuring.
Unless you have a specific speed and distance goal you’re aiming for, a detailed training plan isn’t needed: just change speed as the mood takes. Or, if you’re in the pool, you could try the exercise above.
Also in The Dip this week...
We’re sorry to see that Mental
Health Swims has announced it is closing down due to lack of funding. They have provided safe and welcoming outdoor swimming experiences to hundreds of people over the past few years and will be missed. Also, we invite you to take part in the world's most ambitious virtual swim, and I reveal how I got on swimming the Brighton Triple Crown. Spoiler alert: it was tough!
