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How Do I Stop Myself Swimming Too fast?
It’s not as strange a question as you might think
This question was asked as part of Outdoor Swimmer’s “You Asked, We Answered” series and it raises a good point about pacing and pace judgement in swimming, so I’m sharing it here too.
The Question
One thing I have noticed about my swimming training: I seem to be pushing the pace a little faster than I need. As soon as I take that first stroke, I swim faster than I need for a training session. I have been told that because I was once a runner, I am programmed to push myself harder for that PB every time I train.
I find that even though I can control my breathing quite well, I still feel a little breathless a lot sooner than I should and a few seconds of treading water to ‘catch my breath’ is sometimes adopted — is there any technique I could adapt to swim at a more ‘economical’ pace and stop myself from treating each swimming session as a race?
The Answer
It’s a good question. Pacing in swimming is an essential but underrated skill — and it is underdeveloped in many swimmers, even those who swim at a high level. Athletes from other sporting backgrounds seem especially prone to starting fast and then slowing dramatically after a short distance. I saw this…
