Tips From the Pros - Amy Marsh

Keys to Swimming Faster

"How do I get faster at swimming?" is the million dollar question that we, as coaches get asked quite often. Well, how do you get faster at running? 9 times out of 10 people will say that they run more and run faster. Well, same holds true for swimming. Swim more and swim faster.

Technique is probably the biggest factor in getting faster. Swimming lap after lap with poor technique can only get you so far. Triathletes are an odd bunch however…they will spend thousands of dollars on a fancy new bike, race wheels, aero helmets, etc…to be faster, but when it comes to swimming, they don’t want to pay a good knowledgeable coach a small fee for some simple stroke correction. Not only can better technique help shave some time off your swim but most importantly an efficient stroke will help save energy for the bike and run.

Swim more. Just with anything else, to get better, you have to practice and practice often. Many times athletes put off swimming because it’s their least favorite discipline and they’re not seeing quick improvements like they do with biking and running. Unfortunately, there is no magic pill. Joining a swim group can always help with motivation, accountability, and stroke technique. Or after a lesson or two, just swim shorter distances more often to re-emphasize good technique.

Swim fast to swim fast. Plain and simple. Many times I see swimmers/triathletes hop in the pool and swim endless laps with no purpose. Most of their swim training is easy paced and unstructured. Athletes tend to swim however many lengths their open water swim distance is for their upcoming race and then get out. Yes, it’s always good to get in a longer steady swim, but varying your speeds may be just what you need to step it up to the next level. Think about having three different paces…easy (warm up/cool down), moderate (steady aerobic pace), and FAST (ALL OUT- no thinking). Once a week try to incorporate a FAST swim, where you just think about moving your arms as fast as you can and nothing else.

An example workout would be:

Warm Up: 10-15’

Main Set: 30 x 25 (3 FAST- 1 Easy - 15” rest between each 25)

50 easy

4x 100 Pull Descend (each 100 gets faster) Rest 30” between each 100

Cool Down: 10’

If you can swim minimum three times a week, I would recommend a steady aerobic interval swim of 200s or 300s, a quality swim (example above) and an open water or continuous long swim.

Amy Marsh is a professional triathlete and coach in Austin, Texas. To find out more about Amy and Brandon Marsh, check out their Team-Marsh.com website.