Hey swimmers,

Last week I wrote about building back1 and how four weeks away from swimming might realistically take six or seven weeks to recover from. Quite a few of you have messaged me since to say how reassuring that was.

This was a lovely, poignant message from Greta which emphasises the context of what “building back” might mean for each of us:

Whether you’re rebuilding after illness, trying to regain some consistency, working towards a new level of fitness, or preparing for a big event, the principle is the same: small, achievable steps, repeated consistently, add up.

But eventually those steps get smaller.

And that’s where consolidation becomes important.

Nearly every Monday morning I swim perhaps the most boring set imaginable (and yet I’ve swum it 22 times already this year!):

10 × 400m, as:

• 4 × 400m @ CSS +6

• 3 × 400m @ CSS +5

• 2 × 400m @ CSS +4

• 1 × 400m @ CSS +3

It’s 4km of very controlled aerobic swimming, with roughly 20 seconds rest between each 400m - about a 16:1 work-to-rest ratio.

It isn’t difficult because it’s fast. It becomes challenging because it demands concentration, discipline and good pacing. Go off too quickly and you’ll certainly know about it later!

I’ve used this session for years as a benchmark. Sometimes improvement means swimming faster. But equally, it might mean a lower heart rate, better pacing or simply feeling more comfortable doing exactly the same work.

When I first returned after being ill, I wound my CSS right back to 1:24/100m. Considering I’d been around 1:12–1:13/100m when racing in Mallorca, that felt ridiculously slow.

But that was precisely the point.

From there I moved to 1:22, then gradually chipped away: 1:21, 1:20, 1:19, 1:18, 1:17 and finally 1:16/100m last week.

I could have pushed again this morning to 1:15.

Instead, I decided to consolidate.

I repeated exactly the same session using the same 1:16 CSS benchmark. The result was fascinating.

Last week I swam 4,000m in 53:50, averaging 1:20.76/100m. Today: 53:53 and 1:20.83/100m.

Essentially identical:

But look underneath the headline numbers and something interesting happened. My average heart rate dropped from 154 to 149bpm, my pacing score improved from 90 to 92, and I took 45 seconds less total rest.

I wasn’t faster.

I was better.

And that’s an important distinction.

One of our swimmers, Laurie, told me on the pool deck this weekend that these blogs had inspired him to add a couple of extra swims each week. That genuinely made my day right before my own 5km endurance set, because this isn’t about everyone chasing some arbitrary performance number. It’s about finding your own next achievable step.

Eventually, rapid improvements slow down. When they do, don’t immediately force the next jump.

Hold the pace. Improve the execution. Lower the effort. Pace it better. Feel more comfortable.

Sometimes progression is about moving forwards. Sometimes it’s about making where you already are feel easier.

This week, I’m consolidating.

Maybe you should too - our certified Swim Smooth Coaches are experts at helping you define what stage of the “journey” you’re currently at:

Meet your local Swim Smooth Coach

Thanks for reading,

Your coach,
Paul

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Hey swimmers,

Last week’s blog, “I Spend More Time Slowing People Down Than Speeding Them Up”1, generated plenty of discussion.

I write these blogs on a Thursday before our biggest day on the pool deck (Friday) which features two back-to-back CSS Development Sessions (we call them “Fresh ‘n’ Fruity”), a 5km Red Mist Endurance Session and then some lucky punter gets to do a 1-to-1 video analysis session to round off the week, focusing on their technique. Given this, I can always be assured that I will get some comments on a Friday morning about what I wrote on a Thursday. Last week was no different - Will, one of our lane 3 swimmers with a CSS of 1:28/100m, pulled me aside and playfully said:

What I gently reminded Will of, however—and I hope it was both reassuring and a well-deserved pat on the back—is that he's one of those swimmers who simply gets it. He understands the rationale behind the pace targets. He knows when to hold back and when it's the right time to push. As a result, it probably does feel to him that I'm always encouraging him to move forwards. And that's because I can. He's put in the work. He's built his engine. He's learned how to pace himself properly, week after week and session after session. Those foundations now give him the confidence and fitness to keep progressing. It's no coincidence that he's been one of our most improved swimmers over the last six months.

When you train like Will, you earn the right to push forwards. Those foundations allow you to take on harder sessions with confidence because you've developed the discipline to train at the right intensity on the right days. For swimmers who haven't quite embraced that approach yet, progress can often be slower than it needs to be. That was really the message behind last week's blog: a gentle call to arms for anyone who would benefit from introducing a little more structure into their training. It's certainly a lesson I've had to learn myself over the years, too.

Will’s sportive comments aside, for many of you, the message really resonated. Using tools like the FINIS Tempo Trainer to hold specific paces removes much of the guesswork from training. Instead of simply swimming “easy”, “moderately hard” or “hard”, you have an objective target that helps ensure you’re working in the right physiological zone for the session. It provides a framework for measuring progress rather than relying solely on feel.

Not everyone agreed, however.

A few readers questioned whether introducing too much objectivity risks taking away some of the freedom and joy that makes swimming so appealing in the first place. It’s a fair point. Most of us started swimming because we enjoy it, not because we wanted to stare at numbers all day.

For me, though, the numbers are never the goal. They’re simply a compass.

Without some meaningful way of measuring your training, it’s a little like firing a scattergun into the darkness. You can put in plenty of effort, but it’s difficult to know whether what you’re doing is actually moving you closer towards your goals. A handful of objective sessions each week provides direction, while still leaving plenty of room for those wonderful swims where you simply switch off and enjoy being in the water.

That brings us neatly to this week’s topic.

One of the biggest advantages of tracking your training over time is that it allows you to see not only how fitness develops, but also how quickly it can disappear and, perhaps more importantly, how long it really takes to come back.

Whilst it certainly wasn’t enjoyable watching my own fitness curve fall away so dramatically after Best Fest Mallorca 2026, following a month of illness, there has been something quietly satisfying about watching it steadily climb again. The daily improvements are small, almost imperceptible, but together they tell a reassuring story: consistent training, even after a setback, always moves you back in the right direction.

The chart below illustrates exactly what I mean.

It’s an old saying that every endurance athlete has heard, but until you actually see it plotted in front of you, it’s difficult to appreciate just how true it really is.

In May, I reached one of the highest levels of swim fitness I’ve enjoyed in years, culminating in winning the overall title at Best Fest Mallorca 2026. After the event, I stayed on to coach our Swim Smooth camp before unfortunately picking up an illness that kept me out of the water for almost four weeks.

The result was a dramatic drop in fitness.

What struck me wasn’t simply how quickly my fitness declined during that month, but how much longer it has taken to rebuild it. Even now, around six to seven weeks after returning to training, I’m still not quite back to where I was before getting sick.

The recovery curve is noticeably shallower than the decline.

A rough rule of thumb from my own experience this time around has been a 4:6 ratio. Four weeks lost through illness has required around six or seven weeks of consistent training simply to approach my previous level again. Everyone is different, of course, but it’s a useful reminder whenever life interrupts your training.

Quantifying Your Different Types of Training

Within the SwimSmooth GURU, we quantify training using Swimming Training Stress Score (sTSS). It’s a measure of the overall training load from each session, taking into account both duration and intensity relative to your Critical Swim Speed (CSS).

As a guide:

• A one-hour technique session might score 35-45 sTSS, whereas a more challenging Technique / Endurance session might take you closer to 75-85 sTSS.

• A CSS development session will often score around 65-95 sTSS.

• A demanding one-hour Red Mist session covering around 5 km may reach 120 sTSS or more.

• Longer open water swims of 8-12 km can accumulate substantially higher scores again.

The temptation is to think that if harder sessions build fitness faster, then simply doing more of them must be the answer.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly how many swimmers end up overtrained, injured or sick.

Fitness isn’t actually built during the training session itself. It’s built during recovery.

That’s why the GURU displays three simple metrics that work together:

• Fitness (blue) shows the long-term adaptations you’re accumulating.

• Fatigue (pink) reflects the short-term cost of your recent training.

• Form (green) represents your freshness and readiness to perform.

Monitor Your Fitness in the GURU

As fatigue rises, form naturally falls. Push that imbalance for too long and eventually something has to give. Sometimes that’s simply slower performances. Sometimes it’s injury. Sometimes, as I experienced this year, it’s illness.

This is also why tapering before an important race works so well. During the final 10-14 days before your event, you’re no longer trying to build more fitness. Instead, you’re allowing fatigue to fall while preserving as much fitness as possible. Your fitness may plateau, or even dip ever so slightly, but your form begins climbing, leaving you feeling fresher, stronger and ready to perform when it matters most.

I’ve written before about the importance of patience when returning after illness or an enforced break from swimming. The biggest mistake I see is swimmers trying to regain everything in the first week back.

Your body simply doesn’t work like that.

If anything, this chart has reminded me that consistency is far more powerful than intensity. The decline happened quickly, but the rebuild has required patience, discipline and trust in the process. There haven’t been any miracle sessions—just one good swim after another.

That’s perhaps the biggest lesson of all.

Don’t become disheartened if illness, injury or life gets in the way of your training. Your fitness will come back. It simply asks for the same thing that built it in the first place: sensible, consistent training over time.

So if you’ve recently had some time away from the pool,

Because while fitness may disappear surprisingly quickly, consistency will always win it back, and your Swim Smooth Coach is primed to helping you do exactly that!

Find Your Squad

Thanks for reading.

Your coach,

Paul

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Hey Swimmers,

One of the things I probably say more than anything else on pool deck is:

People are often surprised by that. Surely every coach wants their swimmers to go faster?

Of course we do. But paradoxically, one of the best ways to become a faster swimmer is learning when not to swim fast.

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Hey Swimmers

It is now just under 15 years since I swam the English Channel, yet the experience remains remarkably vivid.

On 8 September 2011, after waiting in Dover for nearly three and a half weeks, I finally got my opportunity. My daughter Isla was due to be born only a couple of weeks later, so this had become a genuine do-or-die attempt. If I did not swim that day, three years of preparation would end with me returning home empty-handed. Admittedly, I would be returning home to welcome a brand-new member of the family, so it was not all bad!

That long wait taught me something most people do not realise about swimming the English Channel: completing the training is only one part of the challenge. Getting yourself onto the start line is an undertaking in itself.

The next time you are sitting in a pub and a mate casually says, “I’d love to swim the English Channel one day,” here is the first thing you can tell them:

You cannot simply enter it.

There is no ballot, no mass start and no online form where you select a date, pay your money and turn up. Swimming the English Channel is part athletic challenge, part maritime operation and part negotiation with the moon.

Here is how it actually works.

Step one: book the boat, not the swim

The first thing an aspiring Channel swimmer must do is secure an officially registered pilot boat. These boats are the scarce resource in the whole operation, with bookings often made two or three years in advance.

Across the two recognised governing organisations, the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) and the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation (CS&PF), there are only around 13 registered escort boats available to serve swimmers from all over the world.

You contact the pilots directly and ask which tidal windows and positions they have available. You might be offered something such as “third swimmer on the July neap tide.”

That does not mean you are swimming on the third day of July. It means you are third in line during a particular tidal window. If conditions allow the first two swimmers to go, you are next. If bad weather intervenes, you might wait several days, move into another window or not swim at all.

The contract is between you and the pilot. You pay the pilot directly, usually with an initial reservation fee followed by a substantial deposit. The boat fee for a one-way attempt is typically around £3,500, although every pilot sets their own prices and terms.

Choosing your pilot generally determines which of the two governing organisations you register with. Both organisations appoint an official observer, enforce the rules and ratify successful crossings.

For my swim, I was registered with the CSA and piloted by Andy King aboard the Louise Jane. The relationship with your pilot is critically important. You are trusting them to interpret the weather and tides, select the correct starting time and guide you safely through one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

You must prove that you are ready

Booking a boat does not automatically qualify you to start.

A solo swimmer must complete a verified six-hour swim in cold water. Under the CS&PF rules, that means water at 16°C or below, completed within 18 months of the attempt and at least 14 days before the tidal window begins.

That six-hour swim should not be mistaken for the training required to cross the Channel. It is simply the minimum evidence that the swimmer understands what prolonged exposure to cold water feels like.

There is also a medical assessment, paperwork and registration fees. Applications generally need to be completed by 30 April in the year of the swim.

By the time travel, accommodation, training camps, pilot fees and contingencies are included, an overseas swimmer could realistically spend £5,000 to £8,000 or more.

You do not receive a fixed start time

The Channel swimming season now runs from 1 April to 31 October, but most swimmers favour the warmer summer months.

When your tidal window arrives, you travel to Dover and wait.

And wait.

Your pilot studies the weather, wind, sea state and tides. The call might come the evening before. It could also come at short notice, with a start in the middle of the night.

My wait lasted almost three and a half weeks. Every day brought the same mixture of hope, frustration and uncertainty. You need to remain physically prepared to swim, but you also have to manage your energy and emotions. You cannot spend every day worrying that this might be your last opportunity, yet you must be ready if the telephone rings.

By 8 September, I was running out of time. Isla was about to arrive and I needed to return to Australia. This was my chance, regardless of whether the Channel was offering the conditions I might have chosen.

Most swims begin from Samphire Hoe or Shakespeare Beach. The swimmer enters the water from the boat, swims to shore, stands clear of the water and then begins on the observer’s signal.

From there, France is approximately 21 miles or 34 kilometres away.

Except, of course, it is not that simple.

Why Channel swimmers travel in an “S”

The tides in the Dover Strait are extraordinarily powerful. They flow along the Channel rather than conveniently carrying a swimmer directly towards France.

For roughly six hours, the water pushes the swimmer in one direction. The tide then changes and carries them back the other way. Viewed on a tracking map, a successful crossing usually resembles an elongated “S”.

This is not poor navigation. It is the pilot working with the tide.

Spring tides occur around the new and full moons, when the gravitational effects of the sun and moon combine. They move more water and create stronger tidal streams. Neap tides occur around the quarter moons, when those effects partially counteract one another.

Most swimmers prefer neap tides because the flow is gentler and the period around the turn of the tide is longer. That can provide more margin for error near the French coast. Faster swimmers may sometimes use a spring tide to their advantage, but it demands extremely accurate timing.

This is where a slow feed can become surprisingly expensive. If a swimmer stops for three minutes every hour during a 14-hour crossing, they lose 42 minutes. Near France, that could be the difference between landing quickly and being swept beyond Cap Gris Nez. What appears to be another 20 minutes of swimming can suddenly become two additional hours.

The pilot is not merely following alongside. They are constantly calculating where the swimmer needs to be several hours into the future.

The day the Channel showed its teeth

I completed my crossing in 12 hours and 14 minutes. Strangely, I have always felt a little embarrassed by that time. It is only around 46 minutes faster than the often-quoted average crossing time of approximately 13 hours, and I had hoped my swimming background might produce something quicker.

But times rarely tell the complete story in open water.

Conditions that day were horrendous. The south-westerly wind reportedly reached approximately 28 to 35 knots, and the water temperature was around 14°C. It was terribly rough, terribly cold and a genuine battle against the elements.

Later, 8 September was regarded as the most challenging day of the 2011 Channel season on which anyone successfully completed a crossing. Around 20 swimmers set out that day, but only two finished. I was one of them.

With hindsight, that matters far more than whether the clock read 10, 11 or 12 hours. The Channel is not a swimming pool. You cannot meaningfully compare two crossing times without understanding the tide, wind, temperature, starting position and sea state experienced by each swimmer.

Sometimes success is not about producing the time you imagined. It is about continuing to move forwards when the conditions bear little resemblance to the day you had hoped for.

France does not count until you clear the water

Channel rules are beautifully simple and brutally strict.

The swimmer may wear one standard costume, one cap and goggles, but no wetsuit or buoyancy aid. They cannot touch the boat or another person. Food and drinks must be passed or thrown from the boat without physical contact.

To finish, the swimmer must reach France and clear the water onto dry land. If cliffs make that impossible, they must touch the rock face with no seawater beyond them.

Only then does the boat sound its horn.

The swimmer usually returns to England aboard the pilot boat, exhausted, cold and often seasick, while their observer prepares the report required for ratification.

Captain Matthew Webb completed the first recognised crossing in 1875, swimming breaststroke for 21 hours and 45 minutes. Today’s fastest swimmers have completed it in under seven hours, while other successful crossings have taken close to 29.

But the defining challenge has never been the straight-line distance.

It is gaining a place, completing the preparation, remaining ready through years of uncertainty and then matching your swimming to a narrow opening created by the weather, the tides and the moon.

Would I do it again?

When people ask whether I would swim the Channel again, my usual answer is no. I have done it, ticked the box and experienced everything I wanted from it.

I loved the challenge. I loved battling the elements, and I loved taking on something widely regarded as one of the hardest physical challenges a person can attempt.

Interestingly, it was not the hardest endurance event I have personally completed. That distinction belongs to the 2018 ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship, which I raced with Precision Fuel & Hydration founder Andy Blow. We covered approximately 75 kilometres, including 10 kilometres of open-water swimming and 65 kilometres of trail running, in a little over nine hours. For me, that was substantially harder.

But the Channel is different. Its history, uncertainty and reliance on nature give it a mystique that very few sporting challenges can match.

If I ever did consider returning, I would want to live in the UK for the summer. I would keep myself ready and hope to cherry-pick a favourable day, perhaps even attempting a carefully selected spring tide as some faster swimmers do.

For now, that remains very much a pie-in-the-sky idea.

So, the next time somebody in the pub says, “It’s only 21 miles, isn’t it?” you can smile knowingly.

On the map, perhaps.

In the Channel, there is no such thing as only 21 miles.

Thanks for reading. Your Coach, Paul.

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Hey swimmers,

Thanks so much for all your recent feedback on the blogs. It really inspires me to know that you're enjoying them. On to today's question:

It seems counterintuitive. If they race in lakes, rivers and the sea, surely that’s where they should be doing most of their training too?

In fact, famously, David Davies (Olympic bronze (1500m) and Olympic silver (10km open water) famously talks in our podcast from 2019 about how Beijing in 2008 was only his 3rd ever open water swim - not race, swim - and he collected an Olympic silver medal in the event’s inaugural edition!). You can listen to that full interview here to bring context to today’s blog:

But before we answer why David and so few other elite open water swimmers actually train in the open water, it’s worth asking a different question:

For most of us, it’s about far more than performance. It’s the freedom, the scenery, the fresh air, the camaraderie and the simple joy of escaping the black line at the bottom of the pool. We swim outdoors because we genuinely enjoy it.

Elite open water swimmers see things rather differently. For them, open water swimming is all about performance.

That changes the question from “Where would I most like to swim today?” to “Where will I get the greatest training benefit?”

Of course, open water skills matter. Sighting, drafting, feeding, swimming in close quarters and coping with changing conditions all need to be practised. But when an elite coach is planning a week’s training, they also have to consider travel time, unpredictable weather, water quality and whether the conditions will actually allow the session they want to complete.

Very often, the answer is that the pool simply offers a more controlled, measurable and productive environment.

I learnt this lesson the hard way.

Back in 1998, while preparing for the British Under-23 Olympic Distance Triathlon Championships, I decided to spend six to eight weeks training almost exclusively in the open water. I thought I was doing exactly the right thing by making my preparation as race-specific as possible.

Instead, I sacrificed quality.

I couldn’t consistently hit the high intensities I needed, and when the race started my pacing was completely off. My lactate levels skyrocketed and, although I still exited the water in third place, I lost over 90 seconds to the two leaders across just 1500 metres. That deficit effectively ended my race before the bike leg had even begun.

I thought I was training specifically for performance. In reality, I’d compromised the very training that would have improved it.

Does that mean you should stop swimming in the open water?

Absolutely not.

If your primary goal is enjoyment, adventure, confidence or simply spending time outdoors, then open water is exactly where you should be. Those benefits are incredibly valuable in their own right.

But if you have an important race coming up and genuinely want to maximise your performance, it’s worth borrowing a page from the elite playbook - which I do with my own training.

Here’s how I structure my own week

The important thing isn’t to copy this exactly, but to notice the role each session plays.

Monday – Red Mist Endurance (Pool)
I complete my classic 10 × 400 m session, typically swimming between CSS +3 and CSS +6 seconds per 100 m. This is the cornerstone of my endurance development, and the pool allows me to hold very precise pacing that simply wouldn’t be possible in changing open water conditions.

Tuesday – Technique & Endurance (Pool)
Around 3 km focused on improving efficiency using drills, fins, paddles and a pull buoy. I’ll often include sighting practice or swimming alongside training partners so I’m still rehearsing open water skills within a controlled environment.

Wednesday – Tempo Swim (Pool)
A simple 2 km continuous swim at my best sustainable pace. Think of it as the swimming equivalent of a tempo run. It provides a regular benchmark of where my fitness really is, even on days when I’m not feeling particularly fresh.

Thursday – Open Water for the Love of It
This is usually a relaxed 1.5–2 km swim with my mate Chris. It’s not about performance—it’s simply about enjoying being in the ocean together. Later that day I’ll complete a structured CSS threshold session back in the pool, where I can target exactly the intensity I need.

Friday – Recovery or Technique
Either a day off or another easy technical swim, depending on how my body is responding.

Saturday – Saturday Stoic (Pool)
A 5 km session combining technique, threshold work, Red Mist endurance, sprinting and open water skills. It brings together many of the key elements of the Swim Smooth approach in one session. This same approach is used by all our Swim Smooth Squads around the world:

Join a Swim Smooth Squad

Sunday – Long Open Water Swim
This becomes my race-specific session. Depending on the event, I’ll swim anywhere from 3 km to 12 km continuously while monitoring my pace with GPS and practising feeding strategies and race execution.

The structure of my week hardly changes. What changes is my CSS pace, which gradually gets faster, and the distance of my Sunday swim as my target event approaches.

The interesting thing is that even this probably includes more open water swimming than many elite open water athletes actually do. The majority of their training still takes place in the pool because that’s where they can most effectively build the engine they’ll rely on when race day arrives.

So the next time you’re wondering why elite open water swimmers spend so much time staring at the black line, remember that they’re not training for the environment—they’re training for the performance.

For the rest of us, it’s perfectly okay if performance isn’t the only goal. Swimming in the open water for the sheer joy of it is one of life’s great pleasures, and that’s a wonderful reason to head to the beach whenever you can.

But if your next race really matters to you, don’t assume that more open water is automatically better. Often, the fastest way to become a better open water swimmer starts with a well-planned week in the pool, using the open water purposefully for the things that only it can teach you.

Thanks for reading.

Your Coach, Paul.

Join Coach Fiona Ford in Italy to Work on Your Open Water Skills: 2-9 September

Join Fiona Ford for an unforgettable week of swimming on Italy's stunning Adriatic coast, where world-class coaching meets an incredible holiday experience. Combining expertly guided sea and pool sessions with personalised Swim Smooth coaching, this camp is your chance to refine your technique, build endurance, and immerse yourself in the beauty, culture, and relaxed lifestyle of Cesenatico—all under the guidance of one of Britain's most accomplished triathlon coaches.

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Hey Swimmers,

If you’ve been away from swimming for a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years, there’s a good chance you’re carrying around a little bit of dread.

That last point reminds me a little bit of the sign you often see in a pub that says “Free beer tomorrow.” Tomorrow never comes, obviously.

Nonetheless, I know the ‘dread’ feeling all too well and why it can be so prohibitive to your forward momentum.

As I wrote about last week, I’ve just come through three weeks out of the water myself after getting properly knocked around by illness. It would’ve been easy to force my way back in, try to prove something to myself, and expect my swimming to be exactly where I left it.

Instead, I chose to be kind to myself - much to the amusement of my training partner, Chris, who has now also succumbed to the lurgy:

That’s the first lesson when returning to the water:

leave your expectations (and in my case, my entire personality!) at the pool door.

You’re not trying to win an Olympic medal on day one. You’re simply trying to reconnect with something that you know makes you feel better.

Because here’s the thing that so many swimmers forget: almost nobody regrets going for a swim. We regret putting it off.

Six Is The Magic Number

Over the years, we’ve seen a remarkably consistent pattern.

For many swimmers, it takes around six swims to start feeling like themselves again.

Not one swim.

Not two.

And certainly not after the first session where you feel out of breath and wonder where all your fitness has gone.

The first swim often feels awkward.

The second can feel surprisingly hard.

The third and fourth are usually where you begin to remember why you love it.

By the sixth swim, the rhythm starts to return. The water feels familiar again. Your confidence begins to rebuild.

That’s why it’s so important not to judge your comeback on your first session back.

Judge it after six.

Give Yourself Permission To Start Small

One of the biggest mistakes swimmers make is believing they need to return at full speed.

You don’t.

Twenty minutes is enough.

A few gentle lengths are enough.

Turning up and chatting with your lane mates is enough.

The hardest part is rarely the swimming itself. It’s walking through the door.

Once you’re there, the water usually does the rest.

The Water Is Waiting For You

At Swim Smooth, we’ve seen it hundreds of times.

Someone returns after an absence feeling nervous, embarrassed, or worried they’ve fallen behind. A few weeks later, they’re smiling, feeling fitter, sleeping better, and wondering why they left it so long.

Swimming has a wonderful way of giving back far more than it asks of us.

So if you’ve been away for a while, here’s your challenge:

Don’t think about getting fit.

Don’t think about pace.

Don’t think about how many sessions you’ve missed.

Simply commit to six swims.

Be kind to yourself. Lower the bar. Take the pressure off.

Just get back in the water and let the process work its magic.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly it starts to feel like home again.

Join one of our Squads near you!

Thanks for reading! You Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers

A few weeks ago, I was writing about arguably my best-ever week of swimming.

At 47 years old, I’d just enjoyed my strongest performances at BestFest Mallorca, swimming times and paces that I hadn’t seen for years. I was feeling fit, confident and excited about what might be possible later in the season.

The irony wasn’t lost on many of my swim…

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Hey Swimmers

Last week, in Part One, I shared some of the lessons I learned while racing six open water events at BestFest Mallorca.

This week I’d like to turn the spotlight onto something I find even more rewarding: the two Swim Smooth Experience Camps that surrounded the event.

Over the course of two weeks, we welcomed 24 swimmers from around the world to Mallorca. Some were experienced open water racers. Some were triathletes. Some were pool swimmers. Some had only recently discovered a love for swimming.

Their ages varied. Their backgrounds varied. Their goals varied.

And yet they all arrived asking essentially the same question:

The interesting thing is that none of them received the same answer.

One of the core principles of Swim Smooth has always been that we coach the swimmer, not the stroke.

For years, swimming instruction has often focused on creating a single ideal technique and then trying to mould every swimmer towards it. The problem is that swimmers aren’t all built the same. They don’t move the same. They don’t think the same. They don’t learn the same.

So why would we coach them the same?

Over the course of the camp, every swimmer received a full video analysis, pool sessions, open water skills coaching, stroke-rate work, pacing sessions and plenty of individual feedback.

What fascinated me when reviewing the video footage afterwards was just how different everyone’s priorities were.

Several swimmers appeared, at first glance, to have very similar strokes. Yet the causes of their limitations were completely different.

One swimmer needed to eliminate an overglide that was stalling momentum at the front of the stroke.

Another needed to improve breathing timing.

Another needed to trust a higher stroke rate.

Another needed to stop forcing power and instead focus on flow.

The outcome wasn’t twenty-four swimmers trying to swim the same way.

The outcome was twenty-four swimmers leaving with a clearer understanding of how they personally swim best.

Perhaps the best example was Katharine.

Like many swimmers, Katharine had spent years believing that reaching further and gliding longer would make her more efficient. On video, however, we could clearly see that her stroke was running quite slowly at a stroke rate of between 42 and 46spm. Momentum was being lost before the catch had even begun.

Throughout the week we focused on improving rhythm, reducing the pause and helping her trust continuous movement through the stroke.

The results have been extraordinary.

Since returning home, Katharine has improved her 5 mile Lake Coniston time by approximately 25 minutes from last year.

Twenty-five minutes!

Not because she suddenly became fitter.

Not because she started training twice as much.

But because she started moving through the water in a way that better suited her.

Here’s Katharine in action on Day 5 of the camp where we took each swimmer through a follow-up stroke correction “contrast” session between their old stroke and their new one in order to really feel (and for you and their peers, to see) the difference:

This story was repeated again and again throughout the two camps.

Different swimmers.

Different challenges.

Different solutions.

The common thread was individualisation.

One of my favourite moments each week comes on the final day when we sit down with every swimmer and discuss their next six months.

The answer is never “work on everything.”

In fact, it’s usually the opposite.

Success often comes from identifying the one or two changes that will make the biggest difference and then giving those changes enough time to take root.

The swimmers who improve fastest are rarely those trying to fix ten things at once.

They’re the swimmers who understand what matters most for them.

As coaches, we sometimes fall into the trap of looking for common solutions.

Mallorca reminded me once again that swimming improvement is rarely found in common solutions.

It’s found in understanding the individual standing in front of you.

That’s why, after more than twenty years of coaching, I still believe our most important principle remains unchanged:

Because when you get that right, improvement becomes a whole lot easier—and a whole lot more enjoyable.

Thanks for reading,

Your Coach, Paul

Want to Join us on the Last Swim Smooth Experience of 2026 in Crete 27-Sep to 3-Oct?

Why Are Swim Smooth Experiences Different?

There are plenty of swimming holidays available around the world.

Most offer beautiful locations, great company and plenty of swimming.

We offer those too.

But what makes a Swim Smooth Experience different is that we don’t simply take you swimming—we help you become a better swimmer. Through detailed video analysis, personalised coaching, pool sessions, open water skills training and daily feedback, every swimmer leaves with a clear understanding of what they need to work on. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Our philosophy is to coach the swimmer, not the stroke, helping each individual find the changes that will make the biggest difference to their performance, confidence and enjoyment in the water. That’s why swimmers often leave with breakthroughs that have eluded them for years.

Our final Swim Smooth Experience of 2026 takes place in Crete, Greece, from 27 September to 3 October, and with just two places remaining, this is your last opportunity this year to immerse yourself in your swimming and experience a week that could genuinely change the way you swim.

Grab one of the last spots today!

And if you can’t join this one, check out the squad, 1-to-1 video analysis, 1-day clinics and camps/holidays offered by Swim Smooth Certified Coaches in different places / times:

Contact Your Local Swim Smooth Coach

Here’s 34 Reasons Why Your Should Join Us:

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Hey Swimmers

Having now attended ten BestFests in Mallorca over the years, I can say without hesitation that this year’s event produced my best performances yet.

At 47 years of age, that’s not something I necessarily expected. Yet throughout the week I found myself swimming times and paces that I hadn’t seen since my early twenties. More importantly, each race delivered a lesson that I think all open water swimmers can learn from.

For those unfamiliar with the event, BestFest is my favourite collection of open water swims anywhere in the world. Over six days, swimmers can take on a variety of races ranging from 1.5km through to 10km, all set in the beautiful waters surrounding Colònia de Sant Jordi in Mallorca.

The week begins with a 5km point-to-point swim, followed by a 3.8km Ironman-distance race. Tuesday features a 1.5km race and the unique 2.5km “Tell Me Your Time” event, where swimmers predict their finishing time before setting off. Wednesday brings the famous 3km Volcano Swim, Thursday is the big test with either a 7km or 10km swim at Es Trenc Beach, and Friday rounds everything off with a fun relay event.

This year attracted a record 580 swimmers, creating a fantastic atmosphere throughout the week.

Lesson One: Experience Doesn’t Replace Attention

The opening 5km swim taught me a lesson I should probably have learned years ago.

Before the race, the course maps showed the finish line to the left of the Marques Hotel. I’d studied the maps carefully and even pointed the finish location out to several swimmers attending our Swim Smooth Experience Camp.

Unfortunately, the organisers changed the finish location during the final race briefing.

I missed it.

Throughout the swim I felt fantastic. In fact, I ended up swimming a personal best for the course at around 1:14 per 100m pace. Yet despite feeling strong, I gradually found myself drifting towards the wrong side of the hotel. I remember wondering why everyone else seemed to be swimming further to my right.

Eventually a kayaker was sent over to redirect me.

The immediate emotions were frustration and embarrassment. Not only had I made the mistake myself, but I’d also unknowingly shared incorrect information with others.

The lesson was simple: preparation matters, but awareness matters more. No amount of experience can compensate for failing to pay attention to what is happening right now.

»Results Time: 1:01.17 | Distance: 5,000m | Pace: 1:14/100m

Lesson Two: Sometimes Second Place Is Your Best Race

The following day brought the 3.8km swim and one of the most enjoyable races I’ve ever experienced.

I found myself locked in a battle with the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2017 30km gold medallist, Alex Studzinski from Germany1 and 18-year-old Irish swimmer Brian Foster. Brian is one of only two people in history to have completed a double crossing of the North Channel, swimming there and back in water temperatures between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. He holds the world record as being the fastest male to do the double and also the youngest swimmer in history to complete the single crossing of the channel highly regarded as the hardest channel swim on the planet.2

For almost the entire race we swam together, constantly changing positions and fighting for the draft.

With around 600m remaining, I decided it was time to make my move.

I surged once. Brian matched me.

I surged again. Brian matched me.

I surged a third time. Brian still matched me.

As we approached the finish, I thought I finally had him. I was first to my feet for the run into shore. Then I stumbled on some submerged rocks. Brian kept his footing, surged ahead and took the win by 0.6s.

I’ve never emptied the tank so completely in a race. I was bent double for several minutes afterwards.

Yet despite finishing second, I couldn’t have been happier. Sometimes the result isn’t the lesson. Sometimes the lesson is discovering how deeply you’re willing to commit when the challenge presents itself.

»Results Time: 50.36 | Distance: 3,800m | Pace: 1:19/100m

Lesson Three: Find Better Feet

Tuesday morning brought the shortest race of the week, the 1.5km swim.

This event isn’t normally my favourite because the start is absolute chaos. However, I spotted Alberto Bottini3 on the start line and immediately formed a plan.

Alberto, 58, is a former Olympian, a multiple Masters World Champion and one of the strongest open water swimmers I’ve ever raced against.

When the gun went off, I simply jumped on his feet.

For over a kilometre I held on as best I could. Alberto wasn’t surging. He wasn’t attacking. He was simply swimming at a level that I couldn’t quite sustain.

Eventually he pulled away, but not before dragging me to one of my fastest-ever performances over the distance.

The lesson? Find people who are slightly better than you and spend as much time as possible trying to keep up with them.

Swimming has a remarkable way of raising your standards when you’re surrounded by excellence.

»Results Time: 17.30 | Distance: 1,500m | Pace: 1:10/100m

Lesson Four: Adapt to Conditions

The afternoon’s 2.5km “Tell Me Your Time” swim brought different challenges.

The wind had increased significantly and the water conditions had changed. Rather than trying to force my normal stroke, I modified my recovery, focused on feeling the waves and allowed the conditions to dictate the rhythm.

The swim felt effortless.

Open water rewards adaptability. The swimmers who thrive aren’t necessarily those with the most perfect stroke. They’re often the ones who make the smartest adjustments when conditions change.

»Results Time: 31.27 | Distance: 2,500m | Pace: 1:16/100m

Lesson Five: Drafting Is a Skill

The 3km Volcano Swim on Wednesday is often viewed as a social event.

That lasted until the starting gun went off.

I immediately found Alberto’s feet again and spent the next 3km trying not to look up at all. With two earlier waves of swimmers in front of us, navigation was challenging, but Alberto handled that responsibility while I concentrated entirely on drafting.

The result was another excellent swim and a valuable reminder that drafting is not cheating, it’s a skill.

The ability to save energy while maintaining speed becomes increasingly important as race distances increase.

»Results Time: 35.33 | Distance: 3,000m | Pace: 1:11/100m

Lesson Six: Your Rivals Are Hurting Too

Thursday’s 10km race was the culmination of the week.

By this point most swimmers are carrying fatigue, sore mouths from days of salt water, and a fair amount of emotional exhaustion.

I’d spent much of the previous evening worrying about Brian Foster, who had beaten me in the 3.8km race and seemed likely to challenge again.

Overnight, however, Brian developed tonsillitis and was unable to start. I was gutted for him and gutted for the competition we’d established between us that week.

It reminded me of something I’ve experienced many times before.

We often assume our rivals are stronger, fresher and more prepared than we are. Yet they’re usually fighting their own battles too.

I still pushed hard throughout the 10km, eventually finishing one of my strongest performances on the course. The lesson was clear: stop wasting energy worrying about what others might do and focus on executing your own race.

»Results Time: 2:11.58 | Distance: 10,000m | Pace: 1:19/100m

Why Mallorca Keeps Teaching Me

What struck me most this year wasn’t the results themselves.

It was the fact that every race delivered a lesson.

Pay attention. Commit fully. Surround yourself with stronger swimmers. Adapt to conditions. Learn to draft. Trust your own preparation.

After ten BestFests, I still came away learning new things.

That’s one of the reasons I love open water swimming so much. The moment you think you’ve mastered it is usually the moment the water teaches you otherwise.

Next week, in Part Two, I’ll share some of the lessons from our Swim Smooth Experience Camps before and after BestFest, and explain why spending a dedicated week immersed in your swimming can accelerate progress in ways that regular weekly training simply cannot.

Join Our Last Camp of 2026 in Crete!

Thanks for reading. Your Coach, Paul

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Hey Swimmers,

One of the great things about open water swimming is that no two races are ever quite the same. The conditions change, the competition changes, and sometimes the smartest tactical decision isn’t immediately obvious.

Recently, Jim from England wrote in with an excellent question:

Is it faster to take the shortest possible line around a buoy, or a wider line that allows you to maintain your rhythm and speed?

It’s a question that every open water swimmer encounters sooner or later.

The Solo Swimmer’s Dilemma

If you’re swimming by yourself with no other competitors around you, the answer is usually quite simple:

Distance matters.

The shortest route around the buoy is normally the fastest route.

Many swimmers overestimate how much speed they lose making a tight turn. While there is some disruption to your rhythm, the extra distance involved in taking a wide arc is often greater than the speed benefit you gain from maintaining a smoother line.

Think of it like driving a car. You might carry more speed through a wide corner, but if that wider line adds several extra metres, you still have to swim those metres.

For a standard 90-degree turn, I generally recommend sighting well, approaching confidently, and making a reasonably tight turn around the buoy without coming to a stop or making any dramatic changes to your stroke.

The key is anticipation.

Many swimmers don’t lose time because of the turn itself. They lose time because they stop sighting, arrive too close to the buoy, panic, and end up breaststroking around it.

Racing Changes Everything

As soon as other swimmers enter the equation, buoy turns become far more tactical.

Jim’s second question was about finding yourself on the outside of another swimmer during a close race.

This happens all the time.

Imagine two swimmers approaching a left-hand turn buoy. The swimmer on the inside effectively owns the racing line. The swimmer on the outside is forced to swim a larger arc and inevitably covers more distance.

In this situation, trying to fight aggressively for the inside position at the last moment rarely works well. It usually costs energy, disrupts rhythm, and can sometimes lead to unwanted contact.

Instead, think several strokes ahead.

If you know you’re going to be outside, one effective tactic is to deliberately ease back half a body length before the turn, slot onto the swimmer’s feet as they round the buoy, and use the exit to re-establish your draft immediately.

This often costs less energy than trying to muscle your way around the outside and then sprinting to reconnect afterwards.

The “Slingshot” Effect

Experienced open water swimmers often use what I call a slingshot approach.

As you approach the buoy, maintain momentum and slightly increase your stroke rate through the turn. The goal isn’t necessarily to swim harder, but to avoid decelerating.

Most swimmers slow down at buoys.

If you can maintain your speed while others hesitate, you often emerge from the turn with a small but valuable advantage.

This becomes especially important on short multi-lap courses where you might negotiate dozens of turns throughout a race.

A one-second gain at every buoy soon adds up.

Practice Matters

Watch this all in motion...

The biggest mistake I see is swimmers treating buoy turns as something that will magically take care of itself on race day.

Just as we practise starts, pacing, and drafting, buoy turns deserve dedicated training.

During our Swim Smooth Experiences and squad sessions, we often set up courses specifically to rehearse approaching, sighting, turning, accelerating, and re-establishing rhythm.

The more familiar these skills become, the less mental energy they require during a race.

And that’s often where the real gains lie.

Because the fastest swimmers aren’t necessarily the ones who swim the hardest around a buoy.

They’re usually the ones who lose the least speed while everyone else is slowing down.

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

At 47, I genuinely feel more connected to swimming than at any other point in my life.

Not necessarily because I’m fitter.

Not because I’m chasing times.

And certainly not because training suddenly became easier.

In many ways, swimming simply means something deeper now.

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Hey Swimmers,

One of the biggest surprises for pool swimmers entering open water is discovering that fitness alone isn’t enough.

You can be incredibly fit and still lose huge amounts of time through poor skills.

Swimming off course. Poor sighting. Bad drafting decisions. Panicking in physical contact. Lifting the head too high. Fighting conditions instead of adapting to them.

These things quietly destroy performance.

I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago preparing for the British Junior Triathlon Championships. I spent weeks swimming almost exclusively in the sea thinking I was becoming more race specific. In reality, my pool speed deteriorated badly because I’d stopped focusing on quality and structure.

That experience shaped a huge amount of how we coach open water swimming today.

At Swim Smooth, we always emphasise that open water skills should be trained deliberately, not just experienced passively.

Simply swimming in the ocean isn’t enough.

Take sighting.

Most swimmers lift their entire head out of the water while trying to sight and breathe simultaneously. The hips and legs immediately sink, creating enormous drag and breaking rhythm.

Instead, think of sighting as a quick “alligator eyes” movement. Just the goggles lift forwards enough to spot the buoy before returning immediately back into your normal stroke rhythm.

Done correctly, it should barely interrupt momentum.

Then there’s swimming straight.

This is a hugely underrated skill. Some swimmers unknowingly swim up to 10-20% further than necessary simply because they drift continuously. Breathing asymmetry, crossover and poor awareness are often the culprits.

That’s why bilateral breathing remains such an important skill, even if you race predominantly breathing to one side. The ability to comfortably switch sides depending on swell direction, sunlight or buoy positioning becomes invaluable.

I experienced this personally during my English Channel swim where I spent most of the crossing breathing to my less preferred side due to the conditions. Without that adaptability, the swim would have been significantly harder.

And finally, perhaps the most overlooked skill of all: staying relaxed around other swimmers.

Open water racing is chaotic. Arms collide. Feet touch. Goggles get bumped.

The swimmers who cope best are rarely the strongest physically. They’re the calmest emotionally.

That composure saves enormous energy.

One of the reasons our open water skills sessions in Perth have become so popular is because swimmers realise these sessions add fun, teamwork and tactical thinking back into training. They break the monotony of endless lane swimming while developing highly transferable race skills.

So if you’re preparing for an open water season this summer, don’t just train harder.

Train smarter.

Because the fastest line between two buoys is rarely achieved by fitness alone.

Get Some Open Water Specific Coaching

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

One of the biggest mistakes adult swimmers make is trying too hard to look like a swimmer.

That might sound strange coming from a coach, but hear me out.

Over the last 20 years of analysing swimmers all around the world, I’ve seen countless athletes trying to force textbook positions into their stroke. High elbows. Fingertip drag. Over-gliding. Excessively long strokes. Perfect symmetry.

And ironically, the harder they try to look smooth, the more tension and inefficiency they often create.

At Swim Smooth, we’ve always believed in coaching the swimmer, not the stroke.

There is no single perfect freestyle technique.

If there was, every elite swimmer would look identical.

Instead, what we actually see is tremendous variety. Some swimmers have straighter arm recoveries. Others swing wider. Some naturally swim with higher stroke rates. Others look more patient and controlled. Both can be incredibly effective.

The real goal isn’t perfection.

It’s efficiency.

Take crossover for example. This is still one of the most common issues we see during video analysis sessions. The swimmer reaches across the centreline during hand entry and extension, causing the body to snake through the water. Often this creates scissor kicking, instability and shoulder discomfort.

Most swimmers try fixing this by consciously forcing their hands wider.

Usually that doesn’t work.

What often works far better is improving posture.

“Shoulders back. Chest forwards.”

That subtle adjustment naturally creates more space through the front of the stroke and allows the arms to recover and enter more cleanly without forced manipulation. Watch this video to see how:

The same applies to breathing.

Many swimmers are still holding their breath underwater and then explosively exhaling right before breathing in. This creates tension through the neck and shoulders and often leaves swimmers feeling permanently rushed.

A gentle continuous exhalation changes everything.

Suddenly the stroke feels calmer. More rhythmic. More sustainable. Watch this video to see how:

I often remind swimmers that good technique should feel freeing, not restrictive.

If you constantly feel like you’re “trying” to hold positions together, something probably isn’t right.

Some of the fastest open water swimmers in the world actually look quite unconventional by pool swimming standards. Shelley Taylor-Smith’s beautifully timed two-beat kick. Janet Evans’ high stroke rate. Even modern elite open water swimmers often favour practicality and rhythm over aesthetics.

Efficiency wins.

Always.

So next time you swim, stop obsessing over trying to look perfect.

Instead ask yourself:

• Does this feel sustainable?

• Does it feel relaxed?

• Does it help me move forwards more easily?

That mindset shift alone often unlocks more progress than another six months of forcing positions your body simply doesn’t suit.

Have Your Stroke Analysed by an Expert!

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

There’s a particular feeling that settles over the pool before a proper Red Mist session begins.

You know the one.

Swimmers suddenly become very interested in adjusting their goggles. Conversations go quiet. Someone asks hopefully if the set has changed. Another looks at the clock calculating whether they can “accidentally” leave early for work.

And yet, week after week, these are the sessions people keep coming back for.

Why?

Because deep down, swimmers know these sessions change them.

At Swim Smooth, we’ve always believed there’s a huge difference between simply completing distance and learning how to sustain quality under pressure. That’s where sessions like Red Mist really come into their own. They’re not about sprinting. They’re not about heroics. They’re about rhythm, discipline, pacing and learning how to stay composed when your mind starts trying to negotiate with you.

Back in my days training with the British Triathlon Squad at Bath University, sessions like this were a staple. Not because they looked impressive on paper, but because they exposed everything. Poor pacing. Loss of concentration. Technique breakdown. Negative self-talk. You couldn’t hide from any of it.

The irony is that the swimmers who perform best in these sessions are rarely the toughest-looking athletes on pool deck. More often, it’s the swimmers who stay calm. Relaxed. Economical. Controlled.

That’s why we often say Red Mist isn’t really a fitness session. It’s a decision-making session.

Can you hold yourself together technically when you get tired?

Can you resist surging too hard early on?

Can you keep your stroke long and composed while others around you unravel?

One of my favourite things about our Perth squads is watching swimmers gradually redefine what they believe they’re capable of. A swimmer who once dreaded 400m repeats suddenly finds themselves comfortably holding pace through a 5km set. Not because they magically became fitter overnight, but because they learned restraint, rhythm and confidence.

The beauty of structured endurance training is that it carries over into everything else. Open water racing becomes calmer. Triathlon swims feel less chaotic. Even technique improves because you learn how to maintain form under fatigue rather than only swimming well when fresh.

A classic starting point might be:

• 6 x 400m on a consistent cycle

• Holding around CSS +3 to +5 seconds per 100m

• Focusing on smooth pacing and controlled breathing

Simple. Brutal. Effective.

The key is consistency, not destruction.

Anyone can smash themselves for one repeat. The real art is holding quality all the way to the end.

And strangely enough, once swimmers start embracing that process, they often begin enjoying these sessions far more than they ever expected.

Maybe not during the session.

But definitely afterwards.

Join a Swim Smooth Squad Near YOU!

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

There’s a moment from 2010 that has always stayed with me.

We were filming underwater footage of Shelley Taylor-Smith, a seven-time world marathon swimming champion and five-time winner of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. A swimmer who, at her peak, set the standard for consistency, resilience, and world-class endurance.

And yet her first …

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Hey Swimmers,

You’ve done the work all winter. The metres are banked. The pace is there. And yet, as the summer season approaches up there in the northern hemisphere, many swimmers still feel a quiet uncertainty… will it show up when it counts?

I’ve felt that myself more times than I care to admit.

In fact, in just 10 days I’ll be jumping on a plane to join many of you in the northern hemisphere for a month of coaching and racing. I’ll be at the Best Centre in Mallorca from 15 May to 7 June, and lining up again at BestFest. It’s one of my favourite weeks of the year… but it hasn’t always gone to plan.

Back in 2017, I kicked things off with what can only be described as a disastrous 5km swim along the stunning Es Trenc beach. The setting was incredible. The energy was high. But I got it wrong. My fitness simply didn’t match my attitude at the start. I went out too hard, and within minutes I’d blown up.

And just like that, my state unraveled.

The stroke tightened. The breathing became forced. Mentally, it was a battle just to keep moving forward. I got to the finish, but it wasn’t pretty. More importantly, it left a dent.

But here’s the key part.

Over the next few days, I didn’t try to magically improve my fitness. That wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I focused on recomposing. Resetting my mindset. Getting my pacing, rhythm, and internal dialogue back under control.

By the time the 10km race came around at the end of the week, when others were starting to feel the fatigue and let their guard down, I felt calm, composed, and ready. It turned into one of my strongest swims of the week.

Same body. Same fitness.

Different state.

That’s the piece most swimmers miss.

In our squads, we see it all the time. A swimmer nails every session in training, then tightens up in a key swim. Not because they’ve lost fitness, but because they haven’t prepared how they want to show up.

This is where sessions like Red Mist Endurance play such an important role.

They’re not just about hitting splits. They’re about learning to stay composed as the pressure builds. Swimming to a Red Mist Cycle teaches you to trust your pacing, to sit just ahead of discomfort, and to earn your rest. You’re training your mind as much as your body.

You start to recognise that feeling of control.

And crucially, how to return to it when things wobble.

As you head into your summer races, don’t just think about what you need to do. Think about who you need to be.

Because performance isn’t just physical.

It’s how consistently you can access your best self when it matters.

Train the body but tune the mindset and this is how you’ll truly prepare the performance.

See you on pool deck… or maybe on the start line in Mallorca.

Your coach, Paul.

P.S. I’ve put together a little Red Mist session for you to try this week - all of our squads around the world are tapping into it and giving it a go - see if it helps you: we’re calling it “Countdown to Lift Off!” - here’s the whiteboard, but if you follow the link below you’ll be able to get all your CSS paces and Red Mist Cycles dialled in specifically for you with helpful videos to make sure you really nail this session!

Follow the Session on GURU

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Hey Swimmers,

I share this not to focus on me, but because it’s a simple, real example of what consistency can do when you give it time.

Each Monday morning at just before 7am, I repeat the same benchmark set: 10 x 400 with 15 seconds rest between each done as:

• 4 at CSS+6

• 3 at CSS+5

• 2 at CSS+4

• 1 at CSS+3

It’s not glamorous, and at times it can feel repetitive, but that’s exactly why it works. It keeps me honest, measurable, and accountable to the goal of showing up in my best possible shape. If I can get through this on a Monday morning, I can get through anything that the week throws at me.

The average pace across that set has moved from 1:22.75 to 1:20.22 per 100m over the last 6 weeks. That’s just 2.53 seconds per 100m, but over 4km it adds up to 1:41 faster. Over 10km, it’s 4:13 quicker, around a 3.1% improvement.

Training is the same. The gains feel invisible in the moment, but they are quietly stacking in the background.

With Best Fest 10km on 28 May, if this trajectory continues, there’s potentially another 2 to 3 minutes to be found. Nothing guaranteed, just the compounding effect of showing up and doing the work.

It’s not rocket science. It’s just consistency, done well. It’s what our Swim Smooth Coaches live and breathe in their own squads:

Get Consistent With Your Coach

So go on, get swimming!

Your Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

You know the song. “I’m in love with the shape of you…” It’s catchy, memorable, and in Tom’s case this week, surprisingly relevant to his freestyle.

Because when we looked closely at his stroke during a recent video analysis session, one thing stood out immediately: the shape of his hand entry and catch. Not his fitness. Not his body position. In fact, both of those were excellent. But the shape of his stroke at the front? That was the limiter.

And here’s the interesting part… Tom’s shape was almost the inverse of what we’re looking for:

The Hidden Cost of “Chasing Glide”

Many swimmers are told to “lengthen out” or “glide more”. It sounds logical. Travel further per stroke, right?

But what often happens is this:
The fingertips sit higher than the wrist, the wrist higher than the elbow, and instead of catching water, the swimmer presses down on it.

That downward press might help lift the head to breathe, but it comes at a cost. It creates drag, disrupts rhythm, and most importantly, it fails to generate forward propulsion.

In Tom’s case, this was particularly pronounced on his left side, especially when breathing. The hand entered thumb-first, internally rotated, and then braced against the water. Not only was that slowing him down, it was also contributing to his shoulder issues.

So rather than moving forwards efficiently, a portion of each stroke was effectively wasted.

What Should the Shape Look Like?

See the SHAPE of Your Stroke

Think of the ideal shape like this:

• Fingertips below the wrist

• Wrist below the elbow

• Elbow relaxed and supported, not forced high

You may have heard that cue before. In fact, if you watched our original Catch Masterclass (released back in 2010), you’d have heard it about… 47 times!

Watch the Full Catch Masterclass

So frequently repeated, in fact, that there were rumours of swimmers turning it into a drinking game. I’ll let you decide how accurate that is…

But the reason we emphasised it then, and still do now, is simple:
Get the shape right, and everything else starts to fall into place.

The 3-Step Process to Fix Your Catch

Get a Video Analysis with a Coach

One of the biggest mistakes swimmers make is jumping straight to “high elbow catch” without building the foundations.

In the Catch Masterclass (now streaming in full on the Swim Smooth GURU), we break this down into three simple stages:

1. Fix the Hand Entry
This is where it all begins. Fingertips first, neutral wrist, no excessive rotation. If the entry is off, the rest of the stroke has no chance.

2. Shape the Catch and Pull
Once the hand is entering cleanly, we can then focus on tipping the fingertips down and bending the elbow naturally. This engages the bigger muscle groups, the lats and pecs, rather than overloading the shoulder.

3. Restore Rhythm and Flow
A better catch means less time pressing down and more time moving water backwards. The stroke naturally becomes smoother, quicker, and more continuous.

Low Hanging Fruit for Performance

What excited me most with Tom wasn’t just the issue, it was the opportunity.

At around 1:38 per 100m, he’s already swimming well. But with his excellent body position and efficient kick, there’s clear potential to unlock more speed simply by improving this front-end shape.

We’re not talking marginal gains here. A well-executed catch can be worth 6–8 seconds per 100m at this level.

And just as importantly, it reduces strain on the shoulders, making training more consistent and enjoyable.

Bringing It Back to “Shape”

So yes, Ed Sheeran might not have had freestyle technique in mind when he wrote that song… but the message fits.

Fall in love with the shape of your stroke.

Because when you get that right, everything else, speed, efficiency, and longevity, starts to follow.

And that’s where the real magic happens.

Thanks for reading, your Coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

Last week’s blog, “It’s Really Not That Hard!”1, really seemed to strike a chord.

We’ve had hundreds of swimmers get in touch by email and through our social channels to say thank you for the clarity around how to use the Tempo Trainer PRO, and more importantly, not to be afraid to get it out of their kit bag and actually use it.

What’s been especially pleasing is hearing that many of you have taken that article straight back to your regular social swimming groups and started encouraging your buddies to join you on a swim using the beeper. That is brilliant. But of course,

there is a catch. Concepts like CSS and Red Mist cycles can still sound pretty alien to the uninitiated. So no matter how much we talk about the virtues of training with objective pacing, and no matter how excited you become about the rationale, there is still going to be a learning curve for your mates.

But don’t fret. This is exactly why I’ve been fastidiously writing this blog every week for over 20 years: to educate, simplify, and spread the word about how to improve the time you spend swimming. If you found last week’s article useful, the best thing you can do for yourself, your training partners, and for us, is simply share it in your WhatsApp group or wherever your swimming tribe chats away off deck.

Get a discussion going. When everyone arrives with just a little more understanding of why you are doing what we suggest, everything flows better. Sometimes it’s hard for us to know quite how much this work is helping, but if you want to support our mission of helping the world swim better, sharing our work with your mates is one of the best things you can do. Thank you 🙏.

Lessons from the Tour de France

The title of this week’s blog comes from one of my favourite sporting voices of all time: Phil Liggett commentating on the Tour de France.

Every year, as the race heads into the Alps and Pyrenees, the peloton starts to split apart and some crestfallen hero inevitably gets dropped on a steep climb. Liggett, in those wonderfully measured tones, often points out that the best thing that rider can do now is not fight the fact they have been dropped, but simply settle into their own best steady tempo and limit the losses.

I think about this a lot with my own swimming.

When the Pace Starts to Slip

The very nature of training at or around your CSS pace is that you are eventually going to get to a point where you are not quite sure if you can keep making the targets. A little like the Tour de France rider on a long climb, you may start to fall off the pace. So what do you do? Panic? Give up? Or recognise one of three things?

1. Adjust the Target, Not Your Confidence

First, perhaps your CSS pace is just a little too fast. The fix is simple: use the CSS Tweaker in the Swim Smooth GURU and dial it back a smidgen after the session. Over time, this helps you narrow in on where you actually are. Equally, if you are constantly beating the beeper, it might be time to stretch yourself a bit and tweak things the other way.

This week I started all flamboyant, knowing I’m racing at Best Fest in Mallorca in six weeks’ time. Unashamed plug: we’ve now got a Get Fit Quick Training Plan specifically for Best Fest in the GURU.

Get the BestFest Plan

With that in mind, I decided to do my 10 x 400 based off 1:16/100m long course pace. I made the first 8 x 400 perfectly, missed number 9 by 1.5 seconds, and number 10 by 6 seconds. My initial response was disappointment. But when you stop and think about it, missing the targets by less than 8 seconds over 4000m really is not that bad. Nonetheless, I dialled my CSS back to 1:17/100m for Wednesday’s CSS session.

2. Manage Fatigue Like a Pro

Second, perhaps you’ve just been training hard and you are a little flat today. That’s ok. Despite everyone’s penchant these days for calling each other a “legend”, sometimes you’re not, and that is perfectly fine.

With the same enthusiasm for Best Fest, my last seven days have looked like this:

• Thursday, 3.4km hard CSS session;

• Friday, rest day;

• Saturday, 4.0km open water in amazing conditions and at a good pace;

• Sunday, 4.0km on the same course but in terrible conditions and three minutes slower;

• Monday, 10 x 400 off 1:16;

• Tuesday, 5.0km in some rather sharky waters at exactly the midpoint pace between Saturday and Sunday’s swims;

• Wednesday, 3.0km Goldilocks CSS set.

That’s 23.4km of very solid swimming in seven days. No world records, obviously, and a lot less total volume than many of my peers, but a training week I’ve been very happy with.

It also featured the hardest session last: Goldilocks based off 1:17/100m. Did I make all the times? No. I missed the 300, Momma Bear, by 1 second and the 400, Daddy Bear, by 3 seconds. Was it a fail? No. I’m just a bit tired, as you’d expect. Had I not tweaked my CSS after Monday, I suspect I would have been much further off the pace and much more negative about the session. Instead, I went in knowing it would be tough, dialled the expectations back just a touch, and followed the advice of the great Phil Liggett: settle into your own tempo on that given day.

3. Know When to Step Away

Third, perhaps you are just having an off day and are not in the mood. It happens. Go treat yourself to a coffee and a muffin and come back next time. Again, you’re not a “legend” every day.

Timing Matters: A Lesson from the Pool

That theme came back to me again this week while swimming my Goldilocks set at one of my favourite pools, the Mandurah Aquatic Centre in Western Australia. I was sharing a lane with a gentleman wearing flippers and a snorkel in the “fast” lane, swimming about 2:30/100m. I’d just started my main set of 4 x 100, 1 x 200, 4 x 100, 1 x 300, 4 x 100, 1 x 400 off 1:17/100m with 15 seconds rest between each interval when he removed his snorkel and, during one of my 15-second breaks,

He somehow squeezed all of that in between my first set of 100s.

All I could do was politely thank him for his observations and carry on. The trouble was, it was then all I could think about for the next 600 metres. Was he right? Maybe. Could his observation help me? Perhaps. Was it the right time to deliver it? Absolutely not.

Why Structure and Context Are Everything

This is one of the fundamental philosophies I share with our coaches. Give detailed, expert advice, of course, but only at a time-appropriate opportunity, not in the middle of a CSS development set when the swimmer’s focus needs to be on pacing, composure and execution. This is precisely why every Swim Smooth session has a clear purpose, whether that’s Pure Technique, Red Mist Endurance, or something else, and why we outline the type of feedback you’re likely to receive during that session.

See What Your Local Coach Has To Help

Of course, this gentleman was almost certainly just trying to be helpful, but given where my focus was at, it was anything but. And for that very reason, you’ll rarely hear me give a big technical pointer during a key set. During a Pure Technique session, absolutely. But during a high-focus CSS set, much less so. This is exactly why we and our coaches offer dedicated 1-to-1 video analysis and stroke correction sessions. They give you the time, headspace and structure to properly dissect your stroke, understand what needs changing, and then work on that correction with intent. It is far more beneficial, and it makes the tiny reminders we do give on pool deck during harder sessions far more meaningful and easier to understand than a random call of, “You’ve got a real problem with that right leg of yours!”

Settle Into Your Tempo

So, when you fall off the pace, and you will, don’t panic. Settle into your tempo, be honest about why it is happening, and keep moving forward. That is where real progress is made.

Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.

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Hey Swimmers,

Let’s start with a confession I hear all the time.

“I bought a Tempo Trainer… but I’ve never actually used it.”

More often than not, it’s still sitting unopened in a kit bag. The reason? A quiet fear that it’s somehow complicated or too technical.

Here’s the reality.

This little yellow gadget has been around for well over 20 years. It predates …

Read more