The Session You Dread Most Might Be the One You Need Most
Lessons from the Swim Smooth Perth Squad
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.
Thanks for reading, your coach, Paul.
