Learn to sprint on an endurance swim

Simon Griffiths analyses the value of changing pace on long distance swims

In an open water swimming event, there are moments when it is advantageous to speed up.

Most obviously, if you race, your ability to sprint at the end may determine if you get to the finish line before your rivals. That’s true whether you’re aiming for a podium finish or trying to beat your friends and training partners.

But there are other scenarios too. If you’re using drafting* as a strategy, the person or people you are following may change pace suddenly. You will need to respond in kind if you want to hold your energy-efficient position in their wake.

Alternatively, if someone is drafting you, you may want to accelerate and break away from them.

At the start of races – this is perhaps more prevalent in triathlon than swimming – many people start out fast to try to establish a strong position in the pack. If you want to go with them, you need to be confident that you can sprint without completely exhausting yourself.

On long distance solo swims, you may think you could continue at a steady speed until you reach the end. But what if the tide is going to change and you need to reach a certain point before it does so or be swept away? Or what if you only have a short time window to cross a shipping channel? Given that there are multiple scenarios where you may need to change speed during a swim, it would make sense to practise it. Here are some suggestions.

Change of pace training sessions

1. Small group speed-play in open water

For this, you’ll need at least one other person of a similar speed to you. It’s better still in a group of four or five. If necessary, use some kind of handicap system to even out speeds. For instance, a slower swimmer could use fins or a wetsuit, while faster swimmers could wear drag shorts.

Take turns to be the ‘leader’. Swim together at a strong but comfortable pace for five minutes or so. The leader then changes speed for a few minutes and attempts to drop the other swimmers, who need to respond as best they can. As leader, you get to decide whether you want to gradually crank up the pace and break the will of your followers or go for a sudden sprint and catch them by surprise.

Regroup, change leader and repeat.

2. Pool training change of pace

Pick a training set with multiple repeats that you typically swim at an even pace: for example, 15 x 100m or 10 x 200m. Instead of doing these at a consistent speed, do the first one fast, pick a random one in the middle to do fast, and accelerate through the final three. Try to swim the others at a steady speed.

Notice how changing pace makes you feel and what impact it has on subsequent intervals. You need to pay attention to the clock on this one. Get to know yourself. Repeat this session several times to observe differences. If you start with an all-out sprint, how much does it affect your later swims? If you push hard in the middle, can you still accelerate at the end?

Getting a feel for these things will help you gauge your efforts in a race or challenge.

The matchbox analogy

I can’t remember where I came across this. It may have been from swimming and triathlon coach Fiona Ford in a cycling context. But it works for swimming (except that wet matches don’t light!).

Imagine your total energy potential for a swim is like a box of matches that you steadily burn through. If you speed up, you burn through them faster. For a sprint, you may burn three or four at the same time. When your box is empty, it’s game over.

Your energy is finite. Through practice, learn how its consumption varies with effort. Use your resources wisely.

Know yourself

Are you a swimmer who can sustain an effort close to maximum speed for long distances or one whose sprint speed is much faster than their steady pace? While this is trainable to an extent, you probably find you have a natural tendency one way or another. Make use of this in races. If, like me, you are relatively slow over long distances but can muster a decent sprint, try to conserve energy until the end. Draft as much as possible and unleash your speed over the final few metres. On the other hand, if you can sustain a high speed, your optimum tactic may be to grind the sprint out of the sprinters.

For those who are new to open water swimming or unfamiliar with the term, drafting is swimming in the slipstream of another swimmer, usually behind or close to their hip, and saving a significant amount of energy.