Swim Smooth Ltd

There comes a point in almost every good session where your pace starts to drift. I’m feeling it all to readily at the moment, building back from a bout of sickness.

Your stroke feels heavier. The clock isn’t quite saying what it was twenty minutes ago. Every part of you wants to convince yourself that today’s just “not your day.”

Ironically, that’s often the most valuable part of the session.

Fitness isn’t built only by swimming at your target pace. It’s built by staying composed when you can’t. By keeping your technique together. By making good decisions when you’re tired. By refusing to let one difficult length become an excuse to abandon the rest.

Not every session will produce personal bests.

But almost every session can strengthen your resilience.

If today isn’t the day to swim faster, make it the day you finish better.

Because long-term improvement belongs to the swimmers who keep showing up, keep adjusting, and keep moving forward even when the pace isn’t what they hoped for.

Finish the session. Your future self will thank you.

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10 Best Fests. My best performances yet. At 47 years old.

I’ve just returned from another incredible week in Mallorca, competing across six days of open water racing alongside 580 swimmers from around the world.

The week included:
🏊 5km point-to-point
🏊 3.8km Ironman distance
🏊 1.5km sprint
🏊 2.5km “Tell Me Your Time”
🏊 3km Volcano Swim
🏊 10km endurance challenge
🏊 4x500m relay

What surprised me most wasn’t the results themselves, but the lessons each race delivered.

🔹 In the 5km, I swam towards the wrong finish line after missing a last-minute course change. A reminder that experience never replaces paying attention.

🔹 In the 3.8km, I emptied the tank racing 18-year-old Irish marathon swimming star Brian Welsh. I finished second, but learned that sometimes your best race isn’t necessarily your best result.

🔹 In the 1.5km, I spent over a kilometre hanging onto the feet of former Olympian Alberto Bertini. If you want to improve, find swimmers who are slightly better than you and try to stay with them.

🔹 In the windy 2.5km event, I adapted my stroke to suit the conditions rather than fighting them. Open water rewards adaptability.

🔹 In the Volcano Swim, I practised drafting for 3km straight. Drafting isn’t cheating—it’s a skill worth mastering.

🔹 In the 10km, I realised I’d spent far too much energy worrying about my rivals. Most of the time, they’re hurting just as much as you are.

The biggest lesson?

After ten years of racing these events, I still came away learning something new.

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

Part One of my Mallorca reflections is now live on the blog. Part Two next week will focus on the Swim Smooth Experience Camps and why a dedicated week of swimming can transform your progress.

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