Hello

There are some similarities in training for speed in swimming and running. You probably go to a track and run intervals to increase your speed in running. Interval training is a good way to improve speed in swimming too. For example, you might do 10 X 100 on 2 minutes. This means that you swim 100 yards and rest until the pace clock gets "to the top" before swimming the next 100 - the 100 yards + the rest period = 2 minutes. Another way to do intervals is to, for example, do 10 X 100 with 15 seconds rest after each 100. You should have more rest between 100s (Or 50s or whatever you choose) if you are swimming them fast and hard. You might want two minutes or even more rest if you are swimming with maximum effort.

If you swim like a sideways tugboat, you have to turn yourself into a sleek battlecruiser in order to swim faster. Spend your time learning how to swim/drill first. Reduce drag first.

I don't pay attention to a pace clock since some of my workouts are in a pool that doesn't have one. But Jean is right, that hard 100's or 50 at or near race speed you should at least rest a minute or more. Slower ones you can rest only 5 seconds or 10 to 15 seconds. I kind of have a sense of time since I swam years ago as a child. I think you are better whether you use a pace clock or not to create rest periods rather than go every 1:50 or 2:00 because you are more likely to fall back. But Triathons are distance events you should include 500 freestyle or 1000 freestyles in your workout besides just 50's to 200's. Also, if you know some of the other strokes, swim between 200 to 500 another stroke to use other swimming mucsles and break up boredom by doing only freestyle.

Thanks everyone, I will give your suggestions a try!