how to be a faster swimmer?

I absolutely agree to the idea of incorporating interval training as a way to improve your conditioning for a mile swim or much longer! Of course I also agree (not knowing your skill level) that it's always a good idea to do various drills to make your stoke more efficient, i.e. improve your technique! The importance of good technique only gets magnified when doing longer swims as a lot of swimmers stroke starts falling apart as the distance of the swim gets longer and the swimmers gets more tired. So two points here: 1. Incorporate interval training to keep your intensity high with limited rest. For example: to train for your mile swim don't just swim a mile but rather swim 16X100's at a goal pace with limited rest (no more than 5-10 sec.) OR 8 x 200's or 4X 400's. The longer the interval the longer the rest period should be. For example a good fomula might be 5 seconds rest per 100. So if you are doing 400's, take 20 seconds rest between each. 2. Stay extremely focused on your technique during your training. During a distance swim if you feel your technique is slipping, your probably getting tired. Back off a little and concentrate on getting that technique back on board....chances are you will maintain your pace!

I absolutely agree to the idea of incorporating interval training as a way to improve your conditioning for a mile swim or much longer! Of course I also agree (not knowing your skill level) that it's always a good idea to do various drills to make your stoke more efficient, i.e. improve your technique! The importance of good technique only gets magnified when doing longer swims as a lot of swimmers stroke starts falling apart as the distance of the swim gets longer and the swimmers gets more tired. So two points here: 1. Incorporate interval training to keep your intensity high with limited rest. For example: to train for your mile swim don't just swim a mile but rather swim 16X100's at a goal pace with limited rest (no more than 5-10 sec.) OR 8 x 200's or 4X 400's. The longer the interval the longer the rest period should be. For example a good fomula might be 5 seconds rest per 100. So if you are doing 400's, take 20 seconds rest between each. 2. Stay extremely focused on your technique during your training. During a distance swim if you feel your technique is slipping, your probably getting tired. Back off a little and concentrate on getting that technique back on board....chances are you will maintain your pace!