At 20 years old, I missed qualifying for the National Championships by three hundredths of a second in the 50 backstroke. Fast-forward 18 years, and at 38, I qualified for Nationals in the five-kilometer open-water swim—training mostly just three times a week.

In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly how I did it in my late thirties: the one thing an Olympic gold medalist taught me that helped me generate more power with less effort, why getting injured before the race actually worked in my favor, how just five minutes with one coach changed my technique in the final two months, and the single workout I repeated every week that built my endurance and helped me finish fast.

01:19 Missed Out Again
01:53 Stroke Analysis
3:41 Olympic Gold Medalist Secret
5:48 Swimming Workout
7:17 Injured
8:22 Race Day
8:48 The Best Anti-Fog Goggles
9:42 My 5km Time (Qualified)

.Today, we are talking about the 5th and final Core Principle of Fast Freestyle: find your rhythm and timing.

00:36 The Dancing Part Of Freestyle
01:13 Kick Timing
04:35 Use Different Types Of Kick
10:33 Serape Effect
13:35 Hand Speed
14:07 Split Tempo
17:54 Drills
19:22 8 Week Faster Freestyle Course

Join the 5 Day Catch Challenge
Join the Effortless Swimming Membership
Effortless Swimming Freestyle Clinic

01:40 No Need To Overpower The Catch
03:07 Teaching The Four Key Positions
04:00 Start Of The Catch
06:00 High Elbow Catch
07:35 Power Diamond Position
10:20 Exit Of The Stroke
11:36 YMCA Drill Progression
14:38 More Drills To Work On Your Catch
15:07 Setup Phase
16:35 Path Of The Hand
17:57 Hand Speed