Swim rhythms for distance swimmers are supposed to vary in my world. While sprinters can narrow it down to a specific movement for 50 – 500 yards, even they seem to give up a little length with each additional lap. Distance swimmers maintaining the exact same movement and rhythm could experience so much degradation over 1000 yards that it makes sense to have more than one rhythm or tool in your box of tricks.
We might be able to bicep curl or do a tricep lift “perfectly” with a thirty pound weight for two to three minutes. Maintaining that exact movement for twenty to thirty minutes could be near impossible. Our arm will involuntarily adjust to keep lifting the thirty pound weight. My advice to you is to change your rhythm before it changes itself and you adopt a struggling stroke.
For example, my rhythm after my swim-bike-run workout feels so much longer and taller compared to my initial swim. While it’s just a cool down swim, the rhythm feels so easy and natural that I continue with it and don’t go back to a preconceived notion of what “my stroke” is. My stroke varies and I think it would be wise if yours did too.
