Fastest ever, but was it my best race?

Last weekend, I swam my fastest 50m butterfly ever. A personal best. Yet, strangely, I didn’t feel like I had a good race. If that sounds odd, let me explain, because there are lessons here for all swimmers chasing improvement.

The breakout: Where momentum can stall

In pool racing, the breakout is the transition from underwater propulsion to surface swimming. When done well, it’s seamless. When done poorly, it’s like hitting the brakes. That’s exactly what happened to me, not once but twice (it was a 25m pool). Timing is everything, and mine was off.

Tip: Train breakouts by focusing on the timing of your final underwater kick and arm extension. A small adjustment can make a huge difference. Remember to practise at race speed.

The approach to the wall: Micro-adjustments matter

As you close in on the wall for a turn or finish, minor tweaks to your stroke help maintain momentum. Ideally, you should hit the wall at full extension, without awkward stuttering strokes beforehand. I misjudged my timing and ended up with three choppy strokes, which cost me speed.

Tip: Practice judging your stroke count into the wall. The more instinctive this becomes, the smoother your transitions. Again, you need to practise this at race pace.

Rhythm: The heart of butterfly

Butterfly is all about rhythm. When it clicks, it feels amazing. When it doesn’t, it feels like a battle. Despite my best efforts – or perhaps because of them – I struggled to find my flow. My stroke felt forced and clumsy.

Tip: Train for rhythm by swimming shorter distances with perfect technique rather than pushing yourself to exhaustion. When your body memorises the feeling of a great rhythm, it becomes easier to maintain it.

Strength training and fins

When I saw my time, I was in disbelief. My previous best was 14 years previously. I hadn’t expected to improve at 58 (although I keep trying to). But I think recent changes in my training, including more weight sessions and deliberate use of fins to practice underwater dolphin, have made a difference.

Tip: Incorporate strength training and use fins as a tool to refine your underwater phase and improve core strength.

Could I go even faster?

Of course, setting a new personal best is thrilling. But my immediate reaction was to wonder how much faster I could go if everything clicked.

And that’s the lesson. The stopwatch is only part of the equation. Comparing times with other swimmers rarely helps, because we’re all on our own swimming journeys. What matters most is recognising areas for improvement and enjoying the process of refining them.

But it is also OK to feel quietly smug when you set a new personal record.