Welcome to the Renaissance Swimmer blog. Dive in to get a taste of some of the concepts behind Renaissance Swimmer.
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Why is a 1500m Pool Swim so Hard?
The 1500m is neither a sprint nor a marathon, yet it’s arguably more challenging than either
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Why You Should Take a Break from Swimming
A carefully managed period of lighter training now could help you swim stronger next summer.
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How Giving Back Can Deepen Your Swimming Journey
Giving back adds significance and meaning to your swimming Last Saturday, I went to the annual Aspire Channel Swimmers’ dinner – a celebration of (and for) swimmers who have raised nearly £350,000 in 2025 for Aspire, the spinal injuries charity. Most of this comes from English Channel relays. Other swims include Solent crossings and swims…
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How Public Speaking is like Winter Swimming
Winter swimming and public speaking both involve trepidation, discomfort, enjoyment and euphoria. Practising one helps with the other.
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Sub 60 by 60
How I finally broke the minute barrier, and what I learned along the way On my 59th birthday, I swam 100m freestyle in 59.87 seconds at Swim England’s National Masters Championships in Sheffield. It was the first time in my life that I’d broken the minute barrier – a significant milestone for many competitive swimmers…
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Winter Swimming, Dimes and Steamrollers?
Cold water swimming offers fun and lots of benefits, but the environment is potentially deadly. Learn when to step away. We’re currently running a winter swimming course at Outdoor Swimmer, and it’s been a good refresher for me on both the benefits and risks of plunging into cold water. I’m a late convert to winter…
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Switching Gears: Swimming Across the Spectrum
How to Transition From Endurance Swimming to Sprinting in Three Weeks
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Should you start a swim you might not finish?
Worries and doubts are good: they help you up your game
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What I Learned From a Goggles Mishap
How you feel after a bad race may depend more on how you respond than what happens
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100m to 10km: Being a Renaissance Swimmer in Practice
How to (almost) have it all in swimming
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A Renaissance Swimmer Way to Travel
Seeking out swimming spots and swimmers while travelling opens doors to connection, curiosity, and adventure.
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Make the Pool your Gym
Here’s a way to build strength for those who don’t like lifting iron
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“I’m too lazy to sprint: that’s why I do Ironman”
Sprinting matters (and it’s fun) even for endurance swimmers
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12 Steps to Completing the Length of Windermere (or Any Long Swim)
Use planning, mindfulness and gratitude to increase your chances of success on a long swim
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Practice racing dives to improve your swimming
Diving isn’t just for competitive swimmers. Find out how it can improve your swimming and life.