Renaissance Swimmer

What’s the Best Training Strategy for You?

Ultraswim Croatia Day 1 finish line

Should you optimise your training for your next event or for your life?

If you’ve planned a major swimming challenge this summer, especially one that makes you nervous, you may be wondering how best to train for it. Covering long distances, sometimes in challenging conditions, is not something to take lightly. Preparation matters. But it’s also easy for anxiety to get amplified in online discussions, and sometimes the worries overshadow the reality. A bit of reassurance and perspective can help.

The perfect programme?
Some swimmers will choose a structured, professionally designed training plan tailored specifically to their event – perhaps working one-to-one with a coach. These programmes are well thought out, progressive, and built to help you reach the start line in prime condition. If you enjoy structure and want a reliable, evidence‑based path, a tailored programme can be a great choice. But that doesn’t automatically make it the right option for everyone.

Swimmers approach major events with many different ambitions. Some want peak performance. Others want to complete the challenge, enjoy the scenery, or share an adventure with friends. A plan optimised for maximum performance may not be essential, or even desirable, for every swimmer. You don’t need to be in perfect, race‑ready form to have a successful event. A well‑balanced, ‘good enough’ approach that fits comfortably into real life is often more than sufficient.

Training styles, personalities, and preferences
Another reason a high‑structure programme may not feel right for everyone is how you like to train. Some swimmers thrive on routine, metrics, and solo focus. Others find their motivation in group sessions, social connection, variety, or spontaneity. At my stage in life and swimming, I’m happy to compromise on scientific optimisation if it means I can train with friends and keep the fun in my swimming. I’m sure I’m not alone.

Your training personality is part of who you are, and part of why you swim, so why fight it?

Swimming may also be just one of the things you do. You might race masters, do triathlon, run, lift, or simply enjoy being active. A programme designed to maximise performance in a single event may not align with your broader athletic or lifestyle goals, and that’s okay.

50m to 10km
I like to think that with a couple of days’ notice, I could race an age‑group-competitive 50m splash and dash or complete a sub‑3‑hour marathon swim. I train with a mix of sprints, threshold sets, and aerobic long distance: not optimised for either extreme, but balanced enough to let me do both at a level I’m happy with. With a bit more notice, I can tilt the training one way or the other as needed: more sprints before a masters meet, more distance before a big open‑water challenge.

I know this approach isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer to channel all their focus into one key event. I enjoy the variety, and it’s what gives swimming the most meaning for me.

Training for your life, not just your event
And this is the crux of the matter: the best training plan is the one you can stick to. A plan that fits your lifestyle, suits your temperament, and supports your wider ambitions will be more enjoyable, more sustainable, and ultimately more effective. A specialist programme can help you reach peak performance. But if you’re more motivated, consistent, and relaxed following a programme tailored to your life, that may be the better choice.

At Renaissance Swimmer, we believe in training that enriches your whole relationship with the water, not just your event calendar.

What kind of training helps you feel most alive in the water?

Key Points

  • Structured, event‑specific training plans can be excellent, but they’re not the only valid approach.
  • Swimmers have different goals: performance, completion, adventure, enjoyment, variety: your choice is legitimate.
  • Training personality matters: some thrive on structure, others need flexibility or social motivation.
  • Many people balance swimming with other sports or commitments.
  • Fun, sustainability, and consistency often matter more than theoretical optimisation.
  • The best programme is the one that fits your life and gets you to the start line feeling confident and prepared.

If this article resonated with you, why not take a look at what else Renaissance Swimmer can offer you?

  • Renaissance Swimmer takes a whole‑swimmer approach — embracing pool and open water, short and long distances, warm and cold conditions.
  • Each aspect of swimming strengthens the others and helps you build confidence, adaptability, and progress that lasts a lifetime.

➡ Explore Renaissance Swimmer — a long‑term method for developing as a complete, resilient swimmer.

➡ Join the Renaissance Swimmer Club — community, guidance, and support for swimmers growing across every aspect of the sport.

Simon

Simon

Simon is the creator of the Renaissance Swimmer Project. He’s also the founder of Outdoor Swimmer magazine and author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 Days a Year.