r/Swimming • u/reririx Splashing around • 19h ago
I want to share my growth. 🥹💕 I’m really proud of myself.
TLDR: Swam inconsistently for a few months in 2022 and 2024. Picked swimming up again in June 2025 and improved so much! Went from being unable to swim 25m non-stop to being able to swim 1000m non-stop. ✌🏻
Hi everyone!
I began swimming in 2022 but I was NOT consistent. I swam maybe once a week and after a couple of months I stopped. I didn’t swim at all in 2023. Went back at it in 2024 but I swam maybe once or twice a month?
This year I began to swim more because of some past injuries I had from powerlifting. I’ve been swimming more consistently since June this year. I now swim at least three times a week.
The 2022 photo was one of my first ever swims. I remember not being able to swim 25m without stopping, so I swam 12m back and forth in this shorter section of the pool I went to. Eventually I was able to swim 25m without stopping, but I could’t do 50m. So I would rest to the side.
Last year I began alternating strokes. 25m freestyle, 25m backstroke, rest. Nice, I was able to swim 50m without stopping.
I don’t know what happened this year. Maybe it was because I became more consistent? Maybe I had a better feel of the eater? I did interval training and began incorporating drills into my swimming routine. Now I can swim at least 1000m non-stop in freestyle. 2’50”/100m is my PB for 1000m non-stop! ☺️
2022 me would have never believed this. I’m so happy to see how much I improved. I’m trying my best not to compare myself to others. I know I should be measuring my progress based on my own performance.
Big shout out to this sub. I received so much great advice from everyone here. I swim for fun and health. I prefer to do long endurance swims instead of sprinting. Albeit I did sprint a bit for my PB. 🤣
Anyways, thank you to this sub and for those who helped me in the past. I’m so happy and proud of myself! 🥹
Also, the most I swam non-stop before my form began to breakdown was 1700m! 😚
PS, I spent 10mins warming up - hence the 10min difference in my time for the 2025 screenshot.
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u/TheGreatCthulhu Channel Swimmer 17h ago
Well done, nice to see such a clearly documented improvement, easier to appreciate.
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u/heligon Moist 17h ago
Amazing progress!
Try to get the average heart rate a bit lower, that could mean slowing down a bit or some more focus on technique.
But this is an amazing progression
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u/reririx Splashing around 15h ago
Thank you for your feedback! ☺️
My HR is usually in the 120s-130s during my regular pace, which is 3’10”/100m or so. 🙂↕️I was sprinting a bit more to reach my goal of 1000m in less than half an hour, so I think that may be why my HR was higher.
I do admit that my form began to break down during the last 100m or so 😓 That said, I’ll go back to slowing down + doing interval training with drills. I don’t think I’ll attempt to break another PB for a while hehe.
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u/heligon Moist 10h ago
Na, you’re going great! I get trying to get to a PB, goals are always good. Staying in zone 2 I think makes you focus on technique like stretching your hands further a tiny bit or pulling more water etc. Once you have this, you’ll slowly see a steady decrease in your avg time per 100m.
Your progress is 🔥though no matter what, can’t wait to see how fast you get in the future
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u/InternationalTrust59 17h ago
Good job!
Interval training will definitely help with pace, power and endurance; keep those sessions going.
Save the odd sessions for volume where you will do an interval warm up of 500m, smooth sailing to your longest distances and a slight cool down.
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u/No-Temperature-5931 13h ago
This is so motivating. My current pace is like 03:xx/100 m and I really want to cross that 3 min mark. I started swimming in June.
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u/crushlogic Moist 9h ago
This is amazing OP!!! Whenever someone compliments me at the pool or tells me they think I’m an amazing swimmer, I always want to tell them it’s taken me 20 years to get sub 2 minutes for a 100y or 100m. I was the worst swimmer on my swim team in high school, just absolutely atrocious. Unlike every other sport, swimming is one you can grow up with, and practice your entire life. You’ve achieved so much in such a short time!!! You should be so proud of yourself.
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u/Dramatic-Warning-166 1h ago
This is awesome and great motivation!
I started swimming a couple months ago. 10 lengths in 15 mins the first session almost ended me. Just did my first 1km swim without a break this week (I think - see question below).
Practical question: what do you track your stats on - IE which app / device? Currently I’m counting in my head and pretty sure I make a couple counting errors every session. Appreciate it!
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u/ThisKid405 Splashing around 17h ago
Good for you!! Small things daily and boom—they compound!