7 Tips for Surviving and Loving Long Course Season
The jump from short course to long course season can feel like a completely different sport at first. In short course, you get walls, breaks in the rhythm, and constant chances to reset. In long course, it is just 50 meters of continuous swimming at a time, which can feel long, quiet, and sometimes unforgiving for swimmers of all levels.
With this, long course season is also where a lot of real growth happens. It teaches patience, strength, and race control in a way short course never fully can. The swimmers who learn to embrace it usually come out better prepared for championship season later in the year.
Here are some practical ways to survive the transition from short course to long course and to actually start to enjoy the long course seasons.
Stop Chasing the Clock Right Away
One of the biggest mistakes swimmers make early in long course season is expecting their short course times to translate immediately. Long course racing takes patience and is slower on the clock at first, but not because you are not progressing. There are fewer turns, fewer push-offs, and fewer chances to reset your speed. That means your race may feel much much longer.
Instead of focusing on best times early in the season, focus on how the race feels. Ask yourself if your stroke is holding together, if your breathing is controlled, and if your pace is consistent. The times will come later.
Learn to Be Comfortable in the Middle of the Pool
In short course, you are never far from a wall. Whereas in long course, you spend a lot more time in the middle of the pool with nothing but your stroke, your breathing, and your own thoughts.
This change can feel uncomfortable at first, especially when you are used to using walls as checkpoints. Use this to your advantage as this is where long course can make you mentally stronger. A good goal is to stop thinking about getting to the wall and start thinking about holding your technique. Breaking the pool into smaller mental segments will help a lot.
Pace Feels Different, So Train It That Way
Pacing during a long course race is not just about going out fast and hanging on. It is about control from the very second you dive into the water.
Some swimmers often go out too fast in the first 50 or 100 meters in a race and then slowly fade. A better approach is learning what “controlled speed” feels like during practice. Long course rewards swimmers who can stay patient when they feel good.
Underwaters Matter Less, But Technique Matters More
In short course, underwaters can make or break a race. In long, they still matter, but they are not going to save a bad race. This is why technique becomes the biggest factor during long course season. Streamlined, efficient swimming is what carries you.
Think about:
- Staying long through your stroke
- Keeping your head in line
- Avoiding extra movements when you get tired
When fatigue hits, technique is what keeps you moving forward.
Embrace the Burn Instead of Fighting It
Long course sets tend to feel more aerobic and more continuous. That means you will feel tired in a different way than when training for short course meets.
Instead of panicking when fatigue shows up, treat it like part of the training. Long course is building your endurance base for the end of season which will also help future short course seasons. The swimmers who improve the most are not the ones who avoid fatigue. They are the ones who learn how to embrace it.
Races Feel Longer Because They Are
A 100 LC is not just a “long pool version” of a 100 short course. It is a different race entirely. The same goes for races of 200s and above.
You need to prepare mentally for that extra space in the race. The middle of the race is where most swimmers lose focus.
A simple trick is to assign jobs to each part of the race. For example:
- First 25: controlled speed
- Second 25: settle into rhythm
- Third 25: stay long and strong
- Last 25: race
This helps keep your mind engaged when the race starts to feel long.
Trust That Long Course Makes You Better
Even when it feels harder, slower, or more frustrating, LC is doing important work for your development as a swimmer.
It builds endurance that carries into short course season. It improves stroke efficiency. It teaches race patience. And it prepares you for the competitions that matter most at higher levels of the sport.
If you can learn to stay positive through the transition period, moving to the bigger pool becomes less of something to survive and more of something to use.
Long course season is not about perfection. It is about adjustment. The swimmers who improve the most are not always the fastest right away, but the ones who adapt the quickest to a different kind of racing.
Once that clicks, long course stops feeling like a struggle and starts feeling like an opportunity.
