Increase technique increase speed?

[Talvi]

I've taken it for granted until now that as technique improves so too will my pace. Now I'm idly wondering if it is quite so straightforward.

Delivering more power to the water (rather than into making bubbles in it) feels to me to require more/different strength. This is borne out by the physics as even a modest 5% increase in pace requires over 10% more power. (resistance is proportional to the square of the speed)

I imagine that this demand for extra power can easily then lead to a breakdown in other parts of the stroke. I cannot micro-manage each one of the hundreds of muscles involved in swimming so they'll be left to cope/adjust the best they know how with the new demands I'm making on them. In the absence of clear new orders, that will inevitably mean a return to bad habits.

So, my conclusion of the week is to go easy with stroke improvement; to improve technique/feel and then maybe even slow down or not try and go any faster at least until I have grooved the new stroke and swimming thereby feels easier. Then might be the right time to take up the slack created in the system by improved technique and increase my pace.

FWIW