While swimming at a relaxed pace before my swimming partner arrived this morning, I considered the mental therapy that an evenly paced swim can provide.

I think pacing has a great deal to do with the ability to think clearly, resolve conflicts and think of new alternatives. When I swim at a moderate pace, I can process information and think. When I swim to keep up with someone else at a pace 12 seconds faster per hundred, I stop processing my thoughts and start paying attention. I can’t recall solving life’s problems when sprinting or doing hard intervals.

One of the allures to walking, running and cycling is the ability to think while doing the activity. Most walks, runs and rides are not interval workouts. Changing swimming from an interval driven activity to a moderately paced distance activity would grow the sport of swimming and create more long distant swimmers capable of open water swims and triathlons.