Theory on swimming

I had a great trip out to the U.S. Open, it was a great learning experience in many ways. One moment sticks out in my mind, while driving back I was considering what it would take to swim faster. Two conversations I had over the past few months made me look at my swimming in a new light. Both conversations were quick however meaningful. The first was with Coach Michael Jones, the legendary coach of Eastern Michigan University. I caught him at EMU's natatorium, appropriately named after him... I was discussing my difficulty going "all-out" during my entire 100 Meters Backstroke. He quickly downplayed the conception that swimming for an entire minute should be considered "a sprint". He made a comparison to track runners using the same time requirements. A 100 meter dash is over in 11 seconds, a 200 meter takes 20 seconds and a 400 meter is over in 45 seconds