Swimmers who blow everything on the first lap pay for it on the last. Pace yourself for the whole race you’re in.

Effort spent early is not available later, and the distance does not care when you used it. Going out too fast feels like commitment and is usually just impatience, because the lead you build in the first lap costs more than it is worth at the end. Knowing which race you are in is the part people skip.

Work out the length of the thing you are in before you set your effort level. A week, a season, two years of saving, a four-year course. Then choose a pace you could hold for all of it rather than the one that looks impressive in the first month.