Let me tell you a little secret: when I first started triathlon swimming, I genuinely believed I was sprinting—but I wasn't moving. Sound familiar? You're kicking, you're splashing, and you're out of breath halfway into the first lap. That was me. And that used to be Brian Hans, too. A triathlete who started with a 2:00/100y swim pace and now consistently swims under 1:30. If that doesn't sound like a game-changer, let me break it down: over the course of an Ironman swim, that's a 30-minute difference—just by refining his technique and practicing consistently for two years.

🏊♂️ Harnessing the Power of the Kick-Catch Connection

One of Brian's biggest epiphanies? Learning to connect the kick with the catch. Most amateur swimmers try to muscle through the water. Brian learned how to make the water work for him rather than fight against it. The kick on the right leg aligns with the catch from the right arm—converting effort into momentum instead of drag.

It reminded me of financial compounding. When your investments (or in this case, movements) are aligned, the gains become exponential—not linear. Instead of relying solely on brute force, it's about efficiency and flow. Get that rhythm right and suddenly, you're in the fast lane.

🌊 Swimming Isn't Just Pool Laps—It's Adapting to Open Water

It's easy to train in a calm lane, the same way it's easy to plan a perfect day on a spreadsheet. But real-life triathlons aren't spreadsheets—they're often messy and unpredictable. Brian learned to adapt to choppy water and competing swimmers right next to him. Sometimes you need to modify your stroke mid-race. Sometimes you get scrappy, prioritize breathing, and accept that perfection isn't the goal—adaptability is.

For me, that's a metaphor for life and business. Perfection is a luxury. Mastery is being able to adjust your technique while in motion.

🔁 Flip Turns: More Than a Pool Trick

One of Brian's biggest growth catalysts was embracing something he initially found downright uncomfortable: flip turns. Many open-water-only swimmers skip these, assuming they're irrelevant. But according to Brian, flip turns taught him to stay calm when breath wasn't convenient. That moment of disorientation, of not getting a clean inhale when expected—it prepared him for waves, foggy goggles, and thrown elbows mid-race.

Flip turns are like cold showers. Awkward at first, uncomfortable on entry—but absolutely invigorating in the long run.

📊 Train Differently, Swim Better

We often talk about consistency, but Brian added an essential twist: variation within that consistency. Mixing strokes, doing sets of varying intensity, focusing on different drills instead of just endless long-distance laps. It's like cross-training for your neuromuscular system—keeping things fresh while expanding skill sets.

The analogy here is straightforward: if you're a business owner, don't just scale what you're good at. Explore what you're bad at. Diversify your skills. Redundancy creates resilience.

🎯 The Power of Patience

From a 2:00 pace to under 1:30. That didn't happen in weeks. It took two years. Real growth—in swimming or in life—is not a sprint. It's compound interest in motion. Every early wake-up call, every mouthful of chlorinated water, every painful thousand-yard drill—Brian logged it like deposits in a high-yield habit account.

And like him, you might not realize just how far you've come until one day your coach says, "Hey, you're cruising at 1:28/100y."

✅ Key Takeaways

• 🏊♂️ Connect your kick to your catch: Synchronizing movements boosts efficiency and reduces wasted energy.
• 🌊 Adjust for conditions: Open water requires flexibility—be ready to adapt your stroke and breathing.
• 🔄 Do the flip turns: Even if you dread them, they improve your breath control, body awareness, and race-day calmness.
• 🏃♂️ Vary your training: Different strokes, drills, and set structures develop versatility and prevent boredom.
• 🎯 Stay patient: Significant performance leaps take time—but when they arrive, the joy is incomparable.

📚 Final Thoughts

Brian's journey reminded me that early discomfort is a feature—not a bug. Whether it's flip turns, learning to sync your stroke, or feeling like you're treading water in life, you only move forward by engaging with the struggle. His story is proof that with deliberate practice and unshakable patience, transformation is inevitable.

So take the plunge. Start kicking better. Start catching smarter. And give yourself the grace of time—your personal best is still out there waiting, probably about 30 seconds faster than you are today.