I’ve been swimming consistently for about a year now, and I seem to be stuck at the 2:00/100m pace, especially during longer swims like 1000m or more.
I’m 6’0", 184lbs, and I feel like I have decent form and technique (though I’m no pro, so there’s always room for improvement). My question is for anyone who swims faster than 2:00/100m—was there one or two things that made a huge difference in your freestyle to help you get past that pace?
I find it hard to believe that pros can go twice my pace without some significant changes in form. Or is it more of a power and endurance thing? I can hit 1:00/100m for a few laps, but I’m spent afterward. Any tips or insights 
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You shouldn’t compare yourself to a professional, but if you can complete 100 meters per minute, you’ll be able to cover longer distances more quickly. Incorporate faster laps into each workout, and your times will get better.
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Drills, drills, and more drills. While it might not sound exciting, swimming slowly, focusing on technique, and consistently practicing drills are the most effective methods.
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I just completed a 0 to 1650 workout, with my longer swims averaging 2:05 per 100 meters, so we’re in a similar situation. I had one final lesson where the coach suggested doing a 50-meter sprint followed by a 1:30 rest. You should repeat this ten times for a total of 500 meters. My sprint times were around 0:45 per 50 meters, so you’re faster than me. Perhaps try sprinting for a longer duration and resting for a shorter time?
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I do long-distance or continuous long-course swims, and I rarely get under 2 minutes per 100 meters, sometimes coming close to 2:05. My focus is on the health benefits rather than on speed.
If 1:00/100m is within your reach, it appears to be an endurance problem. Change things up by adding lots of high-intensity 100s to your workout.
Let’s say you want to swim 1 km in 1:45.50, then 10 x 100 m in 1:35.50 with a 10-second break.
Play with speed and distances as well. Less testing should be done on the wall for over/unders, distance decreases, builds, descents, etc. Try to maintain a steady tempo during intense attempts. Get your body used to pushing when you’re already exhausted.