Confessions of a Lane 5 Swimmer

I've been forced into Lane 4 for most practices the past two weeks. I am definitely not getting fast. We have a new wave of new swimmers, and they are a little slower at the moment. Most of my pace buddies from lane 5 moved with me to Lane 4 to make room for new swimmers in Lane 5 and 6. I really can't keep up with Lane 4 intervals yet, so I need to take unofficial breaks to give my body a rest!
Substitute coach Jeff R gave me a good tip: I need to do a full recovery with one hand to allow the other hand time to glide. I need to conserve as much energy as possible or I'd be right back at the end of Lane 5.