I thoroughly enjoy swimming really fast, but it seems I can't find the time to get completely back into fighting shape, so I'm going to have to depend on other things to help me out. Getting streamlined when you push off is the simplest way to go really fast. It's also the best way to learn what you really want to feel like when you are swimming. By making sure that you have a tight, streamlined body position when you drive off the wall, you'll get a better sense of what elite swimmers feel with the water rushing past them. Make sure you squeeze your arms tightly to your head, and also point your toes.
Most people love to start swimming as quickly as possible after the push off.
With age comes wisdom. Maintaining speed for as long as possible off the wall is much more important than how soon I start swimming. Keeping my head in exactly the same line during the first stroke as it was while I was streamlining off the wall allows me to maintain my speed for just a little bit longer than the person in the next lane. Try not to lift your head for the first breath. Try, instead, to stay low and keep moving forward, not up.