You wanna get fast at long distences or short? Swimming is like running, in that techniques can differ for different distances. Also, you obviously can't hold a 100 yard sprint pace for a 1650.
So, to start off with, I would recommend getting a ton of time in the water, as there is simply no better way to improve. The more laps you do, the better, especially if you use the repetition to tweak your stroke. As for the breathing, it's ok to breathe every 2 strokes. Some distance swimmers go for 3 or 4, but 2 is definately fine.
With the kicking, again it depends on the distance. If you watch the Olympic sprinters in the 50 or 100 meter distance, their feet are going as fast as they can possibly move them. But if you then watch great distance swimmers you'll see that they're taking maybe 2-4 kicks per stroke, a much reduced rate.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of practice, and this goes for any and all aspiring swimmers out there. Perhaps more than any other sport, practicing in the athletic element is crucial in swimming. Obviously you also want to ensure that you aren't practicing the wrong stuff, and for that there are tons of resources on the web and elsewhere.
Best of luck in the pool!
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