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Another repeat of the previous session, but this time doing the last three 250s with bilateral breathing. At this rate I might never breathe only to one side ever again after next week 🙂

The 50s with tumble turns are improving, too. I still have to think about when my last breath before the turn will be and which side it will be to, but it’s not quite so frantic to work out any more. There’s a bit of a way to go before it starts to reach a subconscious level…

Total distance for the month: 5,600m
Total distance for this year: 370,400m
Distance compared to annual target: 33,500m ahead

Basically the same set as 31st August today, but this time I did the last two 250s with full bilateral breathing. It felt pretty good I thought. The 50s with bilateral breathing and tumble turns are slowly starting to come together, too.

Total distance for the month: 2,800m
Total distance for this year: 367,600m
Distance compared to annual target: 32,700m ahead

Today I swam pretty much the same session as yesterday. It was a harder start to the session to be honest. I was struggling a bit at first, but eventually got into things and by the last but one 250 I was feeling fairly good, so I switched to full bilateral breathing for the last one, followed by 400m kick and another 400m as 50s with bilateral breathing and tumble turns. I’m starting to get the hang of switching my breathing to suit the turn I think, though it certainly needs more work. Total distance for the day was 2,800m.

This is my third month on the bounce covering more than 50km, which certainly makes my annual target of 500km look achievable. I’ve reassessed where I am compared with that target based on how far we are through the year as opposed to a rough estimate of needing to do 10km per week, so hopefully that should be a bit more accurate now.

Total distance for the month: 52,700m
Total distance for this year: 364,800m
Distance compared to annual target: 31,900m ahead

Today I did 2km as 8 x 250m swimming “odd” lengths breathing to the left, “even” lengths breathing to the right, followed by 400m kick and finished with some 50s with full bilateral breathing trying to get into the tumble turn correctly, for a total of 2,700m.

At one point I set off on an “odd” length and started breathing to my weaker (right) side, not realising my error until I’d almost completed the length. I think that’s probably a good sign.

Total distance for the month: 49,900m
Total distance for this year: 362,000m
Distance compared to annual target: 23,500m ahead

No swimming on Monday this week because of the bank holiday, but a repeat of last Friday today, and it felt very good. Things seem to be starting to come together.

Total distance for the month: 47,200m
Total distance for this year: 359,300m
Distance compared to annual target: 22,800m ahead

Missed out on swimming yesterday due to having more fun than any one person should be expected to handle at the dentist. Today I went back to my normal bilateral breathing practice, with some kick thrown in as well, for a total of 2.6km.

Total distance for the month: 44,600m
Total distance for this year: 356,700m
Distance compared to annual target: 24,100m ahead

Bit of a change for today. I went to a SwimFit session at one of the local pools. It was quite a tough session, mostly drills and kick, so I didn’t cover much distance — only 1,200m. Not sure I’m quite up to going back. We’ll see how things go.

Total distance for the month: 42,000m
Total distance for this year: 354,100m
Distance compared to annual target: 23,500m ahead

Back to the same practice for bilateral breathing — breathe to the left on “odd” lengths and to the right on “even”, for 2,000m. I also tried to bear in mind the observations of the coach from Monday night that my stroke is a little short and I tip my fingers up slightly as they enter the water.

Towards the end of the session I came up with a new way to visualise how my arms should be working, though it’s a little hard to put into words at the moment. It’s along the lines of the pulling arm thrusting the fingers of the recovering arm forward into the water to create the longest possible useful stroke.

Finished off with some kick and 50s with bilateral breathing trying to work the tumble turn in properly for a total of 2,500m.

Total distance for the month: 40,800m
Total distance for this year: 352,900m
Distance compared to annual target: 24,300m ahead

I went to the tri fitness swimming session in the 33.3m pool again today, but instead of my normal swim session rather than in addition to it. It was quite a different set to last week:

6 lengths swim
6 lengths choice drill
6 lengths pull
4 x 6 lengths as 2 lengths swim, 1 length finger drag, 2 lengths swim, 1 length “doggy paddle”, 30 seconds rest after each six lengths
6 lengths alternating “fists” and “wide fingers”
8 lengths easy swim
6 x 1 length “doggy paddle”, 15 seconds rest
6 lengths swim down

(All front crawl.) I ran out of time to finish the six lengths of doggy paddle and only did two in the end, for a total of 58 lengths, or about 2,100m.

Total distance for the month: 38,300m
Total distance for this year: 350,400m
Distance compared to annual target: 23,800m ahead

And the same thing once again, but perhaps today it was a little easier. And my session today took me up to 15.1km, which is certainly the furthest I’ve ever done just swimming on weekdays.

Total distance for the month: 36,200m
Total distance for this year: 348,300m
Distance compared to annual target: 23,700m ahead