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The short session of the week, shortened further by the absence of a life guard at the start of the session 🙁

My plan was to do the next Swimfit session:

5 minutes easy swim alternating lengths of front crawl and backstroke
1 minute rest
10 x ( 1 length backstroke, 15 seconds rest )
10 x ( 1 length breaststroke, 15 seconds rest )
20 lengths front crawl
1 minute rest
12 lengths breaststroke
1 minute rest
3 minutes backstroke
1 minute rest
6 lengths easy any stroke

On top of what I’d already done this week the backstroke and breaststroke just killed me and by the time I got to the front crawl I was, well, crawling, so having completed the 20 lengths front crawl I just carried on with that stroke to the end of the session, completing 72 lengths in total.

I’m clearly going to have to come back to this session, but I might have to look at improving my backstroke and breaststroke first.

Total distance for the month: 27,000m
Total distance for this year: 222,000m
Distance compared to annual target: 18,000m under

Pretty much more of the same as I’ve been doing all week today, though my session was shortened by the fact that we had to wait ten minutes from the start of the session before a life guard was available 🙁 I was hoping to do another 3km today, but only managed 2,800m. The extra ten minutes would have made it easy.

Total distance for the month: 25,200m
Total distance for this year: 220,200m
Distance compared to annual target: 17,800m under

Pretty much the same as the previous two days, though in a near-deserted pool this time. I was just a minute or so short to make it to 3km and had to get out so the next session could start having covered 2,900m. It was a good swim though and I was very pleased with how I got on. The bilateral breathing during the pull is getting better slowly, but I’m going to need to work on the stability of my arm action as my body rolls to the right.

Total distance for the month: 22,400m
Total distance for this year: 217,400m
Distance compared to annual target: 18,600m under

Exactly the same session as yesterday though today in a far busier pool, at least until quite late into the session. I ended up swimming next to an older couple and overheard the husband saying to his wife that it was “like having the Queen Mary coming towards you”. I’m not sure if that’s flattering or not 🙂

Total distance for the month: 19,500m
Total distance for this year: 214,500m
Distance compared to annual target: 19,500m under

Plenty of time today, so I swam 2,500m front crawl and then switched to kick and pull for 500m, working on bilateral breathing.

I’ve come to the conclusion that doing kick with a float and using a pull with my right arm to initiate breathing to my right isn’t really very satisfactory any more because the float obstructs the proper rotation of my body. On the plus side it does allow me the time to actually take a decent breath and I think it’s been helpful to get me other the psychological hurdle of not being able to get my head to rotate to the right at all.

When I switched to using a pull-buoy my stroke became rather messy, crossing the centre-line and all sorts of other problems. I think the first thing to do will be to establish a rhythm for taking the breath. I shall try again tomorrow.

Total distance for the month: 16,500m
Total distance for this year: 211,500m
Distance compared to annual target: 20,500m under

Work prevented me from leaving on time for what is a short session on Fridays anyhow, so it was another front crawl only swim today. I reached 2,000m and decided that another four lengths might be pushing my luck a little given the time left, so stopped there. I can’t deny that I was tiring quite noticeably at the end. I’ve pushed myself fairly hard this week.

Total distance for the month: 13,500m
Total distance for this year: 208,500m
Distance compared to annual target: 21,500m under

I just planned to do a front crawl and kick swim today. There was definite tiredness in my arms and back from the 8,500m I’d already done this week, but once I’d got going it really wasn’t too bad and taking the time available right down to the wire (the swim school in the next session were installing the lane dividers as I swam my last length) I managed to complete 3km.

Total distance for the month: 11,500m
Total distance for this year: 206,500m
Distance compared to annual target: 21,500m under

There was a temptation today to have another go at swimming 3km, but after swimming a few lengths to warm up I could still feel the tiredness in my arms from the previous two days and I just knew it wasn’t going to happen. No big deal really though as I’d come prepared to repeat my last Swimfit session:

20 lengths front crawl
1 minute rest
6 x 1 length front crawl, 20 seconds rest
6 minutes front crawl, alternating slow/fast lengths
rest until breathing returns to normal
same number of lengths as previous set, but faster, 15 seconds rest after each length
3 minutes breaststroke, alternating slow/fast lengths
1 minute rest
6 lengths easy front crawl

After the recovery/sprint lengths I was fairly exhausted. I think it may have been easier to try for the 3km 🙂 I made the distance up to 2,500m with fairly easy front crawl and some front crawl kick practising breathing to the right, taking me right to the very last seconds of the session.

Total distance for the month: 8,500m
Total distance for this year: 203,500m
Distance compared to annual target: 22,500m under