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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

A repeat of yesterday, but with more tired arms 🙂 I’m just going to keep plugging away at this bilateral breathing until it gets easier, though I might try to find ways to make it a bit more interesting doing the practice.

Total distance for the month: 33,600m
Total distance for this year: 345,700m
Distance compared to annual target: 23,100m ahead

Pretty much the same as yesterday’s session, practising bilateral breathing again. 2km from the off breathing to the left on odd lengths and the right on even lengths, then 8x50m kick and 4x50m full bilateral breathing with a tumble turn.

At the moment breathing to the right is tiring my right arm excessively. I think there’s an urge to pull harder on the breathing stroke to generate the body rotation which is actually probably not necessary. I need to work on that one so the stroke before the breath becomes more relaxed.

I think I have a similar problem with turns, actually. There’s a temptation to pull very hard on the last stroke before the tuck, but actually I’m really not convinced it’s necessary and I’m now trying to relax that last stroke and just use the speed into the wall to generate the rotation.

Total distance for the month: 31,000m
Total distance for this year: 343,100m
Distance compared to annual target: 22,500m ahead

Given the coach raising the issue of my lack of bilateral breathing last night I decided I’d spend some time working on that today, so I started with 2km of front crawl changing breathing side after each length. After that I wasn’t much good for anything else serious, so I did some kick and a swim down to take the distance to 2,500m.

Total distance for the month: 28,400m
Total distance for this year: 340,500m
Distance compared to annual target: 21,900m ahead

Well, today was a bit of a monster! In the evening I planned to do the tri fitness session that I’d attempted to go to last week before deciding I was too ill, but I wasn’t sure what to expect or if I’d definitely have time to go, so I did a shortened session earlier in the day just to make sure I got some swimming in, covering 2km.

When I got to the tri session in the evening I was a bit early, so did eight lengths just to get myself moving. When the coach arrived she said “We’ve not done one of these for quite a while, so I thought I’d set a distance session for tonight”. Bit of a baptism of fire, really:

8 lengths warm up as 2 x ( 3 lengths swim, 1 length kick), then
20 lengths
16 lengths
12 lengths
8 lengths
4 lengths
2 lengths

all front crawl, with 30 seconds rest between them. Followed by

4 x 1 length sprint with 45 seconds rest
6 lengths swim down

And this is in a pool which for some strange reason is 33¹?₃ metres long.

There seemed to be a lot of aggression directed at the water compared with what I’m used to making the water very choppy, so I opted to stick to breathing to my favoured side (for which I was chastised by the coach). It was also observed that my stroke is a bit short at the back end, so I need to work on that. Generally though it went very well. I missed the sprints due to lack of time, but managed everything else. It will be interesting to go back next week and do a “more normal” session.

So, 2.8km in that second session and 4.8km for the day. Far more than I’ve ever swum in a single day. I am quite chuffed. Perhaps tomorrow won’t be quite so easy though 🙂

Total distance for the month: 25,900m
Total distance for this year: 338,000m
Distance compared to annual target: 21,400m ahead

Another day when my arms felt very tired. I think being ill at the start of the week took more out of me than I realised at the time. I was planning on doing some turn work, but that went straight out of the window. As for yesterday I just slowed the pace down and concentrated on technique.

I swam 50m free with one of the club’s open age group girls in the evening. That was embarrassing 🙂 Still, she is a third of my age and probably half my weight. What could I expect?

Total distance for the month: 21,100m
Total distance for this year: 333,200m
Distance compared to annual target: 18,600m ahead