IN THE SWIM

I didn't post about my doings last week because, I didn't get up to much. I did swim last Monday, and though Lovely Instructor made me do it again and again, and again... I did sort of feel as though I am improving. Which is amazing.

I then had a great run home from school across the downs last Tuesday. The sun was shining and the leaves were just about clinging to the trees, so it was a riot of colour up there. I pushed myself harder up the hill then I do normally, and tried to run as fast as possible and to my amazement I did get back in 33 mins. So at just over 11 mins a mile it's a personal best for me. Ok for a proper runner that's a disaster, but I was pleased. And it was a fabulous day for running, so even if my time had been worse, I wouldn't have minded too much.

But that was my lot last week. I got a bit busy and was out for a couple of days, and then spent the rest of the week catching up on the housework.

So running wise I am definitely not with the programme. And I really need to get some longer runs under my belt before Christmas if I am going to seriously enter the marathon... I still haven't decided yet. There is an outside chance I'll get in through the ballot, but I am not sure whether I'll go for a charity place if I don't get in.

On the upside I'm sure I'm fitter then I was two years ago.

On the downside I haven't done enough training, and my sciatica is still a problem.

But oooooh, I so want to do it again.

And I've found someone else who wants to too. So who knows?

In the meantime, it was back to the pool on Monday.

As winter draws in it gets harder and harder to leave the house at 8.50pm It would be sooo much better if swimming was at 8pm, except I'd probably end up missing it then as I'm still faffing about with the kids. In summer it was easy - particularly on hot nights. But the last two weeks I've been battling the little demon on my right shoulder saying, don't go, stay, watch tv, drink that wine...

So far I've resisted, but I'm not sure for how much longer....

But it was really worth going on Monday. I feel so much more confident in the water now. So I get in and straight into my drills:

2 x swimming on my side
2 x rolling from side to side
2 x superman
2 x shark fin
2 x double shark fin.

Makes for the first set of ten lengths. 250m just to get us going.

Then it's usually 6 lengths breathing on one side, usually, left, right, left,left, left right. When I started I used to have to stop after every length, but I can do all six now. Woo!

This is followed by two lengths swimming to get your brain in gear.

And after that I lose it a bit, as I forget how many lengths I've done.

But I think it was four lengths fists, followed by four lengths catch up.

That takes us to 28.

After that it's a length breathing every third stroke, then one breathing every five, then five again, then third.

That's tough. IF you slow down and try to relax it sort of works. But I find myself running out of puff about halfway down. And this week miraculously I appeared to be the fastest in the group, so I kept bumping into people and losing my rhythm. I am so unused to being in the position of Speedy Gonzales I haven't yet got to grips with overtaking... I suppose it will come.

Then we did another four lengths breathing on our least favourite side - I don't actually have a least favourite side, but went for the right side as I use it less as Lovely Instructor makes us practise swimming on our left more as that is the side people usually feel less comfortable with. As I am new to this malarkey, I have started off swimming more on the left, hence my right side is a bit weaker.

Last off we had to practise swimming a length in eighteen strokes. This is a good racing rhythm apparently - and the way to do it I have recently discovered is by breathing every three strokes, but six times up the pool. I am hovering at the moment at anything between sixteen and 20 strokes - usually the latter. And I come up gasping for air. Part of the problem is my stroke isn't long enough - according to Lovely Instructor all I need is to make my stroke longer and it will be a piece of piss. Hmm... not sure I quite believe him, but the tip he gave me about breathing through my nose has really helped. So long as I don't panic and breathe in lots of water.

By the time we'd done four lengths of that it was ten pm and time for two more wind down lengths before getting out. So I'd swum 44 lengths in total - 1100 metres. Which is nearly olympic distance. Now if I could manage to do that at speed....

I ran yesterday morning, which was great, but boy my legs were tired. So though I tried out the route I had gone on with my speedy friend, I was a trifle slower then last time. Just over three miles in 39 mins, so about 11.25 minute miles as opposed to 9.5 with her. It's wierd how I can't keep up the pace on my own. I just don't seem to be able to push myself hard enough. At least, not when I run.


Today in the pool was better. I swam ten lengths breathing every third stroke - only managing two at a time, but I have to start somewhere...

Then I swam breathing every stroke, and managed twenty two lengths in fifteen minutes. This is not properly fast, but it is good for me, so I was pleased with it - considering six months ago I could just about manage one length crawl.

I then alternated breathing every three/every five and by the end I had just about managed a length or two when I wasn't completely out of breath. Woo!

So in total I swam 40 lengths in just over 40 mins. There was some stopping , so maybe if I didn't stop I could shave off five mins, which would mean swimming 1000 metres in about 35mins.

Not too bad for a novice....