Monday night and I went straight to the pool after work. Fit girl picked me up after work and it was funny because we were both going to email each other during the day to ask if we wanted to give it a miss. But we both didn’t email each other because we knew it would just be us copping out.

So we got in the pool for half 5. I decided I’d do a different routine, not much kicking (to let my legs recover from the long run).

100 lengths, 2500m by 250s
(10 lengths at a time)
250m FC swim
250m FC pull with paddles
250m FC pull
250m FC swim
250m FC pull with paddles
250m FC/BC kick by 50m
250m FC pull
250m FC swim
250m FC pull with paddles
250m FC pull

Easy. 49:55. 😀

My swimming coach colleague Mark was in teaching the City of Glasgow swim team (just 2 kids aged about 14 or 15). I chatted to him at the start, then joked with him at the end that he could teach me. 😉

Mark then went on to say that he did have some feedback for me if I was interested. And of course I was. I’m more or less self taught at swimming so any feedback from an experienced coach is more than welcome. 🙂  I know how to swim, but I’ve never seen myself swim, so just swim out of habit.

Here’s the feedback:

1. I’m using the wrong muscles to pull. My arms are pulling wide and my body is flat. It needs to roll more constantly. My shoulders should be rolling with my body as I swim, stretching forward and pulling under my body. (He explained it better than that, but I got what he meant).

2. I’m wasting energy trying to push my hand forward into the water when my arm recovers. All I need to do is take my elbow out and my forearm/hand will follow.

I practiced it for about another 10 lengths before finishing.

Swim: 2500m, 49:55, 500 calories.
Ave HR: 130. Max HR: 153.
(Total: 3000m, 56:14)