2015 And 2016 Swim Goals

2015 And 12016 Swim Goals

I will not make my 2015 swim goal this year (150 miles) but I'll go over 120 miles for the year, this morning I posted 120.68 miles for the 2015 calendar year.

I have collected two swim caps from USMS this year:  A 100 mile cap around May 1st and a 150 mile cap around the end of September.

This morning I had very nice workout.  I did something I have not tried before (in recent years that is).

When I first start (first length, and part of second length) and after I pause at the half-hour/half-way mark; I usually try to swim a few strokes without breathing on each stroke.  Then I fall into my normal cadence of stroke/breath-stroke/breath.

So today I decided to go ahead and give this a shot not just at the beginning of the swim and after the half-hour/half-way pause but in the middle of the 2400 I swim on Mon and Fri.

I did it! The key is not to dig-dig-dig quickly in order to get to the stroke on which you can breath but instead to consciously rotate side-to-side  skipping the exhale and the next inhale but doing the full side-to-side rock as if you did exhale/inhale.

It works!  I have, of course, not arrived at the place where I do this constantly but I now have a goal for 2016.

My goal for 2016 is to swim my entire 2400 yard set using this breathing technique.  I think that this could really work for me.  I think it could increase my stamina and perhaps even increase my pace through the water.

Then in 2017 or perhaps part way through 2016 I'll work on breathing from the other side so I have a more symmetric stroke.

I'm looking forward to it.