The last length was killing me. My legs were burning, my lungs were bursting and I was desperate for it to end. I finally touched the wall and reached for my watch to stop the timer. I was so tired that I missed it the first time, but finally managed to stop it. I took my goggles off and checked the time. 6:01…
…
It had been a long day. A slightly disappointing client meeting that had required a 7-hour round trip drive to get there and back. So by the evening I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the gym, or for my bed. In the end I opted for the gym.
I took my kit, my SiS sports drink and my wife’s words (“Remember, you’re meant to enjoy it”) with me and did a light set on the bike and treadmill, with an abs set between the two. Once that was over, it was time to hit the pool.
A gentle 200m warmup and then I decided that it was time to do another time trial to see how the threshold training was going and if I was getting any quicker. So I set off on a 400m set and pushed myself as hard as I could and swam as fast as I could. And boy was it hard, but would it be quick?
… 6:01 …
I was amazed. That SMASHED my previous time!
Then it slowly dawned on me that maybe that time was a bit too quick… maybe, just maybe… okay, probably… I’d only swum 350m!
I was gutted, but I rested for a bit and then did another 400m in 7:04 and a 200m in 3:28, so my training is really starting to have an impact which is really pleasing.
1000kmstowindermere 
Hate when that happens, miscounting laps. Often if the time is too good to be true you were over or under in the count. Great swim though and way to still get some progress from it.
The last thing I lost track of was Christmas cookies. I’d better do an abs set, too.
Well done on the progress!
A good way to help count your lengths is to break the swim into sections, e.g. four 100’s, witha different ‘goal’ for each 100m. #1 is start smooth and strong, #2 is to build, #3 is to attack and #4 is to give everything and bring it home as fast as possible.
I’m an accountant and can NOT master counting lengths, so instead try and break things down. You could also count 8x50m, or two 200m’s and try to negative split them.
Well done again! Keep it up in 2014.
Thanks for that Coach. I’m normally okay and I think it was more a case of wishful thinking (“I hope this is the last length”) than anything else. But I do like the plan for breaking the sections down.