Not too many in the pool this Friday morning, 3rd January.

Lane one has Jai, Emily and Laurie.
Lane two a few of the fasties including the Dragon and the Ghost.
Lane three, the numbers thicken out and there’s more in Lane four.

It seems theres a direct relationship between strong faster swimmers and the numbers who turn up.
The muppet makes up four in Lane One, the least populated lane.

Been reading some material on visualisation over the holidays.
Wasn’t even thinking about this once we had finished the warm up and were into the main set. For the lasties, the main set is as follows:

4 x 100 on 150
3 x 100 on 145
2 x 100 on 140
1 x 100 on 135 or faster

Twice.

Jai is the boss of the lane and the pool while Vlad and his coaching team on off on holidays.
She explains that today we’re going to go on a 2.15 minute cycle for each 100.
That’s a lot of rest.
But you don’t argue with Jai when she’s on a roll.

According to Jai, the reason we’re all struggling to make the faster sets is that we’re not getting enough rest.
Ok.
SM is not one to argue when more rest is being offered.
Lane’s two, three and four would howl in indignation and undoubtedly this is why they are in the faster lanes, but Lane one progresses at it’s own, more colonial style pace.

The muppet is put in front by common consent which is bad.
The front means there is nowhere to hide.
There’s no drafting behind others as the leader has to do the breaking of the water.
The leader also has to set the pace – too fast and there’s the ignominy of blowing up and being sent to Coventry behind the slowest swimmers at the back.
Too slow, and the toe tapping starts.

On the turn, well ahead of the others so need to slow down.

Getting to the wall in 1.48 pace which is a touch on the fast side.

Doesn’t matter so much now but bitter experience has shown a few hasty seconds at the beginning of a long set can come back to mega haunt the erstwhile greyhound towards the end as oxygen deprivation kicks in and lactic acid builds up.

The head is going all over the place and in an effort to “go out of mind time”, the muppet inadvertently starts to visualise the face of the Garmin as he pushes the button for the end of each 100.

And something really strange happens – it works.

Visualise 150, and come into the wall right on 150 (well, give or take a few 1/100’s of a second)
Visualise 145 and sure enough, right on the button at the end of the 100.
Works for the 140 and in the horror show of the 135 as well.

Seems like the body is synching up with the mind via the visualisation.
Works a treat.
Might have something to do with the long recovery periods at the end of each lap.
But who’s complaining?

Afterwards, another session with Michael the Masseur and it looks like the back and the lats are coming good but the neck still needs a lot of work.

Last session of the holiday break – back to work next week.
Cue Marlon Brando’s Kurtz in Apolcalyse Now, last words.

“The horror…the horror”