3 x Forever

You know it is going to be a special swim session when it finishes with 3 x 800m.

This morning it was time for the Wednesday Swim Smooth Red Mist set, always an interesting and challenging time of the week. To add some extra interest I thought this week was the right time to make a return to the 'fast lane' in the squad. I have been on the verge of making the move for a week or two now and after my swim on Monday I thought today was about time.

Moving back to the fast lane was always going to make for a challenging morning. Finishing the session with 3 x 800m just made it a little bit more so.

It is strange doing a set like 3 x 800m. I think everybody in the lane had the realisation at one point of another that the set made up almost half of the entire session. We all got through the lead up sets and individually thought, we are only just halfway now. Still, that is what is so good about that Wednesday morning swim. Yes it is a good physical workout, but if anything it is an even better mental one. Making yourself get in and get going when you know what is coming, then sticking it out to the end, takes a bit of resolve. It is also great training for racing. Lining up for a 1900m swim doesn't seem to bad when you know you have put the miles in at the pool.

For me the session went okay. The big item of note was that I was able to hold pace with the fast lane quite acceptably, no big gaps formed up. Admittedly the lane wasn't swimming as quick as it sometimes does, but I will claim it nonetheless. I was certainly working hard to stay in touch but it didn't kill me and the intensity I was working at was appropriate for the type of session it is, ie I wasn't on the rivet the whole way. For me the session was another step forward in progress. Another step towards returning to normal swimming form.

The other bit of training that has happened in the last 24 hours was my run last night. Yesterday I said that the challenge would be sticking to my goal paces and not letting the intensity get too high. I think on the whole I succeeded in that goal. I might have let it get a bit too quick towards the end, but generally the pace stayed where it was supposed too.

The session was another good one, it consisted of 5 x 2km efforts and they felt about right. I haven't tried to run a bit quicker for a few weeks now and so it was good to push the pace a bit and find that I was able too and that it didn't kill me. It will be good to gain a bit more pace over the coming weeks as I get closer to Challenge Iskandar Puteri, but that will come with time.

Back on the bike in the morning for a repeat of yesterday's session. Hopefully it goes half as well (or possibly even better).