Just Keep Swimming...Just Keep Swimming....

 Today has been totally awesome...It started with a wonderful two kilometer speed set with my training partner in a 25 meter pool. So with our warm up done and I was already under 2:00/100m I was feeling great. We started out 100 meter sets with a good 30+ second rest as we were pushing the pace so much. We got mid way through and as I finished one of the sets I could feel my heart racing, and taking deeper breaths wasn't bring my heart rate down fast enough. So with guidance from my training partner to take the next set a little slower, in which we did I managed to slow it down, and then straight back into pushing hard.

Now with upping the anti with my swimming and knowing I would have another session later in the afternoon, it was important to make sure I refueled properly and off to my favourite coffee shop for awesome coffee, and scrambled eggs and gluten free toast...and yes it went down a treat.

It was time to head to one of my favourite pools. Its an outdoor heated 50 meter pool, and swimming in the sunshine was so good. Swim cap on, water bottle and jelly beans next to the diving block, and waterproof iPod attached to my goggles, I was set for what I knew was going to be an interesting swim, as I had already done a speed set earlier. I have done Monday double sessions before, but usually a lighter session in the morning and swim squad later in the evening.

 In I got and off I went, it was hard even from the start, I could feel my left shoulder, it wasn't pain, just a little discomfort. With having my music playing it was great to be able to switch the brain off from negative thoughts and focus on the music and lyrics playing. Since using the iPod, I have noticed that it has helped with endurance swims and even in the open water and even with this mornings speed set, as I wasn't focused on any negative thoughts running through my mind and just focus on my stroke and breathing.

I knew my endurance swim wasn't going to be a fast pace at this point as it was my first try at doing this kind of double session. With upping the kilometers each week and swimming back to back sessions, its teaching the body how to deal with fatigue, which is something I am going to have to face when I swim my qualifying 10 kilometer swim in November and even the Rottnest Channel Swim in February. So tomorrows swim will be a 5 kilometer endurance swim. This will be interesting to see how I feel after a good nights sleep and rest.

It is great to be feeling back in the swim...after having a few weeks of being out of sorts. So its on wards from here with seeing just how my body deals with all the training.

 I have been following the 8 Bridges Swim on Facebook this past week and have found such inspiration from the swimmers. They swim a marathon swim everyday for seven days down the Hudson River, USA. Now a dream of mine that one day I will make happen.

Have a great week everyone...

Hayley xx