Week 7: Keep on swimming on

Conor Pope: ‘I am starting to quite enjoy the lengths’

I have to admit to being lazy this week. Although, lazy might be too strong a word for it. Inattentive might be better. I have been in the pool only once and that was for 45 minutes. As a result, I have little progress to report, at least when it comes to distance covered. However, I have made something of a breathing breakthrough.

Breathing – or, at least, the kind of breathing that does not see me inhaling vast quantities of water – has until now among the biggest challenges for me. I still can’t handle the bilateral breathing, but in my one very short burst in the water I concentrate on at least getting the unilateral breathing right.

The challenge I set myself is to cover each length of the pool breathing only on the fourth beat: or stroke, to use the vernacular of the water. It is not easy – or, at least, it is not easy for me – but when I really concentrate, I start to get into the necessary rhythm. One. Two. Three. Four. And breath. And one. Two. Three. Four. And breath.

It is actually working. I am actually getting from one end of the pool to the other on a fairly routine basis without my lungs reaching exploding point. The sudden disappearance of oxygen deprivation means I start to quite enjoy the lengths. I can’t overstate the scale of this breakthrough.

Then Trainer Peter spoils it all by introducing something new. There is always something new in this swimming lark.

He tells me to slow down my stroke. I do. And it is grand, but it means that there is a much longer gap between my breaths. This displeases my lungs greatly. And they are not shy about letting me know about their displeasure. Ultimately, the slow and steady pace will help me cover the mile. I just need to learn how to breathe on the second stroke and not the fourth one. The alternative would be to breathe either side on every third beat.

Maybe some day.

Dominique McMullan: ‘Be kind and listen to your body’

Just over halfway through the course now and things are going swimmingly. I’m growing little muscles in places I didn’t know I could, and I’ve found the cause of my shoulder niggle thanks to a wonderful physical therapist, Cara Mulcahy, who has strong links with Swim Ireland, particularly the national water polo squads. It turns out that changing from one gentle Pilates class a week to swimming for an hour every second day was a bit of a shock to my body. So it had a little grumble. The other reason for the niggle was, of course, my technique.

Here’s the technical bit. During front crawl I was not so much doing things wrongly, as way beyond my ability. Instead of relying on my lats –the big muscles in the back – I was using my much weaker shoulder muscles to push me through the water. Apparently this is a technique used by Olympic athletes to increase speed, and shockingly my poor wee shoulders weren’t quite able for it.

My homework for the next week is to concentrate on keeping my arms shoulder width apart, and on bending my elbows. It feels strange at present, but I have complete faith in my coach, Peter. Please don’t ask me how I picked up an Olympic swimming tip, or who on earth I think I am, but learn to swim before you swim, and remember to be kind and listen to your body.

Due to this new attitude the I've spent more time having fun in Energie Gym in Ballbradge this week, practising things like the butterfly kick and holding my breath. In training we spent some time on breast stroke, and I am pretty useless at it (my Irish Times swimming buddy is brilliant at it). I think my main issue is my total lack of inner thigh muscles so I'm going to practise that this weekend and am hoping for Victoria's Secret legs sometime next week.

I would also like to congratulate a friend of mine who is trying very hard to improve her swimming. Today she put on goggles for the first time and swam with her face in the water. A huge step; well done, Ms H!