Get Swimming Week 10: Approaching the wet, mile-shaped elephant in the pool

Conor Pope: 'I'm going to have to up my game if I am going to make it to the end' I may have tempted fate by suggesting last week that I had crossed some class of swimming-pool Rubicon. My technique is much better than it once was, and I am a lot more confident in the water, but that is not to suggest that I am nearly there.

The challenge is to swim for a mile. That is 64 lengths of a 25-metre pool. Right now, I can do 32 lengths. As we are training slightly ahead of the schedule in order to publish these swim diaries in real time, we have four weeks left, so I am really going to have to up my game if I am to make it to the end.

Initially I was supposed to take the Big Swim in one of our 50-metre Big Pools. That is no longer the plan, for two very simple reasons. If I swim in a 50-metre pool, I will get to stop far less frequently – half as frequently in fact (yes, I am a maths whizz) – than if I swim in a shorter pool. The second, more important, reason is that by swimming in a 25-metre pool, I will double the amount of times I get to kick my feet off the poolside walls. When I started this process, I thought the kick-off and the glide were kind of cheating. Now I realise they are integral to my success. If I do it well, I can cover four metres at each end of the pool. That means I will have to swim only 17 metres each time, and if I really maintain my discipline, I could do almost 20 lengths with my kick and glide. That means I will have to swim only 44 actual lengths. It sounds more doable. I know I am clutching at straws, but at least I am not drowning in despair. Not yet, anyway.

Dominique McMullan: 'After yesterday's efforts, lifting my coffee made my eyes water' Our team is becoming increasingly aware of the mile drawing closer. We can no longer ignore the big, wet elephant looming in the corner. In only a few weeks, 64 lengths have to be swum and we are the ones who have to swim them.

Coach Peter also seems to have become aware of this, and training has taken on a new seriousness. Yesterday we swam 26 lengths in training, the most we ever have. Many of these lengths were swum in sets, and against the clock. Not surprisingly we all felt the effects. Today, lifting my morning coffee made my eyes water. While 26 lengths are not quite the full 64, I was very proud. Only weeks ago we all had difficulty completing one. To sign up for the Get Swimming programme, go to irishtimes.com/ getswimming. You’ll receive an email every week for the duration of the programme featuring your training plan, a video tutorial, and tips and information. The next online Q&A session with former Olympic swimmer Melanie Nocher will take place at irishtimes.com next Tuesday, May 5th, from 5pm to 6pm. Email us at fitness@irishtimes.com.

To participate in the timed Swim for a Mile event from May 18th to 22nd, see swimforamile.com