This week has been my first proper week back in the pool since doing my 1km TT about two weeks ago. I looked around for a swim squad to join up with, as I hate swim training by myself, and found one in Cook & Phillip Park which had a range of sessions that I could join. Morning training was 5:30-7:00, but I had enough trouble getting up for morning training when I was swimming competitively so I was keen to avoid it now.

I settled on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, plus Saturday morning which is at an altogether more civilised time of 8:30. Monday was a bit of an eye opener. The last time I was doing squads, I was comfortably fastest in the fastest lane, but that was two years ago and it was also a lunchtime squads. Now, not having been in a pool for two years, I was happy to tag along in the second fastest lane. I started out leading it, but have no endurance in my arms, so although I’m not physically tired, my arms are just die and I have to drop back.

The coach has decided that I should be in the fast lane, although I can’t yet make the times they’re doing. He thinks it will be better for me to bust my arse to keep up, fall apart, have a quick rest and then repeat, but I’d prefer to stay down a lane and plod along at a more respectable pace, getting used to doing multiple swim sessions a week first. Plus, the fact that the fast lane did a set of 100s off 1:30, coming in on 1:13, when I could only manage 1:35-1:40 doesn’t help.

Still, by Thursday I was doing a bit better, though that was because the fast guys weren’t there, and I’d managed 9200m for the week which I was pretty happy with. I opted not to go this morning as I’ve the City2Surf tomorrow and I’m already tired after 3 swim sessions and 3 run sessions.