A little further

The weather this morning is bright and sunny and about the right temperature for early April, 10-12 degrees. The dogs and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the Hudson Way, a long distance path that runs 10 miles from Beverley to Market Weighton. We walk from my wife's house in Cherry Burton to Etton Bridge and then along the path. The distance is about 3 miles and usually takes an hour and a quarter. This morning the cherry trees were just coming into blossom and the blackthorn are in full show, blazes of white flowers along the hedgerow. The dogs are Jack Russell and Yorkshire Terrier cross breeds and they are avid rabbit hunters. As a consequence I let them off the lead one at a time, if they both get off together they hunt rabbits for hours. Dolly gets off outbound and Teddy on the way back.
After walking the dogs, Drive to the leisure centre, arriving about eleven thirty. The school holidays have begun and the pool is quite busy, but manage to find a double lane with only two swimmers. One swimming on the right, the other on the left so they are happy for me to swim medleys in the centre. (The normal rule is for everyone to swim in a clockwise rotation, which we agreed we would revert to if anyone else joined the lane.)
Today with some juggling of lanes manage to swim a 2000m medley programme. Starting, as always, with a breathing meditation to prepare both mind and body for the practice. Then warm up by doing 4 x 100m mixed medleys. This is an advanced drill and consists of swimming two strokes butterfly and two strokes breaststroke alternatively on the outward length and four strokes backstroke and three strokes freestyle alternatively on the return length. On the second 50m, the order is reversed, breaststroke first then fly and freestyle first then backstroke. In this way each stroke gets equal attention.
This drill is both technically and physically challenging, because it necessitates seamless, streamlined transitions between strokes during the length and breathing only occurs on the breaststroke and backstroke elements, so the 100m is swum on only 16-20 breaths. However, Once mastered it is both aesthetically and kinaesthetically satisfying. It also provides the most complete full body work out and warm up.
Between efforts it helps to repeat the breathing meditation until the heart rate and breathing is smooth, relaxed and settled again. It is important never to swim when feeling tired and always try to do the practice 100 per cent correctly.
The main intention today is to extend the distance on the medley from 100m to 200m, whilst keeping the strokes relaxed and smooth. The 200 IM and the 100 IM are identical, except the former requires 2 lengths in each stroke rather than one. Technically I swim them differently, breathing every stroke on the butterfly leg in the 200 rather than every other stroke on the 100. It is a trade off really between streamlining and oxygen intake. Of course it is only really nerdy swimmers, like me, who concern themselves with this sort of detail. The physical and technical challenges of the medley help to keep the concentration on the present moment, as there are so many things to pay attention to. Between efforts the same breathing meditation is adopted and this is an integral part of the practice. After the first two repeats, the single stroke breathing on the fly leg becomes second nature again and then everything else falls nicely into place. So much concentration has been required for this that almost half an hour has flown by. Then warm down with a leisurely 200m backstroke followed by 200m freestyle.
A really satisfying practice.