Notes
Distance is a guesstimate. I lost track of the laps because we were mixing it up with so many different drills.
I felt good during this workout. I had a good feel for the water during my pull. It really felt like I was covering the distance on each pull. I felt a little faster, too, and breathing (actually getting air in) seems to be more fluid and natural. I'm definitely not taking in as much water as I was before.
I'm still not able to go very far without becoming breathless. Neil insists that I just need to exhale more. I'm trying! If I really try to expel air underwater, I get to a point where I feel really uncomfortable and then I end up gasping on in the intake, which makes me feel breathless. Neil assures me that it'll come together, and that it's not an incremental thing. One day, I'll just get it.
We were doing stroke counting drills, and I managed to lower my stroke count for 20 yards to 8 strokes (I started from 12). Also, we did drills to reduce the number of breaths to cross the pool, and I got singled out, along with a woman from the intermediate clinic, to demonstrate a lap. Neil pulled me out to show my slow stroke rate and long glide/reach, though I kicked a lot more than the woman from the intermediate class. She's VERY relaxed in the water... something I aspire to be, but I can't seem to get there.