Jan 26th

I haven't written for a couple of weeks so here is an update. The week beginning Jan 14th was busy from a training perspective and I acheived two significant things. I feel I am beginning to keep up with the young Stingrays although this could be a feeling rather than a reality! However, for the first time I managed to do the hypoxic breathing exercise. This is a series of lengths of the pool (25 meters) with increasing and decreasing breath patterns like this;
All Freestyle
Two lengths breathing every 3 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 5 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 7 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 9 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 7 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 5 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 3 strokes...
Finish
Looks easier than it is believe me.... but I would be interested to see how you get on if you want to give it a go. I had to build it up amd I know the exercise has improved my swimming and my overall fitness.

The second thing I achieved was in the rowing. Harry asked me to do 2000 meters in splits of 500 keeping the average time for 500m at 2 mins 20 secs. Then the last 500 meters to push it to under 2 mins. I managed to do this and got the time to under 2 mins by pushing really hard for a few seconds...... I could hear Harry's voice in my head shouting 'PULL Ros!!!!' Scary now I'm hearing voices.

This last week has been challenging as work has been in the way. I haven't been in the pool since Friday night (18th) and I have been to Edinburgh since Tuesday night at a huge conference run by an organisation called PEPE. (Practical Experiences in Professional Education) The conference was fabulous and will definately influence the way I work so I am excited about that. There were people there who had written Social Work books that I have had on my shelf for years, and I found out they are just people after all........

I did really well with my diet in spite of being surrounded by temptation and I made up for lack of exercise on Thurs night when they laid on a big dinner dance and I danced for 3 hours....feeling fit and well, I saw off people half my age. It was strange doing the dozey-doh with some of the authors I have admired for years. That's what its all about.

Since I got home I have been on the Rowing machine and it feels great. Must go.......