Total Immersion Progress: Sinking a bit less, swimming a bit more

Last Monday I took my first shot at TI drill 1. A lot of sinking and stalling happened. A lot of pool water was swallowed. I got a few lengths in1, barely.

Tuesday saw a regression – a quick, early morning 1200m set with the pull buoy. Completely destroyed the leg lift.

Rest of the week was a wipeout. Tuesday’s trip to Birmingham left the foot in a terrible state. By the time the foot recovered, a few days later, the heart had sunk.

Monday presented a new start, a new week. Continue giving up, or give it another shove?

Gave it a fresh go yesterday. A fair bit of water was swallowed, but I managed 10 lengths of TI drill 1. Slow and painful, but progress.

Today I comfortably completed 10 lengths of TI drill 1. And then competed a length of drill 2 on each side. Heart warming success.

Drill 1 is starting to becoming comfortable. There was a bit of sinking, and water swallowing in the drill 2 lengths. However, I could feel a bit of comfort with it already. A few more swims, and I may be ready to progress to drill 3 😁

Aside: Further joy came from the recovery front crawl lengths in between drill lengths. By the end, legs were comfortably floating, and kicking gently – literally a light flutter. The kind of kick I watch and admire in other swimmers 🙂

Onwards! (?)


  1. The trick is to become long. Straight and long. Push the toes away, draw the hips up, and in line, feel the stretch through the front of the body – from abs, through hips, thighs, tops of the feet, all the way to the tips of the toes.
    It was a useful lesson. Helped me observe my tendency to fold at the hips, letting them sink/rise, and the legs to rise/sink. 
Total Immersion Progress: Sinking a bit less, swimming a bit more

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