Tomato sauce sandwiches

Here I am at 8.31am, fresh from my swim and having just finished my tomato sauce sandwiches.

Yes, you heard!

When I first proposed this swim, my sister (the arty one) told me I'd get hungry, and that I'd better get some bananas in. As my granny would have said (but about her knitting) 'me and bananas have fallen out'. At 18 months old actually, as Rachel very well knows. 'Peanut butter sandwiches, then?' - but I find those a bit 'claggy'.

I tried flapjack - but it was a bit sweet so early in the morning. Marmite sandwiches are fine. Lovely in fact - & I could go for Marmite & peanut butter together. But today I indulged myself. There are some things you just have to experience for yourself - it can't all come from reading. It's even better on toast too. Especially if the toast is just a little bit burnt.

And how was my swim?

Well, I only managed 16 lengths before they gently kicked me out at 8 o'clock. So I'll either have to do 24 next time to make up (which would be pushing it in the time) or do 21 four times.

Two reasons really. The first: in order to get my swim in and get my son to school he has to come with me, which means I have to get him up half an hour early. At 6.30. Not something likely to go down well with a teenage lad but he's been very good about it so far (he even swam the first time). But this morning he just couldn't get a wiggle on.

The second reason is that darned butterfly thing.

I started out thinking I'd do a few lengths of leisurely breaststroke to warm up, not being in the best of tempers. By the second length though, I'd started doing it properly. Or at least more properly - the face going under the water, the feet coming up to my 'seat' (as they phrase it in the advice) and then kicking firmly outwards. How pleasing to think the neural pathways are starting to develop! But it is more tiring than my former style (I am actually putting proper physical effort in these days) and I find I have a little pause at the ends of the pool where I wouldn't have before.

Conscious of the time I go for a butterfly length fairly early on - length 6, I think, and far from 'just doing it' I actually try to do it consciously, remembering some of what I've read.

'The leg action comes from the hip' - I realise I've just been flapping my lower legs so try to change this.  'Powerful downbeats of the feet then propel the body forward' - so I try to exert more power. Far from being propelled forward I become convinced I'm swimming on the spot!

Dredge the memory for more help: 'Try to keep your legs close together with your ankles relaxed'.....Well! That's fine for you to say!

My brain is juggling all these messages - to keep my legs together I have to exert muscles at the top of the legs in an inward direction whilst firmly and powerfully making the feet go down (for propulsion) while simultaneously keeping the ankles loose.

I told you this was a ridiculous stroke!

Meanwhile the arms are going round and round as they should (hopefully, that is. I haven't really read the detail of that bit yet). I'm gasping for breath every time my head breaks the surface. It's totally exhausting. I vaguely remember that some people take a breath every other stroke and try this towards the end of the length. Disaster strikes - I swallow water and start to cough, grabbing for the end rail while my legs revert to a lifesaving breaststroke kick. What was it my friend Gail said? 'Don't drown.....'!

I scull a length on my back to recover but, since I'm already writing my blog in my head, I relax too much and my head meets the wall with a crashing 'ow!'

Back to breast-stroke then for a few more lengths till I gather up the courage to fulfil yesterday's promise of doing butterfly twice. I don't try to do it 'properly'. I just do it. Get through it. Get it done. Still hate it. Still feel embarrassed by it. I read back over my posts for the first time & am relieved to confirm I only promised to do one length of butterfly over the five days. I don't have to keep making things more difficult for myself, surely?

But I re-read the 'Butterfly? Why on earth?' one. And feel slightly as though I'm giving up.

So, tomato sauce sandwiches. Do you think I deserved them?

Finally, don't forget, if you've ever enjoyed tomato sauce sandwiches, think of me & send a cheque made out to Forest Read Easy Deal, to: Frank Rainer, Treasurer, Oaklands, George Road, Yorkley, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4TL