I swam 21 X 50 meters @ 1.38 seconds per stroke.

I would say that the best fit line for today's times would have a zero slope. My strokes out (20) and back (21) were also consistent.

Assuming that I punched out accurately and consistently, my fastest repeat was actually the 11th repeat today not the first repeat. The first repeat was the second fastest, though.

I was feeling a bit tired today and took a bit longer rest in between each repetition, including a few that were for much longer periods.

My average pace per 50 meters was about 2 seconds slower than the practice four days ago. That practice was at 1.35 seconds per stroke. But, my times were increasing throughout the practice that time as well. So, I'm going to figure that it is better for me to swim at 1.38 seconds per stroke and develop my ability to truly post consistent times for a large number of repeats.

I'm still wondering whether I'm feeling a bit out of breath because the stroke rate is too low. It seemed pretty clear that 1.35 seconds per stroke was too fast. So, that would mean I need to try 1.37 or 1.36 seconds per stroke. But, I don't want to jump to conclusions. It's also possible that I'm just feeling some fatigue from all the swimming I have been doing. So, I think it's worthwhile for me to do at least one or two more practices at 1.38 seconds per stroke.

I believe that I discovered a small modification in my breathing technique that results in a faster average pace. When I put more focus on breathing just out of the corner of my mouth and turning my head that tiny bit less, I think that I don't lose as much forward momentum.

I must admit that I'm a bit concerned by how much effort it feels like it takes to swim 1000 yards / meters, especially since I'm resting in between each 50. But, I think that I need to hang in there and have faith that it will continue to get easier. I think that part of the problem also arises from doing the flip turns. While they give me a boost in speed, they also interrupt my breathing. On the other hand, they also give me a break from stroking. So, I don't know what it will feel like to swim 2000 meters uninterrupted in open water. I know that I've completed it many times previously. So, I'm not worried about my ability to complete it. I'm mostly wondering whether my time will be any faster than it was previously. Basically, where my concern lies right now is that I feel like I'm actually expending more effort than I was before and I'm not certain I'm actually swimming faster. I'm certainly not panicking. Nor am I doubting the value of correcting all my stroke flaws. I just want to record what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling right now for the sake of honesty. I'm betting that somewhere in the (I hope near) future all of this will work itself out. I think it's important for me to remember how the overall journey went.

Note: Today's average time would equate to about 58.5 seconds per 50 yards. That would be 1:57 for 100 yards, which is at least six seconds faster than I was swimming before. So, even though I don't really feel like I'm swimming faster, I think the data show a significant improvement.