Great swim but not to dissappoint you a mile in a 25 yard pool is 70.4 lengths. Many coaches do not realize 1 mile is 1760 yards. We used to swim what we called a metric mile 1650 yards that is very close to 1500m.

You really did pump up your volume congrats are in order..

Here is the link about the Slovenian cyclist Robic and the study of finding the limits of endurance and sanity:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/sports/playmagazine/05robicpm.html?ex=1143090000&en=2fa2627865a66307&ei=5070

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To be honest, during my swim, I didn't feel that the effort level was that much. I came out of the (nearly) 2 miles with a 140bpm heart rate and feeling like I had enjoyed a nice long uphill walk.

I think now that I've always had a fundamental and sometimes unconscious distrust of water. Not the kind of fear and distrust that comes from the thought of sharks or rip currents, but the idea that when I lose my footing in water, I will fall down like I would fall down through air. I did not trust water to obey the laws of physics to keep me afloat.

I came up with this silly mantra that I kept telling myself - "Trust the water, trust the water".
I had to convince myself over and over again that water would obey the laws of physics and that it would reliably hold me up on the surface just as my bed or a coffee table would and that I could put the weight of my shoulders and head down on it with the knowledge that I could access air whenever I wanted to.

I know this sounds like a very basic mental thing but I hadn't really dealt with it because I could skip over it and power through my swims (exhausting myself) and I found that I was never ever relaxed in the water because I always thought I had to put a lot more energy into swimming than was actually needed. I could have continued on that course as I had for the past few months but I just was not seeing any improvement in speed *or* range. I could swim a half mile ok and I'd be tired but not dead tired so I wasn't looking to fixing this mental block until now.

As I continued my swim with my little mantra playing in my head, I felt the muscles in my neck relax and I put my head down in the water with the attitude that I was laying my head on a cushion of water rather than this substance that might pull its support from under me at any moment like Lucy pulls the football from under Charlie Brown's foot.

It wasn't a very fast swim but I was very relaxed and I could feel I was using much less energy. I was breathing slower too. I have to say - this is pretty enjoyable now.
I forced myself to get in the water and there was always a voice in my head that wanted out of the water and back onto terra firma. I think that voice has finally shut the heck up.

It is nice when you can look forward to the swim, and not dread or trudge through it. It is also a nice active recovery.
The mantra works - I use mine at the start of a tri - reenforces keeping myself under control and not getting caught up in the excitement and going out too hard.

six kids! wow.
Now *that* requires endurance.

First 2 mile swim I did, my hands felt cramps for 2-3 days afterwards. Ouch! But its quite a feeling to be able to accomplish it. Now I just have to work on that speed part. Congrats!

Awesome job. That is so cool to feel like you could go on forever. Great post!!!

wow...that was the craziest article I have ever read lol

I remember the days I could swim 5km an hour (3.1miles).

6 years later, Im working at getting my 1.5k to 20mins.

Well if you can teach me how to run (properly), I m sure we can work something out. :p

I was doing 17:30 for my 1500 a few years ago. But my running is absolutely horrendous.