— Appendix — Becoming Fit and Fishlike: Sample Total Immersion Practice Sets

Once you understand that intelligent training is a far more valuable use of your time than mindless lap swimming, you’ll ask more penetrating questions about what to do at the pool: How much drill practice, how much sensory skill work, and how much stroke counting will yield the best results? And what’s the best way to do them?

Conventional “workouts” mix swim, pull, and kick sets and a few rote drills to get you tired and keep you busy for an hour or so. In TI practice, every set has a specific identifiable purpose—and is usually working on more than one level: teaching an essential skill, heightening awareness or imprinting an elusive habit—without neglecting fitness. Every lap is purposeful and mindful.

Here’s a starter set of sample practices that show you how to take the lessons of the Total Immersion program and put them into an efficient, effective training format. There are additional suggestions throughout chapter 8 and you can find more sample practices at www.totalimmersion.net. Eventually, as your body learns what being Fishlike should feel like, you’ll develop a keen sense of what to concentrate on and how much work you need. In the meantime, these practices will give you some insights toward designing sessions that will keep you tightly focused on improving your economy and making smooth movements a habit while staying fit.

Feel free to modify sets by increasing or decreasing the number of repeats or rounds in a set, or by increasing or reducing the distance of repeats or the suggested rest interval.