ABSTRACT
I suppose we could say the same thing about swimming that Bernard Laverty said about conducting. I used to pride myself on being a good swimmer, generally confident and fast. At my regular early morning swims at the local pool, I swam in the fast lane. I knew the other swimmers who I could overtake and I recognized the (fewer) swimmers who would regularly and swiftly overtake me. I swam at a pace I had established over time, knowing that I could, at my best, swim a mile in 37 minutes, and I often competed (discreetly, you understand, as I am not a competitive person) against myself and the other swimmers. Generally at the end of each session, the adrenaline and pleasurable sensations were pumping through my body, as well as my mind, because I knew that exercise has immense benefits physically and psychologically. I was “programmed” into swimming in this way, but also programmed into a number of suspect swimming habits.
