"I’ve never been comfortable in open water, ever since having a panic attack halfway between the shore and the buoy my teenage pals and I dared ourselves to swim to. Thus, my body doesn’t trust itself to exhale underwater. “By keeping your head above water, your hips sink lower, increasing your resistance,” Payne says. She advises taking in small breaths of air every two or three strokes, then blowing out through my nose underwater. It’s tricky, often ending in a splurting mess of bubbles and desperate gasps for air. But after a few goes, a rhythm begins to develop. I’m also in the mindset that kicking my feet furiously will get me to the other side quicker. Not so, says Payne. Again, by splashing my feet through the water surface, my resistance is increased. Subtle flicking of the feet underwater is what’s needed. However, my front crawl stroke was “pretty good” apart from the bent wrists (keep them straight with fingers together). But the breaststroke needed some work. Paddle the water with your hands, while your elbows shouldn’t go beyond your back. Also, when you kick your legs out, your feet should be at a right angle to your shin, acting as an oar. After these minor (ahem) tweaks, my stroke improves to the point where I’m powering through the water twice as hard as I was. Just watching an Olympic swimmer in full flow is eye-opening enough. But if you’re competing on Saturday, concentrate on your own swim or your star-struck head will get a knock from a stray limb in the melee." - Dan Smith