[terry]

JR
Well done. There's some between-the-lines wisdom in your post that reveals what I believe is the real reason you completed the mile with such ease. You've made Mindful Swimming -- every stroke with a clear purpose and focus - an ingrained habit (along with all those mini-skills you mentioned.) That keeps you so occupied with one-stroke-then-the-next you hardly have time to think about how far you have to go. You just take the next Mindful Stroke.