Hey guys, thanks for this tip. That is kind of what I am doing and it is fine when I am solo in the lane as I am not worried about a head on collision. The lanes in my outdoor pool are a bit narrow to start off so that does not help. Sometimes if I am doing an IM set, I start with full backstroke and if there is someone in my lane, I just revert to kicking on my back and that way any collision won't be skull on skull (I am extra tense about the possibility of this due to 2011 head and neck injuries and concussion/post concussion that I still have from time to time).

Thanks to Jason on the tips on the World's thread about keeping my arms and head "static" and building the wave with my core and legs for under water dolphin. I have been watching a lot of videos and I get what needs to be done. Still swimming a lot with no specific goals or structure. I think I am getting technically better on a bunch of small things which are adding up to faster speed all around. I still really suck and breast stroke and seem to be faster with two dolphin kicks than one breast stroke kick.

One more thing, I have been doing some drills where I swim 25 m fly breathing only every 3-4 strokes to get the timing of the stroke without breathing which I find quite a bit different than when the head comes up. I have not gotten to be able to do 100m fly breathing every other stroke. That was a new achievement this week while swimming at the 50m Pan Am Games pool while on biz in Toronto. My stroke count was 26 which I think is half decent for someone 5'6" with just a push off who just learned how to do this (fly) last year.