Training, Trying On and Lane Rage!
January has been an interesting month with a mix of all things swimming.
As a regular gym goer and pool swimmer January can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Now I’m not wanting to put anyone off from upping their exercise/training game but in what is often seen as a tough month anyway, after the excess of Christmas and New Year, to then have to fight for your space in the lane or have one eye on the next piece of gym equipment at all times doesn’t necessarily make for the best of experiences and actually I find it all a bit de-motivating.
After a few frustrating swims (I had to really keep my lane rage in check on a good number of occasions) I shared this with my coach and he shared back to me some wise words on how to manage the busy lanes and gave me some alternatives for strength work. The swimming of course I persevered with and found better times to hit the pool and worked out those to be avoided but my strength training has really been lacking. I know this because I can feel it in my muscles after swimming and I know I have been more tired.
Today is the first day of a new month and having achieved dry January and successfully eating pescatarian and vegetarian for the month I have decided my focus for February needs to be about getting my strength and mobility in order. I’m not going to make it up and down that lake without it as my coach clearly pointed out to me in an email today! So, I have marked my gym days in the calendar, booked a weekly Somatics class and booked back in with Clare to massage my muscles!
I’m loving the swim plans and sometimes I have to really concentrate on what is being asked of me so it was lovely after working on a client site in Windsor one day to come home via the outdoor pool at Chesham Moor Fitness and just jump in the warm water on a cold starry evening and swim for the joy of it, quite simply for the love of swimming; no counting, no sets, no sprints, no checking the plan just swimming (some breaststroke) instead of the countless (well actually very much counted) lengths of front crawl. I had been planning on some more lido swims this week, but the potential weather and travel disruption has put those plans on hold for now – but soon, very soon I’ll be back in the lidos for the joy of being in the water.
I was delighted when Rosie, from Deakin and Blue asked me to try on some of their new range. When I say delighted, I mean I actually think I squealed out loud with excitement. I love this swimwear brand and was so pleased to get a sneak peek at some new design and colour ideas – we are in for a treat. More and more of my swimming friends have bought themselves a lovely D&B and it makes me so pleased that we are supporting a small business to achieve their dreams as much as Rosie and her team are giving us the opportunity to swim in recycled fishing nets!
Before I go have you had chance to listen to the chat I had with Jade on the Wild Swim Podcast? I talk to Jade aka the_manchester_mermaid about how I got into open water swimming and how swimming Windermere One Way came to be.
For those of you cracking ice to swim outdoors through winter, I’m impressed and take my hat off to you; for those of you like me who have been swimming lengths in pools; here’s to a little more space in the lanes now that January is done!
Happy swimming
Liz x
