I’m not sure how it’s already week 3 of my channel training but it is and I’m making great progress compared to my level of fitness and activity just a month ago.
I started the week tired and in a bit of a Fibro flare after pushing harder than I should have over the weekend. I coached on Monday night for BRJ and we did a Critical Swim Speed test. It’s great to see where people are and their improvement from the previous time we did the test.
For those that don’t know, a Critical Swim Speed test helps measure your swim fitness and it estimates the pace per 100m that you can swim over a 1500m time trial. To do the test you do a maximal 200m and 400m with at least a 5 minute active recovery between the two, I then used this CSS test calculator (https://www.myprocoach.net/calculators/critical-swim-speed) to work out each swimmers times.
The test is a great way to judge fitness, improvement in fitness over a long period of time and it also makes it easier for me to work out the pace each lane goes at making it easier for me to figure out sessions when they’re training off the clock.
Tuesday was busy, no personal training session but instead I went for an Open Water swim in Hampton. A great swim, its slowly getting easier for me to enter the cold water and I am staying in longer too. In the evening it was the regular rehearsal for Huntingdonshire Concert Band where we are preparing for our next concert. Its going to be a great Big Band gig with live singers – tickets can be bought here – https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/HCB?fbclid=IwAR0sJZotfRpBiH2yPfkpwJKljm6ULHURSmlIXQUr7LRrYn6W6-3bz18ifbI
Wednesdays plan was to attempt an adapted session from the Markus Marthaler scale swimming book, the first time I had attempted one since my injury. I surpassed my expectations and managed to complete the full set without any arm pain at all. I still feel a little uneven as a result of the amount of muscle I have lost in my right arm when I swim but next week I am hoping to learn some ways I can help that.
Thursday, you guessed it – another swim. By this point I had started to get annoyed at the fact I was having to get changed in the men’s toilet because the disabled changing room is out of order. The pool was really quiet with only 3 people in the lane I was swimming in, it was lovely! I was able to the furthest distance I’ve swum in one go since starting swimming again. The weird thing of the day was that for some very bizarre reason it felt much harder swimming down the length than back up the length….bit weird but I just went with it and ended up swimming 2500m in the hour so I was thrilled.
Friday, I woke feeling fatigued, I hadn’t slept well, I ached and hurt and it took a lot of convincing myself to actually go to the pool. It was chucking it down, I just didn’t think the swim would be productive but I forced myself to go because I wanted to reach 5km and do 3 swims in one week as I’m still building the distance I swim each week. When I got in the pool my arm was sore, I was getting constant twinges and pain and decided I would swim far enough for me to reach 5km and then get out. Actually, the longer i swam the less my arm hurt and the happier and more determined I was. As a result, I ended up doing the 3 swims and swam 6.7km and came out the pool exhausted but also very happy.
The weekend has been quiet with no training and spent at my parents having cuddles with the beautiful Reggie and writing lesson plans for the next few weeks.
Looking forward to the new week it will be starting with my first ever group gym session and of course, lots more swimming!