Its been ages since I wrote a blog and gave an update on all I have been up to!
Since I last wrote here I have had 2 intense sea training weeks, a pretty serious accident, been interviewed by Disney and questioned my ability to complete the Bristol Channel Swim.
At the end of May I headed to Wales, read my blog about it below.
I came back from Wales feeling great, I had swum more in that week than I had in a single week in months where training has been so ‘stop/start’. However, a week later I had an accident which resulted in a trip to A&E and a lot of pain. Ironically, I was on my way to the hospital for something else when I got my handle bar from my TriRide caught in my coat, as I turned I ended up skidding and throwing myself out of my chair/triride, into the road, in-front of a car! Thankfully the car was able to stop and people came running to help me, I was taken straight to A&E and xrayed for a suspected broken wrist, shoulder and ribs, they ruled out a broken shoulder, it was just badly sprained.
They also ruled out broken ribs but they couldn’t rule out a broken wrist, so I was given a splint and told not to put any pressure through my wrist – slightly problematic when you’re a wheelchair user.
I ended up going and staying with my parents for a few days as I couldn’t manage on my own and was in too much pain. I bruised the whole of the right side of my chest and the pain I was suffering with was my chest, not my wrist. I was referred to orthopaedics to follow up on my wrist, however, the appointment wasn’t for 2 weeks and I couldn’t wait that long not knowing if I could push my wheelchair! We ended up back in a&e to work out what I should do and whilst we were there we managed to get an earlier orthopaedic appointment. My wrist was re-xrayed and it turned out to just be a bad sprain that would recover in time, however, I told him about my chest pain and he looked at my X-ray and noticed a hairline rib fracture – no wonder it hurt! I was concerned that with a rib fracture I wouldn’t be able to do my week intense sea training in Cornwall. I ended up swimming further and achieving more than I could have dreamed of after my accident; read about it below:
After Cornwall I was feeling great, it had given me a huge confidence boost and I finally felt like I was training properly and consistently. I waited a few days and gave myself time to recover from the intense training week and travelling back from Cornwall too. As a result I just did a nice easy 4km river swim with a friend; which I realised was actually my longest river swim of the year! I was still resting and recovering but I had work on Friday morning at Jesus Green Lido, which I loved. My friend and I then headed all the way to Norfolk for a swim in yet another new place for me – Bawsey. It was as part of a protest for people in England to have the Right to Swim in lakes/rivers etc.
The lake we were swimming at was beautiful and so worth the trip to get there. We had a lovely time, just relaxing and enjoying the water rather than training; it was exactly what I needed.
Since then, training has been going really well, as has work. I have slowly increased the distances I have been swimming in the river, I have done a bit of work on my speed and managed to get a 5km PB (1.49.35) at Grafham Water. I have also returned to Peterborough lido both teaching there and doing long swims there too. Whilst training I have also been working a couple of days a week, which I am loving.
Alongside all my swimming I have also had a couple of sports psychology sessions. Until July, training this year has been very stop start, with injuries and life getting in the way, its been tricky and as a result I lacked confidence in my ability to swim for long enough and far enough to complete the Bristol Channel. I also feel like there is a bit more pressure on me this year as more people actually know who I am. In the sessions we worked on me not comparing my English Channel Swim with my Bristol Channel Swim because I was doing so in a very unhelpful way, thinking of how much I have struggled in training in comparison to last year, that I haven’t had as many swims in the sea, that I am not as confident in my ability and instead, looking at it in a helpful way – I have previously swum for 29 hours so I know I can do it again. I have more experience this year, more support and know what I am capable of. Its been eye opening looking at things from a different perspective, using different language and approaching my swim with confidence in what I have already achieved rather than focusing on all my doubts.
Last week was my final training week, I pushed myself hard and aimed to swim the distance of the Bristol Channel over the week (16 nautical miles). Due to Bristol being the 2nd most tidal bit of water in the world its likely I will swim further but knowing I could complete the ‘official’ distance comfortably and without too much shoulder and CRPS pain as a result has been a huge reassurance.
All that is left for me to do now is rest, sort my kit out and this time next week I will be in Swansea preparing for my Bristol Channel Solo Swim from Porthcawl to Glenthorne in North Devon!
I am fundraising for Level Water to provide free swimming lessons to children with disabilities, you can sponsor me below the video.