Tag: Disability Swimming

I’ve lost count of what week of training it is…

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, Bristol Channel Training, chronic illness, coaching, Disability Swimming, friends, Living with a Disability, open water, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimming, Wheelchair User, winter swimming

I started the week strong with an open water swim in Hampton, followed by the 4th Bars and Bells session where we learnt all the different exercises that are possible with Kettle Bells. Monday night was then a pretty intense coaching session for BRJ. I think most people's response when they saw the set on … Continue reading I’ve lost count of what week of training it is…

Recovery Week/Weekend Away

by Sophie, posted in Bristol Channel Training, Disabled, Life in a wheelchair, Living with a Disability, Open Water Swimming, Wheelchair User

No training blog this week simply because I didn't do much training. On Monday it was the Bars and Bells session and this week we added some weights to the bars we had been lifting and after the session I did a short cardio round in the gym too. Tuesday was my only other training … Continue reading Recovery Week/Weekend Away

Week 4 of Bristol Channel Training

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, Bristol Channel Training, challenge, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disabled, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimming, psychology, Training, winter swimming

Last week was my final push before my first recovery week.  The week started with the first Bars and Bells session at the gym. I was quite nervous given I have never actually been to a fitness class at the gym before but I felt it was an important and good way to potentially look … Continue reading Week 4 of Bristol Channel Training

Bristol Channel Training Week 3

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, Bristol Channel Training, challenge, chronic illness, chronic pain, coaching, Disability Swimming, Family, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimming, Training

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. … Continue reading Bristol Channel Training Week 3

Week 2 – Building Consistency

by Sophie, posted in Bristol Channel Training, Living with a Disability, psychology, Training

Similarly to last week, my focus is still on the consistency of my training. I haven't quite managed to get back to where I know I can in terms of the frequency and intensity of my training but then, it's only week 2. The week started with my usual BRJ coaching session, week 5 of … Continue reading Week 2 – Building Consistency

Bristol Channel Week 1

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, Bristol Channel Training, challenge, Disabled, Events, friends, marathon swim, open water, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimming, psychology, Training

After I successfully completed my Windermere 2-way swim in 2021 I wanted to set myself another challenge. I wanted it to be or include the English Channel solo because it had always been a dream of mine. Whilst deciding on a challenge I had read about Tom Chapman who had swum the Bristol channel 3 … Continue reading Bristol Channel Week 1

Update of the Madness that is Life

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, chronic illness, Disability Swimming, Disabled, English Channel, Events, Living with a Disability, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, Outdoor Swimming

The madness of the past few months has meant blogs haven't been written because I've been so busy. So much has happened that I'm not even sure where I should start! Maybe all the way back in October at the STA Conference.  STA Conference What a totally different experience I had this year! Last year, … Continue reading Update of the Madness that is Life

One good, One bad.

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Events, friends, Living with a Disability, open water, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Outdoor Swimming, Wheelchair User

Last year I had a disastrous swim event experience, I desperately wanted to share it with people at the time to highlight how NOT to treat those with disabilities but at the time I was so angry that I knew the blog wouldn’t be constructive or helpful to anyone, so I waited. Since then, I … Continue reading One good, One bad.

STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 4

by Sophie, posted in challenge, English Channel, Open Water Swimming

I was pretty sure my feeds no longer had anything nutritious in them, it was just warm squash. I hadn't planned for 29 hours of swimming, I planned for 23 at the absolute maximum, thinking I would only be in for 18 or 19 hours. I was starting to run on empty, the only benefit … Continue reading STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 4

STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 3

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, challenge, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, English Channel, Events, fundraising, marathon swim, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimming, safety

I noticed the sun was starting to get lower and for me, that is when my swim really started. I knew I couldn’t be far off the time when I should have been nearly in France or getting out/landing, but France still looked miles away, and I couldn’t work out what I was doing wrong.