How did it come about that I would be attempting to train and swim the length of Windermere?!!! Last year, during a pretty awesome year of Open Water Swim coaching, one of my now good friends who I was coaching through the summer wanted a challenge. We discussed what this challenge could be at great length, and then Chilliswim announced they would be running their very first mass event to swim the length of Lake Windermere…Windermere is the largest lake in England. Yes, why not I replied, whilst actually thinking how the hell do I coach a swimmer and train for this epic swim? But, as everyone who knows me knows, I do love a challenge.
The very first part of this challenge was juggling a busy family life, with kids and a husband who started to wonder when they would ever see me again, alongside a full-time job and a lot of coaching commitments. But more about these later.
The next quandary was how should I approach the training plan? I need a plan, I come from a running background where you enter an event, get a plan, stick it to the fridge, try your hardest to follow it, tick it off at the end of each week and feel accomplished. This pretty much means you get to the start line feeling prepared and well-trained. Surely it’s the same with swimming 10.5 miles across Windermere right? No, seemingly not as simple as I’ve found. So here goes, this is the journey so far.
Armed with my pen and notepad, I tried to attempt a training plan, but the first problem I encountered was that the two other events I had entered before COVID had been rescheduled for April & May. So while I should have been swimming, I found myself running a marathon and cycling from London to Paris!! But, it was for a good charity and it builds endurance so all was fine.
By the time I actually hit the water for some actual real-distance swims it was May but that’s ok – I had time and a rough plan. But inside I was still wondering how/what/when? I coach open water swimming so it should have been simple; I can coach and advise my clients/friends with great advice but as with most things do you follow your own? I was asking myself, have I been doing my scheduled strength sessions to build the strength required to do this swim?
Not perfectly if I’m totally honest, hence the reason for this blog. In an ideal world, I would have been swimming regularly, doing my strength training, my yoga stretches and eating like a vegan queen. In reality, I have a full-time job, 2 children and coaching (which I love so there’s no way I’m giving that up). The juggling act was getting tougher by the minute. As I mentioned earlier, I am a runner but something had to give and swimming has had to replace my running (never fear running buddies I will be back) – for now I have to become Nemo and just keep swimming.
