Diary of a middle aged swimmer

March 29th 2009

I have had an interesting week which has helped things along somewhat.

Monday

Felt no ill effects from the run to Lady Bay the previous day so I'm very pleased. Got to the pool in the evening with the Stingrays and we did 3900 meters. It was a tough swim as after a warm up of 900 meters in sets of 12, we did 30 sets of 100 meters on 2 minutes, all freestyle. Now, in order to meet the time, I need to breathe unilaterally as I can really get into the rhythm and pull strongly. Unfortunately I could feel the tweak in my back and I worried that I was damaging it. The minute I try bilateral breathing I feel my stroke weakening and I feel like I lose my speed. I need to ask Harry and David my physio how to stretch afterwards to combat the bias. However, I did seem to keep up my time and on the sets where I alternated my breathing I actually didn't lose as much time as I thought. Euan the coach thought my stroke stayed strong.

Tuesday

Got up at 5.50am but went back to bed as I knew I hadn't had enough sleep, so I chose to miss the early swim session. I was really pleased with my back though, and the body felt good. I knew I had a challenging week ahead work wise, and I got to work feeling refreshed and strong. Had a fantastic African drumming session as always in the evening.

Wednesday

Left for work at 6am and drove to Dumfries to work with a new group of people facilitating a challenging seminar. Got home at 7.45pm and got straight on the rower for which I feel very proud. I did 20 minutes.

Thursday
A follow up seminar but local this time and I felt refreshed and relaxed. I had some concern about our plans for a photo shoot on the beach on Saturday as the weather is looking bad. It has been very windy and if there is a hurricane blowing we will have some difficulty. I sent all the people involved an email saying we were monitoring the situation.

That night we swam 3,200. This time we did kicking and 25 meters at a time. I kept up, even though we mixed our strokes and I am so slow at backstroke and breaststroke. I like to mix my strokes though as it helps my overall fitness. Euan said I have improved greatly in the last month alone. He says I look strong. We are beginning to think about 'after the swim' which will be a challenging time for me.

Friday

Back to Dumfries for another busy day and straight out the minute I got home to a charity do for the Tara Project. Confirmed arrangements for tomorrow. Did interviews on the local radio about tomorrow for

BBC radio Scotland and South West Sound.

Saturday

As forecast very windy but sunny with great visibility. I jumped up feeling excited. It was wonderful to get out all my open water swimming stuff again. Wetsuit, boots, gloves, thermos, safety blanket, thermals etc etc......

Down to the beach and there was Suzanne. It was freezing and windy and I felt nervous. My risk assessment was negative as the wind chill factor was a major issue.

Then they came, one by one my VIP's as follows

Councillor Willie Scobie

Councillor Iain Dick

Councillor John Dougan

Russell Brown MP

Alex Fergusson MSP

I had challenged them to meet me on the beach and wear their trunks to launch the Open Water swimming season(sort of) and to get some publicity for the Fundraising

I felt overwhelmed and with the high winds and one or two over excited dogs, it was difficult to talk. The Free Press were there and we took our positions on the beach. After the photo op, what could I do?

I got in and swam at least 5 strokes. A quick change in a little brick building and it was all over. Thanks to everyone who came to support me, and to Carrie for the photos.

Sunday

Completed Concept 2 challenge on rower. Washed, shopped for food and cooked.

Challenges this week have been

• Travelling for work
• Not enough rest and sleep
• Back is sore after Saturday's dip and sitting in a draught in Hall for long meeting in the afternoon. I'm cross about my back as I know that is a danger and I allowed myself to sit in a draught.....
• EB has dismantled the house and is decorating. The kitchen bedroom and lounge have been fairly uninhabitable for 4 weeks!!!! Good news..nearly done and looks fantastic.
• Harry is away and I miss him
• Cats are stressed and naughty due to disruption in house and they are into everything!

Highlights this week ....see for yourself!

It's a bit chilly on the beach today. I'm not putting on my trunks!!

Oh alright then! Iain Dick John Dougan Alex Fergusson Me Russell Brown Willie Scobie

March 22nd 2009

I feel a bit like Bridget Jones this week even though I hated the book but quite liked the film. For example....Big Pants! Diet V bad mainly toast and chocolate. Make the conclusions you wish. What are the stress factors? Well I got really tired last week and had kept the training going with almost 4000 meters per session plus at least one blast on the rower. I always thought that the more you try and train and work the better things get. Not so at this age it seems. The benefits of exercise change. I decided to take advice from those with wisdom.

Conversations I have had are as follows

• My super fit Physio who by the way has sorted my back out, thinks that maybe I'm not doing enough and maybe that's why I feel sluggish, and a rest week means cutting down the pace not stopping and eating chocolate! Oh dear
• I told my cousin I thought I was not a natural athlete and it all seems quite hard and overwhelming. She thinks I am a natural athlete and that I always have been. Natural athlete in my mind probably means slim and toned and is someone who does not think a rest week means staying in bed and eating toast and chocolate. Oh dear

So today I realised that my rest week had extended somewhat and I had slipped so easily into V bad habits, so I rowed for 20 minutes and ran to Lady bay. Let's see how the legs are after that little number then!!

Swimming full programme this week and there is a photo opportunity on Saturday to re launch the Just giving button and the sponsor sheets.

More soon

March 8th 2009

I have had a productive week as the Stingrays up their game. They are increasing their weekly lane tally and the pace is harder. No time for chat, the coaches have found their voices as they count us down to the next set. On Monday I did 4,300 meters in just over an hour. Wednesday I managed to get to the new DG1 Leisure Centre in Dumfries as I was staying overnight, partly for work reasons but I did go and see Fairport Convention on Tuesday night and confirmed my aging hippy status and thoroughly enjoyed the gig. The new pool in Dumfries is really good. The young squad were just getting out when I got there for public lane swimming at 7am and they told me they start at 5.30am. I joined the lane swimmers and it seemed well managed with attentive lifeguards who ensured we were in the right lanes. I only got 45 minutes but managed 2,250 meters and concentrated on long stretchy technique as Harry had suggested. Thursday morning, I was back with the Stingrays and completed 3,800 meters. I had a problem with my back midway and had to get out and lie on the floor to 'unkink' it. As I lay there the kids had finished their set and were regarding me through their bug goggles looking like strange insects from the deep. One of them said 'shall we call an ambulance?' Cheeky and wonderful children. It made me smile all day.

Holiday and Penzance Masters

March 1st 2009
We decided to go on holiday early this year in view of the fact that I need to be able to concentrate on the swim now, and the summer will be taken up with events to support the fundraising effort and also I will be entering some open water events.
So we went to Cornwall for 11 days or so and drove down via friends and family and back via other friends and family. Our holiday was initially hampered by snow and we were amazed by the amount of snow in Devon. We stayed in a cottage in Porthleven with our good friends Claire and Jacqui and their adorable 16 month old Border Terrier Dudley. We were beyong excitement when we thought that we would battle through the snow and then get to play with it!!! However we were sorry to find that not a flake had survived in Cornwall.
The sea was wild though and provided a spectacular show. Once the wild weather had subsided it was almost like Spring and we spent our time walking round gardens and sitting outside pubs drinking fine ale and eating pasties....marvelous.
I went to Penzance Leisure Centre and was delighted to find a lovely pool with some friendly swimmers. Peter Marks who I met in the fast lane during a public swimming session told me I should turn up at 6.30am on Wednesday and talk to Jim Saulter the coach. I was made to feel very welcome at the club and was delighted to find that they were ADULTS!!! This was the Masters squad and they were hot dang. I swam with them 3 times and they were very very fast. Jim was a little baffled by me as I told him I didn't do tumble turns and he watched as I struggled to keep up and in the end I pulled a muscle when I was diving in off the blocks. 'What happened to the sprint?' he shouted....I don't do sprints. I think my performance was fairly pathetic as I struggled with my back which had started an acute phase. Could have been the beer and the pasties of course, and I also had stopped taking by glucosamine tablets. Could have been a coincidence, could have been a combination of factors, but all resulted in a period of 'can't do it!'
Actually I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the sublime Penzance Masters. They were hard working welcoming and enthusiastic. I have been in touch with Jenny from the club and I look forward to swimming with them again one day. Thanks to Jim for all his support and encouragement.
Since I got back from holiday I have given up alcohol, I've been eating carefully, stretching, taking my tablets, rowing and swimming. Although my back is still tender and is firing warning shots across the bow, it has responded somewhat to my routine. I don't feel really really old anymore and I think that I have to accept that pain is part of a long distance swimmers lot. Any ideas on that one?
I have stopped dreaming about huge waves engulfing me and getting lost in the ocean, and I know that these are signs that anxiety is around and the seriousness of my challenge is a teasing spectre in my every day life.