Channel Relay Training #1

It all started on a very grey morning near London.

Where Sarah Najera, my partner in crime, and I met to see if we had it in us to swim a Channel Relay for Aspire Charity.

They have organised these relays for many years now as big part for their fundraising to help people with spinal cord injuries. Water plays a big part in people’s recoveries, which is why we met at their pool. The challenges of the day: swim 400 m in a 32 degree (!) warm pool, quick! And present fundraiser ideas. I’m not going to lie: those 400 m felt like the hardest 400m I have ever swum. It is just not my temperature! After 200m I had to rip the swim cap from my boiling head and finished the last 200m constantly swearing...When I got the call that I made it on one of the boats, I was asked as well, if I would mind to go on the early boat, when the water was still a bit cooler. Well, you can imagine my answer to that! Our tide time is the 30th of June. It’s called a tide time because one thing you have to be comfortable with when planning a Channel swim or relay is uncertainty. As the weather can change quickly, your swim date changes with the weather. (If I disappear from Wardie Bay for a while in the beginning of June: I’ll be in Dover waiting for the sunshine :D ) A channel relay works like this: we are 6 swimmers and everybody swims for one hour, then the next swimmer enters the water until we reach France. In average that takes about 14 hours, so you get to swim 2 or 3 hours. One would think: uh and then chill out on the boat for 5 hours. If only it were that easy! Seasickness is often described as the hardest part of a Channel relay. Find out more about Channel Relay challenges and why we decided to do this on our fundraiser page, by clicking on the pictures:

But I’m getting ahead of myself, until then, there is still a lot to do! Back to training!

Let’s see how it went up to now:

Training to swim in the English Channel is serious stuff, who would have thought! I had been training quite a bit last year and as my lifestyle is an active one, I do have a basic fitness level that I would call: Yeah, I move.

However, I then went to see my family, finally after missing Christmas last year, and I had to work hard on that Lebkuchen (gingerbread) deficiency, which I did extremely successfully! For you who follow me on Instagram, you might have seen pictures of Yoga with my nephews.

I guess, I did move every now and then, however coming back I knew I had to step up the game. And I did.

Here is how I’m training at the moment and what I have learned so far.The training plan for an ideal week includes:

4x sea swimming (2x in skins for acclimatisation, about 500m (on a good day) at the moment with the water around 5 degree and 2x in a wetsuit to swim 1k+)

3x pool sessions (1x speed, 1x technique, 1x whatever is necessary, mostly rhythm and stamina (scroll down for 2 sample sessions))

2x cardio sessions (RPM is my choice at the moment, but that might change)

3-4x strength and mobility (1x Pilates, 3x gym routine that involves weights and stretching)

1 day rest (!!!) and every 4th week of training, I take it easier :)

So yes, you could say it takes over your life. But as I said, this is an ideal week and this is me working on the base fitness. It might seem a lot and yes, I sleep very well at the moment, but it is flexible as well. I have learned over the years to listen to what my body needs and will act accordingly. My weak point is my left shoulder. If my left shoulder is not happy workouts will be adjusted and I treat her to a sport massage once a month (which isn’t as pleasant as it might sound).

For me the hardest thing in all this has probably been how far out of my comfort zone this whole training plan is! My natural habitat is outside. I walk and camp and jump in the sea. A pool, ok I might be able to get used to that, a RPM session, can do it, but going to a gym to lift weights: unimaginable! And here I am doing exactly that!

If you do something far out your comfort zone, which is why it is called a challenge, I guess, it is good to have help. I trust the cold open water and I can do efficient dryland workouts. But what to do about my shoulder? After many different attempts, including a visit to the doctor, I found Andy at Leith Pilates (who as well recommended another Andy at the Meadowbank Clinic for the sport massage). With the help of two Andys I’m now at a point where I know what my shoulder needs, we have located the problem and found exercises that help.

The second thing I thought I better ask for a bit of support were my pool workouts. I knew I had to work on my right arm crossing over and breathing to the right side as well, which I can do, but I just don’t like it. Let me tell you: just don’t like it, does not count when you want to jump into the waters of the English Channel.

Sarah Najera is an avid pool swimmer and her help on pushing my workouts out of my comfort zone has been more than necessary. For me writing my own workouts, especially speed, I like to go easy on myself, Sarah doesn’t :) and I’m very thankful for that! She is also very good at filling my training with interesting new toys:

But the absolute biggest and most important support are all the fierce sea swimmers I meet when I get down to Wardie Bay. Their smiles and interest and asking about how the training is going and of course jumping with me in the waves, is what will get me to France!

And, of course, singing. Now, I’ve been talking a lot about asking for help. Here is a question: When my mind trails off in the water and I start thinking about sharks I need it to come back to me. For me, singing helps. My go-to song is 3 little birds. Now, I have talked about speed as well and you can imagine that that song, as comforting as it is, will not make me swim any faster! I need something with a bit more drive. I have been thinking about Bowies ‘Ashes to ashes’, uhhh or maybe Prince and ‘Starfish and Coffee’, Pixies ‘Where is my mind’…?! I’m getting carried away.. That might do for the transition to something still faster….what could that be? Help!!

And last but not least: We will not be cold in between our swims, Gorilla Robes has come on board and sent us two amazingly cosy robes!! Thank you!!

Here are the promised pool workouts:

One of my favourites for speed this month:

Warm up: 6x100 (alternating legs/ arms (pull buoy)) 200m drills (for me one arm frontcrawl and side kick) 4x50m (15” faster 1-4) 4x50m (15” legs, faster 1-4)

Main set: 8x25m (1’ all out) 200 easy with snorkel 6x25m (1’ all out) 200 easy with snorkel 4x25m (1’ all out) 200 easy with snorkel 2x25m (1’ all out) 200 easy with snorkel

Coll down: 200 easy

Total: 2700m

This one took it out of me:

Warm up: 2x100 (front crawl/other) 2x200 (front crawl/other) 2x100 (front crawl/other) 4x50 drills 4x50 changing speed 4x50 fins (dolphin kick) Main set 6x100m pull buoy + paddles

3x400: 1.kick with fins 40” 2. IM 40” 3. choice 40”

3x200: (faster from 1-3, 30”)

Cool down 200m easy

Total: 4000m

Next update I will probably write a little bit about nutrition, as I’m struggling to fuel my body efficiently. Much to learn!

See you all in the water!