Clock Management and Dry Swimming? X-Training time!

Wow… I am feeling as fit as I ever have. The challenge is that I am having to do more dry training than wet training at the moment as I have just started a new work contract which involved leaving very early in the morning… the same time that I should be in the pool.

 

The great news is there is a gym on site so i can still get some good training in for the morning sessions, but as we all know it is vital that training is as specific to the event as possible. You wouldn’t learn French by studying a book on Russian now would you.

 

I have been keeping the cardio up and have been spending lots of time on the rower, and have the blisters to prove it believe me. However, all you swimmers out there are bound to know some good dry workouts, so here’s your chance to help me out!

 

If you have any ideas for workouts that do not require a pool, please post them in a comment below. I promise I will try each of them out (providing they are humanly possible!) and will even post a reply once I have done so… that is if I can still type! I will still be getting in the pool as I know how important it is, but this will more likely be limited to evenings and weekends… so plenty of practice swimming around people!

 

Thanks in advance for your help… I really appreciate it!

Ouch… that hurt!

Don’t panic… its nothing major!

 

Yesterday, however, I did experience some pretty major discomfort. It is times like that which remind you of your mortality, and at least partially help to scrub the ‘S’ off my chest.

 

I thought I would get an early swim in, and so found myself at the pool at 6:30. Surprisingly busy! I got in and set off at a slightly quicker pace than normal as I only had 30 minutes available to train and thought  would up the intensity for a change. Just 4 lengths later, I needed a rest.

 

My arms ached. My shoulders were tired. I couldn’t breathe… and this was in the first 2 minutes! What was going on?

 

Fortunately, I have a little knowledge on this, and recognised the symptoms of overtraining! Yes, believe it or not, even self-proclaimed superheroes need a rest occasionally. You see, I had worked out all weekend and had really pushed myself in the gym. Also, my nutrition on the previous couple of days had been less than adequate… I had got engrossed in planning for my upcoming seminar and had got lost in my own notes with food far away from my list of priorities.

 

Note to self - Plan Ahead (not just in terms of food and training!)

 

Today, I am playing a little catch up with my food, and so will enjoy topping up my calorie intake. I am planning a longer swim tomorrow and so need to keep this in mind whilst eating and drinking today. I also have a lot of work to do, and so I am going to be learning how to balance this more effectively.

 

Also, a quick thank you to everyone’s words of wisdom, advice and support. It is really appreciated and I know that I will be buoyed by each of you both in training and also the actual swim! Keep it coming!

Definitely Improving!

Just finished a very short session… but still managed to get over 50 lengths done!

 

Have had a long day at work and wanted to let off some steam with a workout. Am going to have to get used to spending more time on the tube, and may need to make some serious changes to my curreny workout timetable… especially if I am going to have a lot of early starts. However, there is something about exercising late at night that I really enjoy; the feeling off the cold night air on your warm skin and still damp hair.

 

Talking about cold air… who turned on winter today?

Quick Update

Had a great swim this morning… 1 mile is feeling comfortable now and my breathing is far more relaxed. I am even starting to enjoy it, although I know there is still a long way to go!

 

On an extremely positive note, I met someone this weekend who I can tell is going to be instrumental to my success. Her name is Lorraine and she was my buddy on the crew at Christopher Howard’s BTS seminar. Have you been? It really is an incredible weekend! Click here to get your free ticket!

 

Anyway, what makes Lorraine special? Well other than her outstanding energy and vitality, she has swum the channel not once… not twice… but three times! I can tell I have a lot to learn from her. I plan to interview her very soon for some hints and tips, and plan to make the most of this friendship!

 

Isn’t it funny how the people that you really need come into your life! You just have to be aware enough and ask the right questions!

100 Lengths - only 1350 more to go!

A bit of a major stepping stone today with my training: it was my first 100 length training session. Now whilst this may not seem like much when measured against the Channel itself, it was quite a significant accomplishment in a couple of ways.

 

Firstly, I think this is the furthest I have ever swum in one session…ever! I remember swimming every Monday whilst at university (and then getting chips after the session!) but I think the most we ever did in a session was about 60 lengths. Anyway, that was early this morning and I can tell you now that by tomorrow I will be feeling it… I already am!

 

Secondly, it was quite a significant mental accomplishment. There were definitely times during the training session when I could have quite easily stopped and given in. I remember having this feeling strongly at 72 lengths, and I made the decision that I would get to 100 no matter what, and it certainly took quite an effort. I certainly feel a lot better for making that choice though, both in my mind and my body. I can tell that today was a key stepping stone on my journey to swimming success!

 

Nutrition is starting to become even more significant than normal for me. As many of you know, I am quite up on nutrition, and as a vegetarian I am often asked the question of how I manage to get all of my essential minerals and nutrients. Well, the answer is simple - QUANTITY! I am finding now that I need to eat a lot more, and this certainly helps with ensuring I get the balance I need, although this has never really been an issue for me.

 

I am currently looking for help with this area of training, and have approached a couple of well known brands to see if they are willing to lend their support. I’ll let you all know more when I hear back from them. As for now, I am enjoying being able to eat a little more than usual… will just have to remember to taper this back after the event itself.

Training Swim Update

Well I got to do my first proper training swim today!

 

By proper, I mean that I had done a few swims already but, up until now, hadn’t really been able to get my breathing right. Breathing to fast; not often enough; swimming too fast; letting my legs drop too low in the water: it really is technical!

 

Anyway, today my breathing felt good. My arm speed was better; slow and relaxed but still strong and powerful enough to keep me cutting through the water. And I even managed to kick my legs occasionally to stop my toes dragging along the pool bottom (oh if only that was true and I didn’t have to still tread water in the shallow end!)

 

Another thing that probably helped was that I had a rest from any resistance work the day before, as previously I had timed my swims perfectly to fall the day after my weights workout! Oops… rookie mistake! It has just dawned on me that as things progress, I am going to have to develop a serious timetable to coordinate my training, but in these early stages mistakes can be easily brushed past. The challenge for me is that I have always enjoyed the resistance and power training more than the aerobic, cardiovascular work that is now so important.

 

Also, my research tells me that it isn’t good enough to simply plod along in the pool as that will cause me to become sluggish and lazy in my stroke. Instead, I have to challenge myself to keep my strokes long and strong and to maintain form and power. This takes a lot of energy, and at the moment I often end my sets breathing deeply and holding on to the sides for a well earned rest. I can tell I am improving already though, and feel confident my breathing and technique will catch up rapidly, which will enable me to train longer and harder… exciting!?!?

 

And for those of you who think that pool swimming isn’t going to reflect the conditions I will face in the channel, you would be right but only to an extent. Today I had to overcome some tough obstacles: slow moving obstructions, lateral currents from oblivious bathers and a lot of choppy water from someone’s interesting leg-kick pattern. Think the open water will be a breeze in comparison!

 

So there is a little update. 60 lengths today and feeling good. Rest tomorrow, just a gym session, and then another pool session Tuesday I think. Thanks for your support!

Dan Storey - Swimming the Channel!

Today I start the biggest challenge of my life; something that I would never have before dreamed to be within my capabilities. Maybe I have become ambitious; a word that holds strange caution having studied Julius Caeser all those years ago. Nevertheless, it is finally time to actualise my daydreams and to give them the chance to go beyond the realm of simple reverie and delusion.

 

I have a belief that anything is possible if you put your mind to something, a thought that seems to be reinforced in everything that I experience at the moment.

 

My NLP head reminds me about the RAS (Reticular Activating System), that helpful part of the intelligence that changes your focus and brings new things to attention, kind of like when you buy yourself a new car and suddenly everyone else is driving one.

 

My Metaphysical head points out that it is the Law of Attraction in action; that what I focus on materialises around me because I have sent out the appropriate frequencies of thought which has been reciprocated by the Universe. I think back to the Akasha seminar and the lessons I learned from Bob Proctor and John DeMartini and how I put those into action at that very event.

 

However, there is still a small part of me that tells me that maybe I am just looking for things to back me up to convince myself, and maybe I am really just kidding myself. Thank goodness it is just a small part and that I have managed to mute that voice, because if I listened to it, this challenge would literally be impossible.

 

Whatever is true, the thought remains, somehow strengthened and reinforced by my deliberations. “Impossible is Nothing” rings through my head, the Adidas slogan… but now it meets the Nike motto of “Just Do It“!

 

One of the ideas I use in my coaching sessions is the idea of the idea of setting yourself a challenge that is impossible in your current position, a concept which will force you to grow and develop as an individual. Now I have reflected on that idea myself, I am excited to find out who that person is going to be!

 

The challenge I have decided to take on is to Swim the Channel!

 

Those of you who know me will understand that fitness has always been a major part of my life, and that I have done a number of challenges that have tested me physically. I have done several sponsored events, helping to raise money for various charities that are close to my heart. However, whilst being testing, there was always a level of triteness and unoriginality.

 

But they certainly have taught me valuable lessons to apply to this endeavour!

 

So why the Channel Swim? Well I have never really considered myself as an endurance athlete, having always focussed my energies into sports, particularly American Football. Something about the intermittent intensity appeals to me: the ability to put everything into a few small moments of win or lose. This is worlds away from the continuous effort required to swim the 35km across the tides.

 

Secondly, having lived in Folkestone for a couple of years and seeing that stretch of water, there was something magnetising about it, almost taunting me with the old cliché “come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough!“. Well now I am!

 

I have been fortunate to have some amazing experiences with sport and fitness, and it has also taught me a lot. By putting myself through this challenge, I hope to accomplish several things:

 

1 - To further reinforce to myself the belief that anything is possible. This challenge is something which is so far away from where I am right now that my physical and personal development over the next year and a bit will have to be greater than at any other time in my life.

2 - To inspire others to believe in themselves and to turn their potential into performance. This message transcends sport and can be applied to any area of life if you take the principles and apply them. I am really keen to take this message into schools to inspire young people to realise their dreams and am looking for people to help with this.

3 - To raise more money for charity than I ever have before. I strongly believe in contribution and feel it is important for people to recognise that this can happen in many different ways. Some people give money, some give of their time and others give their energy. I hope that by doing all three that others can benefit enormously also.

 

So there you have it… that is what I am doing and why I am doing it! I don’t want you to be impressed, as I believe that this potential is within all of us. Instead, become inspired in the newly awakened excitement that is welling up within you. Stay tuned for more information as well as a regular video journal with updates on my progress!

 

Would you like to help? There are plenty of ways that you can lend your support. I will be detailing potential Sponsorship Packages for large scale personal or corporate involvement shortly if this is how you feel you can add value. Alternatively, any form of promotion would be appreciated; media, press or the opportunity to speak somewhere. If you want to be involved or have any ideas of how you could help, email info@danstorey.com with your details.