Looking back at January

How has the new year and new decade started for you? January seems to be a time that many people create new plans and goals - a natural time for reflection and a fresh start. Gyms become busy. Dry January or Veganuary are popular as we kick start healthier new habits.

I’d love to hear about your plans or any decisions that you’ve made.

Time out and phasing back in

After my Dad passed away I struggled quite a lot. I guess we all react differently, even to similar situations. With my mum I stuck a lid on it all and carried on - ‘stiff upper lip chaps’ is a phrase that comes to mind. I went straight back to work and buried any reactions. With hindsight, I don’t think that was the healthiest thing to do.

With Dad, I didn’t do that. I took time out. To be honest, I had to, as it hit my physically as much as emotionally. The pain went in waves. I felt like I needed to hibernate. I slept lots. I didn’t feel like going anywhere or seeing anyone. I didn’t feel like doing anything. I worried myself with this until I found out that this is a ‘normal’ response to grief. I hadn’t realised just how physical it can be.

I didn’t swim. That is my barometer for how I am.

Eventually, the colouring, the painting by numbers and the knitting slowed down and bit by bit I got myself back together. I started to swim again.

I know that life is now different. There is no Dad. It’s OK to not be OK sometimes, and I’m glad I took the time to work through this.

Having been away from work for a couple of months it was difficult to phase back in initially. The inevitable concerned colleagues and their sympathetic and cautious words and looks were appreciated and yet difficult to take. But give it a week and it’s as if nothing ever happened and a new rhythm is found.

Seminars

Each year I run seminars for people wanting to English channel or similar swims. I started this in 2016 when I noticed the big difference in knowledge between those swimmers who turned up in Dover having been on training camps and those who hadn’t. Training camps tend to have short evening seminars. I decided that this information should also be available to those that chose not to go on overseas training camps.

Initially we ran them on Saturday evenings towards the start of the season, then decided that it was actually quite exhausting for the volunteers who had been on the beach all day already so moved it to a weekend out of the season. This year it was January. The agenda grew as we realised how many things it would be useful to share. We added different streams for some of the aspects that were only of interest to some people.

This year was, in my very slightly biased opinion (!!), the best seminar weekend yet. We had 25 speakers approximately 100 people present in total and something like 25 hours of content. The pack that we put together to support it was the best yet. There is still room for improvement, and I suspect there always will be. These weekends are only as good as they are due to the number of people who volunteer their time. We are lucky to have experts across so many aspects.

I hope to do a blog about the weekend soon, so if you want to find out more, watch this space.

Big decisions

The last thing that I said to my Dad - the day before he died, was that I was thinking of giving up corporate life and making a go of my performance coaching business. This has been something that has been on my mind for something like 15 years. I’ve never known how to get from a very successful employee based career where I’m at the top of my game to something from scratch (I still don’t have the answer to that question!). So why now? Well, there are many reasons:

• I’m exhausted from the commute to Cambridge. 2.5 hours each way definitely takes its toll.

• Whilst I possibly have the perfect job, in a great company and lovely colleagues, it no longer excites me in the way it once did. I want to feel connected to what I do again. I want to feel connected to the people I’m ultimately helping. I want to feel like I’m making a difference.

• Where I have found time to help people free themselves of their issues, or prepare for big events, I have gained such joy and meaning - I’d love to do that every day.

• If the drive hasn’t disappeared in 15 years, I suspect it never will and if not now, when?

• Having read the book ‘Why we sleep’ I realised that the levels of exhaustion that I am facing are seriously bad for long term health and that has to stop.

• It has impacted my swimming - both training and on the big day. That’s when I get narked - swimming is an important part of my wellbeing and who I am.

I don’t have the answers on how to make this work, but that’s also true whenever I take on something new. I have confidence that I’ll find a path. If I don’t, then I can always choose to look for another job.

So, during January I resigned from my job. If I hadn’t been sure about my decision before I resigned, the high I got from finally finding the courage told me all that I needed to know. I leave in April.

It wasn’t easy telling my brand new boss that I was leaving. From what I’ve seen so far, he is a fantastic leader and that actually made it harder. Even harder though was telling my team was came at the beginning of February. I’m lucky to have such an incredible team who I am sure will go on to achieve amazing things in their own careers. I’d gladly work with any and all of them again.

Swimming

Big plans

In November I shared that I had managed to secure a slot to swim 20 Bridges. The plan is now to do that as a tandem swim (two soloists swimming together) with good friend and training buddy, Julian. I then found out that a friend was looking for someone to take her Catalina channel solo and whilst the dates are eye wateringly close to each other, what a great use of an international flight. So, here is the plan for 2020:

Julian & Emma

• English channel relay - mid June

• Catalina channel - 30th June

• Alcatraz (well why not whilst we’re close) - 3rd July - a recovery swim

• 20 Bridges (circumnavigation of Manhattan Island) - 5th July

• One or two more English Channel relays in August / September

Last time Julian trained with me he was faster. This is something that I needed to address and so I am taking my training seriously. So far so good. I tend to build up intensity and volume for 3 weeks and then have a recovery week. I have to be a bit flexible on this to allow for events, weekends away, working away from home etc. Whilst I’m in Cambridge I don’t have access to water to train in, so I’ve added in strength & conditioning work and have found that I really enjoy it. So I swim, visit the gym, do circuits and also classes like Body Balance, Pilates or Yoga. I am feeling good, mentally & physically.

Competing

January saw the South East Region Masters Long Course Championships. When I entered I had plans to swim all sorts of races and then I got serious and realised that I shouldn’t sacrifice good training time for a bit of fun in some random races. So, I prioritised training and focused in on just a few races. Saturday was the 400 free and I was fairly pleased with how that went. On the Sunday I decided to train in the morning, it was a tough medley session which made anything in the afternoon an little more interesting. Though that said, the 100 backstroke would probably always have been ‘interesting’ as it is a bit of a novelty stroke for me. I did enjoy it though. The final event for me was the 800 free. My time was not great, not in my opinion anyway, but then that’s not overly surprising after the morning training. However, I did win bronze so I guess not all bad.

Coaching

Creating training for coaches

I have been lucky to be asked to be part of a panel to put together a CPD module for open water coaches who want to train aspiring channel swimmers. We had an initial meeting and I’m looking forward to next steps.

Individual Clients

I’ve been so impressed by the progress that my one to one clients have made. Previously perceived barriers are gone. Fears have been taken on and demons banished. It is an absolute privilege to watch the transformation.

If you would like to find out if you could get rid of the baggage that’s dragging you down just as easily. Please do get in touch. You will be amazed as just how much you are capable of.