July - a really busy month - what did you get up to?
Yes, I know it’s already halfway through August, life it just so ridiculously busy at the moment. How is it for you as COVID-19 restrictions start to lift?
This is how July was for me
Hobbies, health and stress relievers
✅ With my role in running Dover training in this challenging environment, it has been tricky to prioritise my own training. I did, however, manage to sneak in a 2 hour training swim in case I needed a qualifier for one of my relays.
✅ My much loved Guildford City Swimming Club masters squad started back at the end of July. I was very impressed by the attention to detail in the Covid-19 processes and safety steps. It’s clearly different to what I’m used to, but it beats not being able to train in the pool. I have a very long way to go to get my fitness and form back.
✅ I’m still loving my e-bike. I like that I hardly move my car and that my first instinct is to work out whether I could cycle to my destination.
✅ I still haven’t repeated a single bike route. So many options to explore.
✅ Another two Covid-19 tests requested by the Kings College study, both negative results.
❌ In July I should have been doing both my Alcatraz and Manhattan swims. I struggle to imagine that I ever felt able to do this.
❌ My back continues to be challenging, the associated impact on sleep is not fun. This has been going on for too long now.
❌ I also found myself in A&E in the middle of the night in late July as my heart decided to beat rather fast for rather a long time. No issues found and I was allowed home after a battery of tests. No idea what caused that, but I’m very glad that all is ok!
Work, clients and business
✅ I continue to be proud to work part-time for AstraZeneca. Whilst I am not a scientist and therefore not directly involved in testing, vaccines or other research, it’s nice to do my bit to help those who are scientists do what’s needed. I’m loving the values of the company at this time also, it’s reassuring to know that the values run deeper than a corporate statement.
✅ One to one sessions continued and the start of the sessions to support swimmers with individually tailored training plans started. I loved the fact that each individual swimmer had very different backgrounds and needs. It was a great academic challenge.
❌ Stress levels went up and down. At its worst it’s pretty challenging and I remind myself of the need to ‘sharpen the saw’ (that’s a reference to Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective people rather than a threat of creating a chain saw massacre!)
✅ I attended another fascinating webinar on the impact of Covid-19 on mainstream sport and one on the effect on mental health and wellbeing in sport.
✅ Sports performance hypnosis work continued - it’s a totally fascinating area to work in, especially since all the hypnosis is in fact self hypnosis.
Dover training
When it became clear how serious COVID-19 was earlier in the year, it also became clear that there would have to be some serious adaptations to the training we offer, if we could indeed offer training at all. I analysed the Government’s plan for the relaxing of lockdown and concluded that step 3 was the earliest that we could offer training and that it would have to be limited in capacity and Covid compliant - so lots of changes needed.
Step 3 was set to start on 4th July at the earliest.
I decided to adapt in the following ways:
Much quieter, socially distant and COVID-19 secure Dover Channel Training
Offer two weeks of week long ramp up camps, enabling swimmers to safely progress from forced time out of the water to bring their training volume back up in a safe environment.
Encourage swimmers to train locally with support from me through remote tailored training plan plans rather than bring a large group of swimmers to Dover
Offer Dover Dips on a Sunday for those who just need a bit of the Dover experience with a limited capacity.
That’s exactly what we did and it worked well. The ramp up camps were a success with some very, very impressive swimming.
The Dover Dips started as simply short swims with no feeds to keep people in touch with the group.
This year, more than any other year, it has been important to keep reviewing and adapting as new information comes along. As a result we have gone from only short Dover dips to adding in a limited number of up to 6 hour swims on a Sunday to a limited number of 6 hour swims on a Saturday and a Sunday.
And it’s been more than that. Because we couldn’t offer training for everyone who would normally choose to train with us, we also created a new subscription service to help those who are training independently do so with support and someone to be accountable to. This wasn’t an easy thing to orchestrate in a professional way as it involved a new technology solution to be embedded within existing systems, but it has worked so well it is something that will continue into future years.
Back to tracking channel swims!
It’s been a good exercise in what’s really important and how to look at a problem in a completely different way.
The proof is in the results though, would this new approach work? There was a delay to the start of the channel swimming season due to all the Covid restrictions in place, however, the first swimmer following our plans got across the channel successfully as a soloist on 30th July in a fantastic time of 12 hours 25 minutes. It was great to be tracking again. Fingers crossed for more successes in August.
Training
Just for the record, here is what I managed to do in July, it’s now not so much training for an event, but more using my exercise opportunity for keeping healthy and for enjoyment. This month continued to be hampered by the back issue meaning no strength & conditioning work.
It’s been particularly nice combining masters training and cycling there. Far more ambitious than I’d ever have been before!
Open water swimming - 2.6 hours, 6.36km
Pool swimming - 4.3 hours, 6.75m (our first week back at masters, a nice gentle reintroduction.
Yoga - zero hours
Strength & conditioning - zero hours
E-bike - 6.3 hours of cycling covering 98,643 metres
Walking - zero hours
Rest days - 19
It’s been really interesting looking at how the stats change from month to month. This is the lowest volume month since lockdown began and definitely lower than before lockdown. With Dover training starting back up I have been busy, with a dodgy back I’ve been restricted. Overall, it’s been a pretty quiet month, a trend I hope to change.
Individual Clients
It’s been a busy month, with supporting individual tailored training plans, small group training in Dover, general performance coaching and and sports performance hypnosis. August is likely to continue to be busy as we hit the peak of the channel swimming season. Are you working out which way to go? Could you do with some support? Or perhaps you want some help adapting to your new normal in the working environment.
Get in touch if you’re curious as to how I can help.
emma@emma2france.com 07702 814690
What does August have in store?
With some of the pools now open, and masters training ramping back up again, I hope to start rebuilding my swimming training.
I also have a channel relay on the cards. That could be fun!
A lot of my time will be spent supporting swimmers at the peak of the channel swimming season - both in person in Dover and remotely.
What about you? What does August have in store for you?