Week 4 in review

Those who have trained with us in previous seasons or have a 1:1 training plan from us, will realise that we use a periodised approach to training. This means that we use a combination of phases where we are building time or intensity and periods of recovery. This ensures that the body is able to adapt to the training loads without becoming overwhelmed (more on this later). This is relatively easy to plan when we see people regularly, and for both days at a weekend. It’s a little more tricky when only some of the training is with us or you mix your training with other locations. Where this is the case, we’ll need to work together to ensure you’re training effectively and build to the point where you are ready for your big day at just the right time.

Until now we have had a fairly intense three weeks of building duration in the water as the water temperature rises. Given the rapid increase in water temperature, it can be tempting to carry on building relentlessly, however that is not wise training.

This week we took the foot off the gas a bit. For some that enabled them to catch up with others; for those who are striking a lead it enabled us to hold the intensity or even back off a little for recovery. There are a small minority where due to the nature or timing of the event, we need to push on. That is the minority.

We’re not quite at the level when I say ‘3 hours’ and you say ‘what only 3 hours?’ but we are on the very verge of it. We’ll be moving forward in leaps and bounds from here for a while.

For those of you who felt like it was a bit of an easy weekend, maybe even felt a bit of guilt, enjoy it, you earned it!!

What else did we see? We saw the ever creative Mandi lead an ‘all hail the bucket’ session. Well it does look after all your shoes while you’re busy swimming.

We also saw some relay teams work together extremely well - I sense great times for your teams. I just love seeing teams train together, the bonds you have will see you through any tough times in training and on the day.

I had the delight of my daughter joining us in Hythe and took to the sea on her paddleboard. Thank you also for all the kind wishes for my birthday, the cake from Amanda B and the surprise in the evening organised by Mandi! I felt well & truly surprised.

Note: Water temperature taken during the swim session in the harbour. Air temperature, wind direction & wind speed taken from the Port of Dover app.

Saturday (Hythe):

Swimmers:   21
Water temperature:   13.1C
Air temperature: 15C
Conditions:   F5 gusting F6 NNE. Sunny, generally calm with rolling waves at beach.

Sunday:

Swimmers:   37
Water temperature:   13.8C
Air temperature: 13.7C
Conditions:   F5 gusting F6 WNW. Sunny with a bit of chop & swell.

Shout outs to 

• Dani C and Patrick T for your 6 hour swims

• Jon S, Paul C, Lucy AP for your 4 hour swims

And for everyone who took the opportunity for some well earned recovery.

We don’t know about every personal victory, please shout about yours.

Thank you!

Thank you to the following volunteers who were on the rota for the weekend:

• Level 1: Mandi B & Dirk G (graduated from training 👏👏)

• Level 2: Sarah P & Amanda B

Thank you to everyone who helped someone else on the beach or in the water. You are the heart of what we call Level 3. It can be the smallest and most seemingly simple acts to you and can mean the world to the person to whom you’ve just said exactly the right thing to the right person at the right time.

If you would like to find out more, visit our volunteers page.

Dover Dave

Dover Dave has been enjoying the last week with Sahishnu J. I do hope Sahishnu is ok, 2 weeks is a long time with Dover Dave!!

Paddlefish Ponderings

The Importance of Recovery in Training

Training is clearly a vital part of preparing for a big swim. However, many coaches and swimmers overlook the importance of recovery in their training program. Recovery is a vital element of training, and it plays a significant role in achieving success in your swim goals. Recovery should not be an afterthought, but rather an integral part of any training program. These ponderings highlight the importance of recovery in training and why it is essential for achieving success on the big day.

When it comes to physical training, recovery is just as important as other training sessions. In fact, it could be argued that recovery is even more important, as it’s during this time that the body repairs and strengthens itself so that it can perform better during the next workout.

Although it may be tempting to push yourself as hard as possible in every session, with as many hours of training as possible, whenever possible, this is training hard but not smart. Failing to incorporate adequate recovery time into your plans can actually have the opposite effect, causing you to hit a plateau or even experience muscle, joint, or other types of injuries.

Here are just a few reasons why recovery should be considered an essential component of any training plan:

# Prevent Injury

Sustaining an injury can set you back weeks or even months, which is why taking measures to avoid injury should be a top priority. Incorporating recovery time into your workout schedule can help to reduce the risk of injury by allowing the body to rest and repair itself.

# Improve Performance

By taking the time to properly recover, your body is able to repair damaged muscle tissue, rebuild energy stores, and replenish fluids. This not only helps to prevent injury but also improves physical performance during future workouts.

# Mental Well-Being

People who over train tend to find their mood and general outlook on training and life tarnished. Over-training can impact your sense of mental wellbeing. Incorporating an appropriate amount of recovery helps to promote a positive sense of wellbeing and makes it easier to remember all the good reasons that you started out on this journey in the first place.

# Recovery Enhances Performance

After a rigorous or long training session, your muscles need adequate time to repair and recover. Recovery promotes muscle growth, reduces fatigue, and improves overall athletic performance. Inadequate recovery periods can lead to muscle soreness, increased risk of injury, and reduced sports performance. By incorporating recovery days into your training program, and recovery phases into your overall training plan, you give your muscles an opportunity to repair and rebuild (they rebuild stronger).

# Recovery Prevents Overtraining

Overtraining is a common problem for many people in our sport. When you take on a goal as big as a channel swim (other swims are available), it is logical to think that the goal is so big that there’s no way in the world that you can ever truly prepare and therefore more is better. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of training involved in a good swim, but it’s the right amount of training spread between the sea and the pool and once we get to the very long training swims, we don’t stay there doing week after week of big swims, we build in cycles of progression and recovery. That will lead to aerobic fitness & capacity and prevents over training. Overtraining can lead to exhaustion, fatigue, decreased performance, and injury. Recovery helps to restore energy levels, reduce fatigue, and assist the body in adapting to the stress of exercise.

Signs of over training

Signs of over training can include persistent fatigue, decreased performance, frequent injuries, and changes in appetite or mood. In addition, over-training can also result in sleep disturbances, decreased immunity, and hormonal imbalances. In order to train for a big swim, we embrace pushing outside of our comfort zones, that is to be expected. The challenge is doing this and still listening to that still small voice that says ‘I need a break’. All too often we berate ourselves for being lazy when actually we’re training smart.

From time to time we will observe swimmers who, for all the right reasons, stray into overtraining. If we stop your swim short, or in conversation pick up on the signs of overtraining, we will adjust the plans to help you be the very best version of you on the day that it matters most. Have no fear, when it’s time to push on, we’ll also encourage you to do that!

Looking ahead

Changed / cancelled sessions

Dover will be holding it’s town regatta on 1st July 2023 and the swim zone and parking will be suspended. We’ll make plans for alternative arrangements in due course.

On Tour

Once a month we will be On Tour on on a Saturday:

• Saturday 17th June

• Saturday 15th July

• Saturday 19th August

• Saturday 16th September

The location will either be Hythe or Ramsgate, depending on the weather forecast. The final decision will be made on the Thursday evening before this swim. These sessions are shown as ‘On Tour’ in the booking system, they are considered ‘standard’ training sessions and are included in training packages.

Night swims

We’re offering two night swim opportunities this season.

• Late start on Friday 26th May (bookings now closed): this is an opportunity for a short swim (maximum 1 hour) late on a Friday evening. Training on the Saturday remains as normal.

• Early start on Saturday 10th June: this is an opportunity for a long swim (maximum of 6 hours) swimming from the dark into daylight

On both of these swims you’ll need to wear two green adventure lights.

As we are not able to assess new swimmers in the dark, we do not accept new (to us) swimmers on these swims. If you want to join us for one of these night swims, you’ll need to join us before as well.

On these swims, during the hours of darkness, we will have additional safety measures in place with a restricted swim zone. This will be explained during the mandatory briefing.

Intensity week

Just over a week to go until our intensity week. I’m looking forward to this and to seeing what you can achieve. There are a few places left if you would like to join us. We’ll start the week with shorter swims and some training in the afternoon with a DCT twist. We’ll then progress to big back to backs towards the end of the week (there may be twists there too) before a recovery day at the end where we kick back and have some fun.

Spotlight in the shop

The shop is available online for postal delivery or collection from the beach. Please give enough notice to ensure that Emma is able to get the products ready for beach collection as she may not be on the beach each weekend. Products can also be purchased from the beach when Emma is present.

Lights are an essential part of our kit when it comes to any swim that involves swimming in the dark. You’ll need 2 lights.

Top tip, flip the batteries over in one of the lights and then you’ll have one light that flashes (I put that one on my goggles) and one light that is static (I put that one on the back of my costume). That way, when you’re crew are watching you, not only can they see you, they can also work out what direction you’re pointing in!!

I’ll be placing my last order of the year with the supplier soon. At that time I have the option to also order some binoculars (like the ones we use on the beach). I can order extra if you would like a set for your swim. They retail at £51.95 and are pre-order only. Please message me by 9th June if you are interested in ordering a set.

Product Description

The Yukon Sideview 8x21 and 10x21 binoculars are renowned for being compact and extremely light while still delivering superb optical performance. They are small enough to fit easily in a pocket and are never a burden to carry or hold. 

The soft touch coating and rubber inserts to the stylish ABS plastic bodyshell ensures a secure grip in all conditions and the objective lens caps are secured and fold flat against the body to avoid them getting lost or obscuring the view. The contoured rubber eyecups fit comfortably to the eye and protect against lateral light during observation. 

The centre focus wheel and dioptre adjustment lever come easily to hand and are smooth and precise. Both Sideview models are supplied with a detachable secure wrist strap and a quality padded carry case with belt loop and detachable shoulder strap. 

Photos

A few photos from the weekend….

Key Contact methods

1. On the beach after training. Our Level 1 volunteers will be happy to chat whilst not engaged in core safety processes.

2. Weekly community call. This runs on a Monday evening from January to September and is hosted by a member of the leadership team. We've set this time aside for you. You can find details of these call within the membership area and within the booking system.

3. Membership queries can be directed to our Membership lead

4. Safeguarding concerns should be directed to our Safeguarding Lead

5. Other queries that can’t be answered at the community call should be directed to the Swimmer Liaison lead.

Other more informal routes to support:

1. WhatsApp groups these are open to all members and you’ll find details of how to join one or more of the groups within the membership area

2. Social media channels. You’ll find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Anyone who contacts me directly is likely to be redirected at best or disappointed at worse (i.e. if I don’t have time to access messages / emails etc, you may simply not get a response). At the moment I do not currently have capacity to support outside of times committed on the beach. I currently have a very demanding day job, a few individual clients to support and am battling the ongoing challenges of long covid and the impacts of some recent challenges. You’ll be seeing a bit less of me this season as I focus on recovery. We have built a fantastic leadership team and group of dedicated volunteers, you’ll be very well looked after in my absence. I’ll still be writing blogs and creating the training programme, so I’m with you in so many ways even if I’m not physically with you on the beach.

Current Vacancies

Leadership team

We’re expanding our team with a few new roles:

• Marketing & Communications Lead

• Website Manager

• Retail / Procurement Lead

If you’re interested in joining the team, please contact Emma or another member of the leadership team to find out more.

Volunteer Beach Crew

If you’re interested in helping out on the beach from time to time, you can find out more on our dedicated volunteers page on the website.

We all have differing levels of available time and experience and we believe there is a level for you if you are interested in joining the team.

If you’re interested in volunteering your time & experience, please get in touch with our volunteers lead.

Reminders

Remember to book your sessions online. Bookings close 48 hours ahead. Any bookings after that will need support and that comes with a £5 admin fee.

Bookings can be cancelled or rescheduled up to 48 hours ahead. The system doesn’t arrange automatic refunds, so if you would like a refund, please check out our refund policy and get in touch if you would like a refund.

Those of you with training subscriptions, enter your email address and click in the discount code box and your automatic voucher should appear. Let me know if you have any trouble with this.

Please remember to cancel your membership when you no longer want it.