Rest Week

After 3 gruelling weeks of nose to the black line and nose to the weight training equipment it's now time for a rest...or half week.

This week is all about letting my body catch up, rest, consolidate the training whilst giving me a chance to focus my efforts elsewhere i.e. Family, garden, cleaning etc.

2 days in to rest week and I feel like I am a spring all wound up with this energy I usually expend. It's hard to sit back, relax and ignore those feelings.

A Sunday afternoon set

It felt so good to knock out a decent set today at Civic Pool. About half of the 11km was speed work, a quarter one arm drills and the rest continuous swimming at 75% (that's my favourite part of the swim). Best of all, even toward the end my times were holding steady, meaning there is still lots left in the tank.

This coming week is the 3rd 'on week' of the monthly program (I call it cranky week). I do 3 'on weeks' in a row, each comprising of about 25km swimming, one weights session and one Pilates session. The 4th 'off week' is half the swimming distance, Pilates and no weights...the 4th week is the most important week as the down time is letting my mind and body rest and consolidate that hard work, thus becoming stronger!

What has happened?

Lots of swimming and strength training is the answer to that! Since my last post I have swum two series in Samoa, done lots of technique work, done lots of upper and core strength work and in the last few weeks been back in the lake for a few cold water swims.

What's all this work for...........The English Channel in August 2016!!! Yep I have decided it's time to challenge myself for the ultimate prize, to become a channel swimmer!

Since July I have expanded the Rottnest team to include a sports Phycologist, a nutricitionist and an open water swimming coach.

With the long term goal is in place we have lots of sub goals (10km events) that are focused on enabling me over the next 22 months to build a mind and a body that can swim that haloed stretch of water.

It's all very exciting...overwhelming, tiring and bloody scary...buts it is the right time in my life to complete this challenge!!!