Category: Reflections
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And How to Plan a Sprint Training Session At masters swim training, sprints are often an afterthought – literally something added into the last few minutes of the session. That’s not necessarily a bad idea. Practising changing pace when you’re tired is good for developing a finishing sprint at the end of an open water…
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Having an annual distance target can be a great motivator for consistent swim training – but there are downsides
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Instead of chasing one challenge at a time, try creating routines that keep you fit, ready, and connected year-round. When I talk to people about swimming goals, they often speak about challenges they want to do or speeds they want to achieve. The conversation may then turn to how they will go about achieving that…
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And How Embracing a Renaissance Swimmer Approach Could Transform Your Swimming Life After writing “Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 Days a Year”, I wanted to create something to help people with a wider range of swimming activities. My interests in swimming range from 50m pool sprints to marathon swims,…
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The 1500m is neither a sprint nor a marathon, yet it’s arguably more challenging than either
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A carefully managed period of lighter training now could help you swim stronger next summer.
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Giving back adds significance and meaning to your swimming Last Saturday, I went to the annual Aspire Channel Swimmers’ dinner – a celebration of (and for) swimmers who have raised nearly £350,000 in 2025 for Aspire, the spinal injuries charity. Most of this comes from English Channel relays. Other swims include Solent crossings and swims…
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Winter swimming and public speaking both involve trepidation, discomfort, enjoyment and euphoria. Practising one helps with the other.
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How I finally broke the minute barrier, and what I learned along the way On my 59th birthday, I swam 100m freestyle in 59.87 seconds at Swim England’s National Masters Championships in Sheffield. It was the first time in my life that I’d broken the minute barrier – a significant milestone for many competitive swimmers…
