London swimming training

It is 4:35am and my alarm goes off for swimming training. Wow I hate the start of Wednesday mornings! I force myself to get up, get dressed and cycle to training – yes swim training. Why? I imagine you ask, because I want to. I know it doesn’t sound like it (and certainly doesn’t feel like it sometimes) but I love swimming. If for some reason I don’t quite make it out of bed in the morning i don’t feel the same. There’s nothing like the buzz you get after completing a really tough swimming session. And some how with less sleep and a morning swim under my belt, I find I am more alert and awake for the rest of the day.

Swimming is just like any other sport. We have to train regularly to improve. Is it hard to find time to train? Absolutely. But we’ll never improve if you don’t.

One of the most common things I hear as a swimming teacher and member of a club is how easy it must be for me to go swimming and to fit it into my week. I can assure you it’s not. Life is so fast paced and trying to fit something into your weekly routine is hard. So here are my top 3 tips for incorporating swimming into your weekly routine:

1. Get outside and head to the swimming pool.

The hardest part of any swim session is the build up to forcing yourself to go in the first place. Once you close that door you have no choice but to go. I recommend trying to get yourself ready in under 5-10 minutes. The more time you spend, the more time you have to talk yourself out of it. And we all know that if you don’t pluck up the courage you’ll spend the rest of the evening feeling guilty that you didn’t. I often tell my clients that it’s okay to be a few minutes late (things happen) as long as you turn up. If you don’t turn up once it makes it even harder the next time around.

2. Plan ahead.

So you’ve made it out of the house and to the pool (cue applause). Except now you don’t know what to do. There’s nothing worse than going for a swim and spending most of your time staying at the side and debating what swims to do next.

Thankfully having a coach or instructor makes swimming much easier and even the best in the world have guidance too. Take Michael Phelps for example, his coach Bob Bowman has a 4 year plan in advance of what his training will consist of. Whether you’re training for a triathlon or working on your technique, always have a plan in your head and if you’re feeling particularly organised you could laminate a plan to take with you onto poolside to keep you on the right track.

Planning can be quite tricky by yourself, especially if you are new to swimming or triathlons, however the instructors at Turner Swim can help by providing you with a tailor made during your one-to-one lessons with us that you can then go and try on your next visit to a pool by yourself.

3. Combine swimming.

I admire anybody that goes to the gym or regularly goes out for a run. Although I feel like I am literally a fish out of water on dry-land, combining disciplines saves me having to find extra time in my week to run and cycle too.

If like me you’re training for a triathlon (Leeds, Olympic distance, 2016) then this is a great opportunity to practise transitioning to each phase. Most gyms or leisure centres have multiple activities available. After the gym you’re going to get wet and have a shower anyway so there’s no harm in bringing your swim kit. Personally, I find that doing a warm down in the pool stops me from aching too much the next day and gets rid of the lactic acid easier. This way you kill two birds with one stone and can enjoy the post-swim endorphins too!

Keen to experience the thrill of swimming for yourself?

Book in and join one of our elite swimming instructors for one-to-one swimming lessons in London with Turner Swim at Le Méridien hotel, 21 Piccadilly, W1J 0BH.