Training day, Cambridge, 24th April

As a new recruit to Team Lucy and having missed the main launch looking forward to meeting everyone and understanding everyone's journeys and challenges!!!
Kate

Hi Kate, welcome to the team!

Great picture Lucy. Really looking forward to this training day.

Hi all.
Hopefully Max has sent you the agenda for this now? I sent it to him early last week so he should have done!
Anyhow, here's the schedule (should have been sent as a word document):

Teenage Cancer Trust #TeamLucy training day 1.
Sunday 24th April.

Location.
Milton country Park,
Cambridge Road Industrial Estate, Milton, Cambridge, CB24 6AZ.


Provisional Schedule.

9:30 Arrive Milton country park. Meet upstairs in the seating area at the visitors centre.
10-1 Open water swimming clinic.
Ed Williams, elite swimming academy.
1 – 2 Lunch. General Q+A with Lucy.
2-3 Injury prevention, core stability, stretching.
Richard Luddington. Fit again sports therapy.
3-4 Challenge and threat states; working your mind to boost your performance.
Sports psychology. Helen Davis.
4-5 Transitions, nutrition, anything and everything.
Lucy Gossage

The visitors Center is located to the left of the main entrance to the park itself. There is ample parking but you will need to bring £2 to pay for a car park ticket.

Open water swim clinic.

Over 3 hours (don't worry, not all in the lake!) you will gain a totally new understanding of your stroke with innovative coaching points that will make you think about your stroke, drills, and discussion. We will practice race starts, sighting and even taking off your wetsuits. You will leave with all of your video footage and notes on a personalised USB Key to start reaping the benefits immediately.

Things to bring.

Wear comfortable sports clothes suitable for stretching (tracksuit bottoms/shorts and a t-shirt ideally).

Swim clinic:
• Wetsuit and swimming costume/tri suit
• Towel
• Goggles
• Swim cap (you will be given one but the water may be cold so bring an extra one)
• Shoes to walk to water (crocs / trainers)
• Water bottle
• Swimming costume or tri suit to wear under wetsuit

Other things:
• Run shoes and greepers laces (in goody bag we gave you).
• Money for lunch / coffee
• Light snack

Thanks Lucy.  See you on Sunday!

Kev

Hi all,

I'm extremely sorry for TMI but my feet took a bit of a battering in Rome and I've ended up with an infected foot. I've just been to the Dr and he advised against swimming, pool or open water, until it heals. (Again, sorry!)

I would however still really like to come along to the day if that's ok? I'm sure by hearing the advice given to the rest of you will be rewarding. Rather gutted I can't take part but I'd rather sit that out and be ok for race day!

Thanks
Emma

Sounds like I'm missing a cracking day. Have fun everyone, xxx

Hi Giles,

I don't think that was the case. I second the massive thanks to Lucy for arranging yesterday and it was good to see the rest of you. I definitely learnt loads about myself yesterday when faced with open water again.

For the benefit of those that haven't met me or heard my story 4 years ago I competed in The Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon up at Loch Tay. With all the training, nutrition and effort I put in I thought I was fully prepared by the challenge. The first leg of the Quad was to swim 1 mile across Loch Tay at 06:00. It was a floating start and I was ready to go. The gun went off, the bagpipes played and there was loads of cheering from the families and supporters that travelled to the start. About 200m into the swim the fear began to sink in as the Loch got deeper and deeper and visibility was suddenly next to nothing. That's when it hit, a panic attack. My worst fear and for what felt like a lifetime it continued to get worse and worse. I thought to myself I can't do this and I'm going to have to go back. Thankfully you do the event in pairs and the guy that was with me saw what was happening and was amazing. He said we should keep moving to stay warm and try to move across the Loch using breast stroke. Stay comfortable and slowly move towards the white marquee in the distance and focus on it getting bigger and bigger. The panic began to reduce and I was moving towards the objective. I tried some strokes of front crawl but that didn't help (stupid determination of mine). It took twice as long but I (we) got to the other side.

For the open water day yesterday I had worries about the whole thing before I got there, will I be able to do this because of what happened in the Loch. I managed to clear my mind for the journey from Reading to Cambridge but when that wetsuit went on the memories came back. It was going to be my first attempt at any open water since the Quad. Walking down to the water after our fun and fanatic (only joking Lucy) warm-up the panic began to set in again. I couldn't explain it, I had no idea why I was worrying. I couldn't work out why I was shaking, why my mind was racing and why my breathing was so fast. There was no ration explanation that I could think of. I froze! How could Giles jump of the jetty and love it, while Lindsey could also slide into the water like a pro. Why I couldn't do it? I was about to call it quits and walk back to the visitor's centre. Ed from ESA was brilliant though! He gave me time to collect my thoughts, gave me advice and didn't push me. I was pushing myself but he wasn't. Emma was also being extremely supportive. I slowly entered the water (which was cold), floated and followed Ed's words. Dunking my head under the water a few times, letting the fear disappear, getting used to the water. And then I thought to myself, OK let's do this. I did a few strokes and then came back. The more I did it the more comfortable I became with the situation. And when I was out on the water Lucy was very encouraging.

My story isn't designed to scare people but from the talks yesterday it was suggested that it's good to share so that we can all learn from it. It's also to find the positives from the experience. I may not have done loads of swimming yesterday but I managed to get back into the water and face my fears. I also worked out what I need to do between now and the event to be in the best state of mind for that race start - get back into open water at least once a week so I become more comfortable with that situation.

I realised on the way home that my fears had come about because of unknowns and then throwing myself into the deep end. Whilst I usually react to these situations quite well this was different. I had a bad reaction instead of my usual positive approach (threat vs. challenge). My mind had then decide this was a threat to me, stopping me from going any further and freezing.

The point to my post and the massive thing I took away from yesterday was that we should share our experiences (positive and negative), fears and worries. Luckily we have this forum to do that and I sure there are other things people might be thinking about. I encourage you to give it a go if you haven't already, it's helped me and now I'm excited to continue to tackle the open water now. We have each other to get through this if needs be and I for one will definitely be here to listen or help where I can.

Massive thank you to you all for yesterday, especially again to Lucy!

Kev

P.S.

I've put the materials from yesterday's swimming session on Dropbox if anyone would like to take a look that wasn't there. www.dropbox.com/sh/y3f8nkd8xbucfca/AAA4HUMxi5TH_QOo-2iNhTfza?dl=0