Meet a member in lock down – Clive

In the first of our new series, we talked (remotely, of course) to out of towner, Clive, about how his new routine. Clive is a regular competitor for Spencer and is a member of the Spencer teams that hold the British record for Men’s 200+ and Mixed 240+ 4×100 medley teams.

How are you coping with being out of the water?

It’s really strange not swimming, I miss the structure of defined training times and the organised training sessions, it’s made me realise how our lives are so used to routine. I thought I’d be fine with doing things to my own schedule, but it’s not like that at all.

What do you miss most?

Mostly I miss the banter with my training buddies, the guy who can’t wait a full five seconds between swimmers, and the one who swims down the middle of the lane! We continue with WhatsApp, but it’s not quite the same. The other thing I miss is that warm glow you can only get from a good swim session.

Do you have a daily fitness routine?

Well I try. The initial plan was to do an hour of indoor exercise every day, and go cycling every day too. Oh how I failed…. there was one day when I did loads of press ups about a week ago, and I’ve been out on my bike a few times, but nothing like the quantity or quality I’d hoped for. Training alone is tough, and I do much better in a group, as it’s always a race so keeps you motivated.

Any recommendations for team mates?

Keep away from the fridge. I’m sure I’ll be heavier when this is all over.

Which competitions have you missed/will you miss and how will that affect you?

British Masters in Sheffield is a big one to miss, it’s always such a good event with plenty of relays. The only upside is that last year’s winners can still call themselves national champions – every cloud has a sliver lining! I’d planned to swim the Hampshire Masters in June, which is always fun and allows me to compete with my regular training group at Hart SC.

Someone persuaded me to enter the Isle of Wight Pier2Pier race in August, and a group of us had planned to go. It’s not clear if that will go ahead yet, so watch this space. Growing up on the south coast, I used to swim in the sea regularly, and was looking forward to this one.

How is your partner/family/housemate coping with you not swimming?

As I live on my own these days, there’s nobody to put up with me at home. My other half, Gill, lives miles away, so we’ve not been able to see each other since the lock down started. We speak on the phone regularly, so she still gets to hear how bored I am.

What are you most looking forward to when you can get back in the water?

I can’t wait to get back in the Garrison pool. It’s such a good place to swim and I’m fortunate to live 10 minutes away. Some long course sets of 100s seem quite appealing.

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