Before lockdown, Olegas usually trained on Thursdays and Saturdays and occasionally Mondays. He is known for his sprinting, with the odd quality 200 IM here and there.
How are you coping with being out of the water?
Like most of you I miss the pool and the group sessions. Swimming has been such a big part of my life for so long that I feel lost without it. It took me over three weeks to adjust to the new strange world order and rediscover the drive to exercise. It has been difficult because I am used to having a structure of a competition season. Short term and long term goals filled by cycles of technique, sprint and necessary but much disliked distance training. Now it is all long term goals but no-one knows how long.
What do you miss most?
I miss the smell of the pool. I miss the squad, the coach and the banter (not exclusively in this order and not all at once). I miss swimming the first 100m of the warm-up when you feel “Yeah, I will smash today’s session!” I miss the feeling after the session when the body is sore but the mind is at peace and you go home a happier person.
Do you have a daily fitness routine?
Now I do. I do Steve’s Gut Busters pyramid set 3 times a week. The first time I did it I failed miserably managing only to go up to 16 reps. Now on the way down I do jumping squats and a harder variation of push ups. I also go cycling almost daily. When I am not cycling my wife and I go for a walk. I am looking to add more swimming specific exercise in the coming weeks.
Any recommendations for team mates?
Stay active because this is what makes us tick. Also, use the downtime to catch up with an old friend or relative you have not spoken to in ages.
Which competitions have you missed/will you miss and how will that affect you?
Like many of you, I have missed the GB’s and no-one knows how many more events we will miss. I am hopeful that Sheffield in October is on the cards.
How is your partner coping with you not swimming?
Without swimming and all of the dryland routine revolving around it I started to drive my wife crazy. Now that I am exercising daily again I am back to my normal energy level and Agne is happier for it.
What are you most looking forward to when you can get back in the water?
I am looking forward to the squad training sessions and Steve’s jokes (really, no pun intended).
I hope to see all of you really soon!