Simon is an out of towner who regularly competes for us at local, regional and national championships.
How are you coping with being out of the water?
I’m not doing too badly at the moment. I think I’m actually training more now that I’m not swimming. I usually just put in a 45 minute session during my lunch break, and am doing more land based stuff now I’m having to work from home.
What do you miss most?
I miss being with people. Not swimming, because I train alone, but I miss the people in the office, it’s not the same having conference calls or chats on messenger. I never thought I’d say it, but I miss the office.
Do you have a daily fitness routine?
I’m starting to put one together yes. I work from 8-12, then I’ve either been doing 40 minutes of circuits or cycling on the turbo trainer. Now that it’s getting a bit warmer, I’m getting about an hour or so out on the roads, finding some short sharp hills for interval training sets. Then a quick shower, some lunch and back to work for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe the odd alcoholic beverage on the patio in the sun at 5pm.
Any recommendations for team mates?
We’re unlikely to be racing before the end of summer, so find something else to do. I’m going to try to improve my French, maybe learn some Norwegian and do some macro photography in the garden. And use technology to keep in touch with everyone. We’re doing the Virtual Pub Quiz every Thursday evening(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLcSqjJWHJeDWD_SbdorBRw), having a Skype call with some friends. And then Saturday evenings is another video call night with another bunch of friends. We’ve also found a site where you can play board games online with friends, which we usually combine with a Skype call.
Which competitions will you miss and how will that affect you?
The big one for me this year was going to be the Europeans. I’d entered the open water events there and was starting to get some decent endurance training in. With the circuit training I’m now doing, I’ll target some shorter events at the short course championships in Sheffield in October.
How is your partner coping with you not swimming?
I think we’re coping well. Claire doesn’t swim, but does yoga and nordic walking to keep fit. We’re having the odd family bike ride to get some air (not training pace). During work hours I keep to the office (dining room) and she has the rest of the house.
What are you most looking forward to when you can get back in the water?
Diving in and doing a length dolphin kick without coming up for a breath.
See you all on the other side.