Heading towards the Gates of Hell!

Hey all,

I was back to training today after the Oxford and North Bucks Chamionships. I did well, but no where near how well i wanted to perform. What does this mean? It means that i am only human and there is always room for improvements! So my journey now continues.

There is 34 days untill the Oxford and North Bucks MASTERS County Championships; and if i get accepted into it i will be a completely different swimmer. What can you do in 34 days? A hell of a lot, and you will understand why below.

I am now going to be swimming 5 hours 30 minutes a week with Bletchey & District Swim Club. A lot of people think that it will not be enough pool time, i will prove them wrong. My land training and conditioning has taken a HUGE turn now.

My land training is based on the teachings and information provided from Ross Enimait, using his books - Infinite Intensity, Never Gymless, and Full Throttle Conditioning. How long will i train for per day? As long as it takes to get the job done.

I will be using and adapting the 50 day plan set out in Infinite Intensity, this is my first class ticket to the gates of Hell! It all started today...

...Today, oh today - What can i say? One minute you think you are fit, then next minute you are gasping for air on the verge on collapsing. Well, thats how it was for me anyway. I did what Ross calls the 'Magic 50'.

The Magic 50 is this:
5 Reps Dumbell Snatch (5 each arm, starting with your non dominant side)
5 Reps Dumbell Swing (5 each arm, starting with your non dominant side)
10 Burpees (Thats right the ones with the push-up and jump)

Overall 50 reps. Easy?

Not exactly, you have to do it 5 times continuously. I was shaking so much after i could hardly stand in the shower, and eating dinner was a workout in itself!

I used a 15kg dumbell throughout the training session, i think i may have been able to go heavier, but i doubt i would have made all 5 sets.

So that was Day 1 of 34. What do the other 33 days contain? More pain, more hell, more sweat, more shaking, and more improvements!

All i know is i will dread every workout, but once i have finished it i will feel like a GOD!

Work hard guys, whatever your goals, one step at a time you will achieve greatness!

Medley Relay Result

After waiting round for hours the relay finally came. Our team was in the final heat of the 4x50m Medley Relay.

This was an amazingly hard heat to swim in, a lot of clubs entered teams full of national level swimmers, one club even entered a GBR swimmer. Our club, well, we entered all County Swimmers so they really were is a completely different league.

Here are the splits:

50m Backstroke (Luke) 32 seconds
50m Breaststroke (Me) 34.93 seconds
50m Butterfly (Daz) 32 seconds
50m Frontcrawl (Liam) 26 Seconds

Overall time was about 2:05.40. We finished 6th in our heat and i estimate - although haven't seen the results - we would have been 10th overall. I caught a glimpse of the winners time, i think it said 1:44.00.

I am pleased with my swim, this is the first time i have swum a 34 in breast so it is a big step. :-)

County Update

So far not so bad, had three races so far and here are the results.



50m Breaststroke:
Entry Time: 35.99
Time Swum: 35.81

50m Freestyle:
Entry Time: 29.19
Time Swum: 28.73

100m Individual Medely:
Entry Time: 1:14.85
Time Swum: 1:13.xx

Got the 4x50m Medley relay this afternoon so will post back later.

Just round the corner...

It's finally here, well at the weekend anyway. The Oxford and North Bucks County Championships 2008. This is the fastest competition i qualify for so this is a huge event for me to attend, and this is also the one i have been training hard for all year.

These Championships are held over 2 weekends, this weekend (8th and 9th March) and next weekend (15th and 16th March) - which means for the next 2 weeks i have no life. I have only entered 6 events this year (past years i have entered over 10) and these are skattered nicely across all 4 days. Below you will find the races entered and my entry time for them:

50m Breaststroke: 35.99
100m Breaststroke: 1:19.98
50m Freestyle: 29.19
100m Freestyle: 1:03.92
100m Individual Medely: 1:14.85
4x50m Medley Relay (Breaststroke Leg): 35.99

The main event i will be going for is the 50m Breaststroke. I need to swim a 33.10 to qualify for the South East Regional Championships, so fingers crossed i have worked hard enough to achieve it. I know i can swim a low 35 as i have done a 35.26 (unfortunatly it was not at a licenced meet so does not count as a qualifying time for the County Championships) so hopefully i will reduce it further and get a 33.10.

For the next 2 weeks i will not be continuing with Arnel's program, i need to rest and recover before the championships start. Once they are over i think i will be following the 50-day plan written in 'Never Gymless'. This is a monster conditioning program which i know will push me into and past my limits.

All i know is once i start training like a champion i know i have more chance of being one. That is my aim. I plan to monitor every training session between the 2008 County Championships and the 2009 County Championships and see what a monster conditioning program has done for my fitness, strength, and most importantly my times.

Have a good day,

Sean