To acquire new skill and improve existing habits we first have to LEARN and improve AWARENESS;

with a greater understanding we can then PRACTICE;

this should include time developing  feedback loops reflecting and reviewing with your coach and then building your own feedback loops with a greater awareness of your movements.

As you become more CONSISTENT you can then TRAIN on the threshold of your current capabilities,  noticing deterioration in the quality of your movements so you know when to take a rest and mental reset to continue.

As you TRAIN and become more consistent you can then TEST;

– this can be an event, distance or a time, you will learn so much about yourself and what holds under pressure.

…then should you want to you can TRAIN to COMPETE.

LEARN ➡️ PRACTICE ➡️ TRAIN ➡️ TEST ➡️ COMPETE (reflect, review and feedback loops throughout)

 

Qing shares her experience of  how she has been through this process to successfully achieve her goal at this years’ Swim Serpentine 2 mile swim. A TEST of her current abilities.

What is your swimming background and experience?

I started swimming in my mid 20s, swimming breast stroke ONLY in indoor pools.

I started swimming at Luxborough Lake in Chigwell at the end of Summer 2023, I instantly enjoyed all the benefit from Open water swimming, met some great friends within a caring and friendly community. I carried on swimming all year round including the winter months.

I started learning to do front crawl properly in April 2023 with Susan, at this point I could not breath properly and struggled to do more than 50m

I competed Swim Serpentine 2023 mostly breast stroke and claimed my 1st London Classics.

After a foot injury in Aug 2023, Swimming and Cycling have really kept me sane as I had to stop running.

Following the workshop with Susan, I practiced many lengths in the local pool with snorkel and fins, first focusing on hand entry then moving onto breathing etc + many laps at Luxborough lake with various combination of breast stroke and front crawl, eventually building up to mostly front crawl

I returned to Serpentine in 2024 and completed 2 miles in mostly Front Crawl in the fast Purple wave.

What do you like about the lessons and what’s a challenge?

The format of the workshop: Classroom learning; Swim (observation) + Swim drills; Video Analysis; Feedback; Swimming again and applying all the learning

The challenge: Focusing on making the recommended change without going back to default when tired =  overriding the default behaviour

What was your motivation for improving your technique?

To swim effortlessly and for overall wellbeing + better shoulder/back mobility that complemented Running/Cycling and buiding up to a triathlon one day.

How have lessons improved your swimming?

It is life changing. The coaching sessions from Susan has simply transformed my swimming technique. From not able to swim 50ms without stopping to completing 2 mile swim at Serpentine. The technique/corrections and breathing techniques from Susan have guided me through all the practices and enabled me to make small and achievable adjustment and re-programme the default behaviour.

What is your proudest swimming related achievement?

Swim Serpentine 2024 – Goal was to go all the way around with front crawl only

Contrast to 2023, water temperature for the 2024 event was significantly cooler after a week of autumnal weather. Only managed to get entry to the 4:25pm wave (the fast wave with a 2hr cut off). Sticking to the plan, I had awful first 200m with so many swimmers around me and took in a few gulps of water. I then had mild calf cramp half way through the first loop, whilst trying to stay out the outside to avoid being swam over by other faster swimmers, negative thoughts with a plan to exit after first loop forming.

Thankfully I warmed up by the end of 1st loop (when all the fast swimmers are either geting out of water by then or miles ahead), got into a better rhythm, enjoyed a much quieter, calm and beautiful 2nd lap, and carried on to completion. I wanted to switch back to breast stroke at points but I stuck to my goal and completed within 2 hours cut off. 

This is only the beginning!

Funniest swimming moment?

When I was swam over by a male swimmer in Swim Serpentine 2024, who was about the same pace as me. After multiple strokes, I stopped, turned around and shouted at the loudest I have ever been, “What is wrong with you? You should have stopped as soon as  you touched me but you carried on and on. This is not acceptable and Please Apologies!” He said “Sorry!” I Exploded but felt good I stood up for myself.

What are your future aspirations and dream goals?

Continue to improve my Frontcrawl technique and pace and get used to swimming in race conditions.

To be able to improve swimming after having kids and with busy work commitments has meant a lot to me.

For someone who picks up swimming later in life, you have inspired me to believe in myself,  stick with the practice, planted seeds to focus on breathing/strength training (that has hugely helped).

Here we are, a year in the making, I swim more effortlessly like a different person and more confident overall.  I might have been one of the bottom 10 finishers of the purple super fast wave (this time) but I walked away proud and motivated as this just shows anything is possible when one finds the right coach.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.