SAM PERROTT - SWIMATHON AMBASSADOR

Meet one of our Swimathon Ambassadors - Sam Perrott, and read about how her training is going for this year's Swimathon!

Swimathon Training - Journey to 5K

For the last six years or so my fitness has all come from running. I help run a South Wales running club and I have entered all sorts of races from the 5k to the 50 milers, the road to the mountains. I have challenged myself to keep testing myself.

I have always been able to “….Swim” but last year I decided I wanted to have a go at being more competitive at this swimming game. Initially just as a bit of fun and to cross train to help with my running. I really wanted a taste of the great outdoors and open water swimming. Once I got a small tiny taste of just how much fun swimming in open water was, I was completely hooked!

As only a self-taught swimmer I needed some direction for my technique so I could start enjoying some longer distance endurance swims. I joined a local triathlon club Celtic Tri and looked to take part in some of the swim coaching available. 

One very important thing with the swimming is to find a swimming lesson or a coach that you feel comfortable with. We all need to feel able to ask questions if we are stuck and that has to be in an environment you feel happy with, training needs to be fun or why would we want to continue. I can honestly say since getting some direction with the coaches I am really starting to feel the difference.

Try and mix up your swimming training. Just like any other sport if you do the same thing day after day boredom will soon set in.  If you have the chance swim with somebody of similar ability and pace and set each other targets or pace challenges, head for a reward Cuppa and cake maybe at the end my treat after the early morning training is a bacon roll and a coffee.

I work full time have a busy family, I am the chairman and a coach with my running club and have my own training goals so in order to fit everything in I love to train early mornings for a lot of my swimming and runs.  Not only does this set me up for the day before the routine school run and work kick in, but I have also ticked off a chunk of training plan before most people have got out of bed.  For me this works but I understand the 5am alarm is not everyone! Check out the local pools that you would use and work out a timetable for the week that would fit around your life schedule.

I have settled into a great training routine now and I am loving the team work spirit training with likeminded folk gives me.  I attend three coached swim sessions a week and one longer distance weekend swim to help practice the distance leading up to Swimathon 5k. I am enjoying my swimming so much and cannot wait to see everybody reach full potential for Swimathon weekend.

Sam

Swimathon 2019 Ambassador