Stretch, roll, Popeye...

What on earth? you're asking yourself. Well, this was my mantra for cracking a smooth freestyle stroke with bilateral breathing. OK, switch off now if you're bored of my swimming saga. And for those of you who remain, here's the location where I've spent my mornings for the past two weeks. 


Our local spa with indoor swimming pool has been my playground for the duration and it's been such a contrast to the sometimes wild, but always very cold, sea where I've swum all winter.


But let's rewind a bit to explain how why I suddenly changed tack and chose the soft option last month.


My new found passion for swimming freestyle was ignited by the top two books which I recently read. Previously, all my swimming has been using breast stroke, albeit a strong one, but I've been aware of the fact that it's the least energy efficient of all strokes and therefore I've been working harder than I really need to. Like the author of Leap In, Alexandra Heminsley, I've wanted to achieve the graceful, languid stroke that's performed by long distance swimmers. After first of all hearing her talk about the book on the radio, and then reading the story of how she moved from one to the other, I decided that it might just be within my grasp too, to improve my ragged breathless front crawl into something sleeker. The record breaking swim undertaken by Sean Conway in his book Hell and High Water was further inspiration for me. Longer swims now beckon me, although nothing quite as epic as his.

And so it was just a week into my month's staycation that I ordered Championship Swimming and at the same time I resurrected the Swim Smooth DVD that I've had for a couple of years without viewing. (When I say without viewing, what I actually mean is that at the first attempt I fell asleep after the first 10 minutes, I'm embarrassed to admit.) After successfully watching it all the way through it soon became apparent that I wouldn't be able to perform these drills in the sea for obvious reasons, the main one being the current temperature of about 9 degrees. I joined the spa for two weeks and the hard work began. Inspiration was in place, perspiration and dedication came next.



At 10 o'clock every morning I was to be found poolside with earplugs, goggles and cap in place. The book became my Bible with notes scrawled all over to remind me what I'd seen on the DVD. Swim Smooth proved to be transformational; the basic mechanics of the stroke are broken down into drills that are to be repeated until they become second nature. Hence, stretch, roll, Popeye, the three counts that make up the stroke. We all remember Popeye of course and that's the best way to suck in a good breath whilst lying on your side. In fact, I'm not sure why front crawl is named such, as the stroke is mostly performed rolling from one side to the other with the minimum of time being spent on your front. 





Yesterday I posted a snippet of my freestyle on Instagram which made me very proud indeed. I don't know when the stroke came together, but I do recall moments where, like a dance step that suddenly clicks, I felt the stretching roll become a steady rhythm that made time for the breath without gasp or panic - I was indeed swimming smoothly!

The spa offers all sorts of diversions apart from the pool - a sauna, jacuzzi, steam room in addition to a gym, relaxation room, shop and treatment rooms for massage and beauty treats. My own particular reward for an hour of swimming was to retreat to the steam room for 15 minutes of bliss. I will miss the soft option when I stand on the beach this morning facing the chill Atlantic ocean. Wish me luck!







Hell And High Water by Sean Conway see here.
Leap In by Alexandra Heminsley see here.
Swim Smooth DVD see here. 
Championship Swimming by Tracy McFarlane Mirande see here.
Island Leisure Spa see here.
Anna x

Share:

Winter coat

Yes, it suddenly dawned on me that any minute now we're going to be embracing all that is spring and I've yet to show you my new winter coat. My daugther Sasha bought it for my Christmas and it's been a fine addition to my winter wardrobe. This slim fitting leopard print coat comes from Tesco of all places and was in the sale for about £15 I think. I pointed it out to her when we were shopping together et voila, there it was on Christmas day!








I've worn the coat today with these fabulous orange satin disco pants from the Conscious Collection at H&M from quite a few years ago adding this mohair sweater by Diesel which I've also had for years. It's got a tiny bit of itch to it, so I always pop a vest top underneath to make it more comfortable. The ginger and spice colours of the look were just calling out for my nutmeg suede boots from Office and I finished it all off with my heavy gauge gold necklace (another gift from Sasha) along with some old rings. Oh, and let's not forget my old faithfuls - sunglasses by Quay Australia.

The winter has evoporated once again and I'm aware that our season on the island is just beginning again. I'm pleased that I've managed to get out and about in between the winter storms to capture some new backdrops for you. This setting is in the woodlands just above the church, looking out across Old Grimsby and onwards to Men-a-Vaur rock. One of my blogging friends, Julia from When the girls rule blog (see here) has asked to see more of the island - well this little corner is mainly populated by holiday cottages, but also is where the church, community centre and primary school are all located. My son, Jamie lives in a tiny bungalow at Old Grimsby where a lot of the young members of staff are housed in flats and staff accomodation. Our winter population is about 150, but that almost doubles in the summer when the seasonal workers arrive. With no shopping malls, night clubs, fast food joints or other temptations, the island is the perfect location to work for a summer and save up. Some, like me, come for a summer and fall in love, not just with island life, but with an islander, and never leave.




When I arrived on the islands (in 1978) Round Island Lighthouse was permanantly manned but is now operated remotely. On a stormy day the waves crash onto the rocks below and can break over the buildings on the island, sometimes obliterating the lighthouse completely. The sight can be exhilirating and is a great reminder of how tiny and insignificant we are at the hands of nature.

Linking with -
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Anna x

Share:

Anna meets...Neil

This month I'd like to introduce Neil Shah, Director (and Chief De-Stressing Officer) of the Stress Management Society. When I say Anna meets...Neil, it's stretching the truth somewhat, as I didn't so much meet him, as saw him on TV. His interview covered one of my pet topics, stress. I was greatly impressed by his enthusiasm for his subject as well as his general joy for life, not to mention his wonderful red patent shoes! Neil kindly agreed to answer some questions for the feature today.



For those who didn't see it, can you summarise what your appearance on BBC Breakfast covered?
We were talking about recent research which discovered the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for things such as emotions, stress and our ‘fight or flight’ response, is also linked to heart disease and stroke.
What's the relevance of stress on the body, and what impact might it have?
Stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action. This causes a number of reactions, such as blood being diverted to muscles and the shutting down of unnecessary bodily functions like digestion. This is why we experience things like a pounding heart, faster breathing, heartburn and indigestion.
Am I right in thinking that appropriate stress is good?
Stress is a natural instinct given to us to help protect us hence the ‘flight or fight’ response. Stress can be extremely useful in certain situations. It can be a great motivator as it can focus and sharpen our minds so we can achieve a desired outcome.  The problem is where we live in a longer term state of stress or get stressed in situations where it is not the most appropriate response.
I suffer from a stress related disease and have found that the understanding of appropriate stress is key. I place myself under a daily dose of appropriate stress every day by sea swimming, but realise that’s not possible for everyone. What other activities would you recommend as de-stressors?
Humans were designed to be active. Not only does exercise keep the heart healthy and get oxygen into the system but being active can burn off the stress hormones, boost your feel-good endorphins and take your mind off your daily worries. Most notably, exercise produces beta-endorphins, which improve mood.
Whether you are building muscle or stamina, all types of exercise relax tense muscles and tissues which can contribute to stress-related aches and pains. Yoga, martial arts, swimming and walking have all been proved to have specific benefits for stress relief.
Is meditation on its own a useful tool against stress?
Meditation is a useful tool in our armour against stress as it helps us to focus on our breathing. When we are stressed and in ‘fight or flight’ mode, our bodies release hormones from the adrenal glands that result in an increase in our pulse rate and breathing. Meditation will help to slow this all down. Is mediation on its own enough? Well it will certainly help, but ultimately the cumulative efforts of everything we do to combat stress is what makes the largest difference.
Are we as a society exposed to more stress than say, our parents were?
The changing ways we communicate via technologies like phones and watches has compounded our stress levels, as we are constantly contactable and have less downtime.  For example you receive a complaint, or a message from a manager adding to your workload by email at 9pm and you end up losing sleep over it! In the past you wouldn’t even find out about it until you got to work in the morning and had the opportunity to immediately address it. We actually spend the bulk of our time worrying about scenarios that may not actually happen! When it comes to worrying the actual concern represents 10% of the situation, the remaining 90% is how you react to it. React positively and you will find that its impact is far less detrimental!

Shoes by Dobell see here

Your recent interview with the BBC touched on the subject of your bright shirt and snazzy shoes. I'd really like to hear you justify my love of dressing up and embracing the fun of colourplay as part of my own anti-stress campaign.
Being able to express yourself is really important. People don’t always find it easy to express themselves, which might explain why mental health issues are epidemic. The quickest way to change your psychology is to change your physiology and the best way to do this is to move, be active, laugh and enjoy yourself. So if fashion gives you enjoyment and is a channel to express yourself…then why not! 

You can see the BBC Breakfast interview along with others that Neil has given by clicking here
To find out more about Neil and the Stress Management Society click here.

Many thanks to Neil for our virtual meeting. We're none of us living a stress-free life nowadays, but we can at least avail ourselves of the various techniques on offer to help reduce the impact on our health. The Stress Management Society website has a 10 Step Stress Solution that's a useful guide to start with (follow the link above).

Anna x

Share:

Ping-Pong Post no12

Hello and welcome to the 12th edition of Ping-Pong post, the monthly collaboration between myself, Samantha of Fake Fabulous and Ann of Kremb de la Kremb. To see the background of this style challenge read here. This month Samantha proffered her black drapey top which almost flummoxed me completely. Despite being simple in shape, it was still one of my least favourite of colours to work with. Let's start with Samantha who certainly didn't seem to struggle -



The black top has a scoop neck and cross over front, but very cleverly Samantha has chosen to wear it back to front revealing a stunning strappy feature below. Wet look leggings, and patent boots lift this plain cotton top into the realms of fabulousness. She has finished this off with a statement bag and necklace leaving no room to doubt that she is indeed a true style icon. Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Details -
TOP: Yong Kim
NECKLACE: Oliver Bonas
LEGGINGS: Pamela Mann
BOOTS: Vagabond
BAG: River Island



Ann has given the top a more casual spin with her snakeskin jeans, biker boots and striped shirt, but hasn't forgotten a dash of glamour by way of her diy ostrich handbag (see the link below). A roll neck and gloves give a nod to the cooler weather Ann is experiencing in Hong Kong this week when she took these shots. Black doesn't look very difficult to wear when you've got the right hair colouring does it? Fab styling Ann! Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Details -
Outfit Details
Earrings--my guy Ben in Jardines Bazaar, a great ladies market in Hong Kong
Turtleneck--heat technology, Uniqlo
Striped Shirt--Zara
Black Top--Sam's
Gloves--market in Shanghai
Ostrich Bag--Kremb de la Kremb DIY
Snake Jeans--Bershka
Moto Boots--boutique on Houhai Lake, Beijing







Those who know me will recognise my default setting here - when in doubt, dress it up! Glitter tights and glitter boots, seemed like a great way of detracting from the pallor-inducing colour of the top. Adding some softer, more neutral tones against the skin also helped. One feature I did like was the pockets and by adding a belt the tunic took on a bit more shape. A splash of silver jewellery and studded clutch were the finishing touches. Samantha - I gave this my best shot, but heck it's been my least favourite of our challenges so far!

Details -
Top: Samantha's
Dress: H&M
Belt: Dorothy Perkins
Tights: H&M
Boots: Topshop
Necklace: M&S
Rings: old
Handbag: charity shopped

The news on Ping-Pong Post is that having completed a whole year of this style challenge we're going to evolve the series a little next month, so do come along to see exactly how on the 20th of March.

Linking with -
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb



Anna x

Share:
Created by bo design