Swimming Diary: Fighting to stay afloat

Former competitive swimmer and Sport360° journalist Kara Martin gets back in the water in preparation for the Zoggs Mina Mile Open Water Swim Series on November 18th. Every week she’ll keep you updated on her training progress...

I have a confession to make. I’m a lunatic. I’ve started training for a swimming event while still in the midst of training for my next boxing match (this Friday!). And, I’ve also taken on extra work.

As a result, I’ve only hit the upstairs “play” pool at my parent’s building once since we last chatted. And that was just to flop around in the amazing gear I received from Zoggs last week (and to get my body at least acquainted with a bit of chlorine).

I’m doing a great job pretending that I’m well on my way, though, by booking in swim sessions with Super Sports Dubai’s Triathlon Training coach Trace Rogers, as well as a regular deal with our office’s neighbouring Park Rotana health club.

I’ve also been hitting up the shops and stocking up on more swim gear. I bought my first proper endurance swimsuit this week by Speedo that’s 100 per cent chlorine resistant and quick drying. And, as you will see in Essentials this issue, I’ve gotten my hands on a waterproof mp3 player – I mean, what better way to finally get me in the water, right?

I’ve even at last made up my mind that, of the five race distances offered in the Mina Mile Open Water Swim, the 400m is a challenging yet still fairly safe option for me to pursue, and that, with just over a month to go, it’s either now or never.

Still, here I am in the office reading up on swim training rather than practising it. Let me attempt to make myself at least useful by sharing something I learnt about swimming. On average, a swimmer can burn as many calories in an hour as a runner who covers six miles in the same time.

In fact, according to research, swimming burns three calories a mile per pound of bodyweight. You do the maths.