Sheswimsheswims podcast

Ian remains consistent in his pool and sea training but took on an art class this week as something different.Dee managed to get a very small swim in off the Cliffs of Moher and it feels more exciting than a big channel swim. We planned to speak about motivation but ended up talking about it really in the context of social media and the positives and negatives that go with it. Congratulations to Brian Foster who became the first to complete the Irish triple crown with swims all completed as multiples with his double North Channel, triple Fastnet and double Galway Bay.

Ian and Dee discuss the turn of the season and what this means to what you pack in your swim bag and Ian’s thought process on moving from skins to wetsuit for colder temps. They catch up on Daragh’s progress on Swimeire, share stories from recent swims, and tackle some common questions…Can swimmers who learned as adults ever compete with childhood swimmers?How do you find new swim spots?They both realise they love a sparking night swim.Music by Enda Gallery

This week we are joined by Annette Cullen, ILDSA (Irish long distance swimming association) board member. She is no stranger to marathon swimming herself having completed a few relays and solos as well as crewing a number of people through challenging swims. We catch up on what got Annette swimming, where it brought her and then we discuss the ILDSA recording and historical record of swims in Ireland. The ILDSA is a volunteer led association with 7 board members that is made up of imdividuals from within the community who are truly passionate about this sport. There is also a working group of 7 people who support the ratifying process and creating of social media contents.More info can be found here https://www.ildsa.info

The weekly round up included the last Heskin league swim which has a twist, a mass start and the handicaps are only published once swimmers have set off.Spoiler alert… Ian came second male skin.With the seasons changing and routines changing, Dee and Ian talk about their top 5 things they consider important to keep them well and ready to swim.It’s clear neither are vegetarians with both wondering what is quorn… google tells us “Created in 1983, Quorn is the trademarked name given to a meat substitute called mycoprotein. This plant-based protein is derived from a natural microfungus called Fusarium Venenatum.”Contact us @sheswimsheswims on instagram and sheswimsheswims@gmail.comThanks to Enda Gallery for the music

This week Dee and Ian are joined by Oonagh Morrissy as she fills us in on her Fastnet rock swim experience over the past two years. Ian has had the fastest time for a heskin league swim for the first time in a while and Dee competed her first heskin swim in an even longer while. Contact us on @sheswimsheswims instagram or sheswimsheswims@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like our take on a particular topic. Thanks to Enda Gallery for the music

Ian and Dee give a bit of detail around how they plan the year as a coach and as a swimmer. Ian was racing again this time the kingfisher prom swim James Brennan matching his record of having his name on the bullet three times, the bullet is the prize for fastest time in this swim.Dee had a quick turn around on a visit to west cork to crew for Oonagh Morrissey who had an eventful but very much a successful swim to fastnet rock. Big celebrations in Galway this week also as John Shortt is front page news, arriving home from the world junior swimming championships in Romania with two gold medals and a bronze, making him only the second Irish swimmer to be a world junior champion and we are exceptionally proud of him. Follow us on @sheswimsheswims on instagram and send any questions to us there or at sheswimsheswims@gmail.comThanks to Enda Gallery for the music

This week we celebrate Ian coming second in the langan prom swim and the usual catch up. We have had the first guest of this season, big thanks to Rick Officer for speaking to us this week.Dr Rick Officer is Chief Executive Officer  of the Marine Institute with extensive experience in sustainable fisheries, we spoke to him about jellyfish and water temps in the local waters of Galway bay.

Dees injury continues to dominate the conversation, but hopefully that’s coming to an end now that she’s introduced oxygeneration to the recovery programme. Ian gave a few tips on how to train for speed on shorter open water swims and we have yet to see how his own advice might help his own performance. music as always by Enda Gallery

Dee and Ian catch up on a few busy weeks which saw Ian spend 5 days poolside at the NAC for nationals with bluefin SC, both supported the Galway bay swim finish and Dee tried not to wonder how her NC window might have been had she not taken a notion for hill running and broken her leg.When Dee says decent respectable times about this NC window it’s important to point out that she means that as a time she would like for herself and a time she thinks she could manage, aware that her previous longest swim to date is just under 15 hrs and her last effort on the north channel was around the 14 hr mark.Dee also mentioned a temp of 13 for False Bay towards the end of the episode when her swim temp was 18 and she is not yet so good a producer that she can edit that out.As always thank you for listening and send any questions or comments to sheswimsheswims@gmail.cominstagram @sheswimsheswimsThanks as always to Enda Gallery for the music