How do you plan a training camp that caters for everyone, from 50m sprinters to open water swimmers? Julie Howe chats to Mike Hodgson from Woking Swimming Club - he has tackled that challenge four times, organising the club’s training camp in Cyprus.

Mike shares what he learned from getting it wrong in year one, how he structures training for such a diverse squad, and why race-pace work becomes a key focus in the four weeks leading up to the National Masters Short Course Championships in Sheffield.

He also shares practical sprint and distance sets you can try in your own training, plus tips on land-based work, recovery and how to plan a successful Masters training camp of your own.

Visit our Instagram channel for additional content via @freestyle_media_swimming and please leave us a rating or review on your podcast player.

How much can you really achieve in the gym if you only have 40 minutes a week?

Strength and conditioning coach Nathan Oxford works with some of the best Masters swimmers in the world, helping them make their time in the gym count.

In this episode, Nathan shares practical advice for fitting effective strength and conditioning around a busy schedule - from fundamental movement patterns and supersets to making training more specific to your events.

We look at how a small, consistent investment in the gym can complement your swimming, helping you build strength and power, reduce injury risk and become a more resilient athlete - and human - as you get older.

If you think you don’t have time for strength training, this episode might change your mind. If you’re already doing strength work, there’s still plenty to learn by listening to Nathan’s advice.

Contact Nathan at hello@oxolt.com or visit https://www.oxolt.com.

Visit our Instagram channel for additional content via @freestyle_media_swimming and please leave us a rating or review on your podcast player.

Nick Parkes shares the remarkable story of his return to swimming after suffering a cardiac arrest at the National Open Water Championships in 2023. Clinically dead for around 20 minutes, Nick has since dedicated a series of fundraising challenges to the air ambulance service that helped save his life.

Now he has taken on his biggest challenge yet: swimming the full 22.5 miles of Loch Ness.

Nick completed the epic swim in the dark, cold waters of the loch with fellow Masters swimmer and doctor Rebecca Lennon providing medical support… Rebecca having recently set a world record for swimming across the Bristol Channel.

Nick and Rebecca talk about the physical and mental demands of a swim of this scale, the medical considerations of spending hours in cold water, the importance of teamwork and support, and what it takes to keep going when things get tough.

We hear about Rebecca’s own attempt to swim Loch Ness, which was abandoned because of poor weather and her world record-breaking swim, and, of course, the question everyone wants answered…

Did they see the Loch Ness Monster?

If you’d like to support Nick’s fundraising, visit nickparkes.co.uk.

Visit our Instagram channel for additional content via @freestyle_media_swimming and please leave us a rating or review on your podcast player.