We’re sure you’ve already heard of extreme endurance adventurer Sean Conway, and if you haven’t, you’re missing out! He’s the first and only man in history to swim the length of Britain in 2013 from Land’s End to John O’Groats across 900 miles. He has previously cycled the length of Britain (1300 miles) and plans to finish his Great British Triathlon in 2014 when he will run the length of Britain.

How to prepare before a long swim

• Mileage makes champions. Get the miles in and your fitness will get better.
• Get a few coaching lessons or if you can’t afford them, check out YouTube for ideas.
• A slight change in style and you can improve a lot.
• Make sure you eat and sleep properly for 2 days before the swim.

How best to conserve energy while in the water

• Relax everything. Having tense muscles will use more energy.
• Improving style helps conserve energy
• Pace yourself properly

Best techniques for recovery after a long swim

• Eat eat eat! Make sure you get the protein in to repair your muscles. I use 2g protein per kg of body weight.
• Try to have a cold shower for 30 seconds before turning the hot on. This helps with lactic acid build up in your shoulders.
• The day after a long swim I do a VERY slow row on the rowing machine (a poor man’s massage!)  to get the blood flowing back into my muscles.