So here we are, 340 days later and I have completed my 9,006km Latin American Pentathlon! Looking at my ‘Virtual Mission’ tracker I am actually 14 days ahead of schedule and 356km ahead of my pacer (I didn’t actually realise I had one until now…) It’s been quite a year. I initially started this challenge as something to keep me focused amid Covid restrictions, uncertain of whether sports events would go ahead. I tasked myself with virtually covering the length of South America, 9,006km, by swimming, cycling, running, kayaking and paddle boarding the distance over 11 months. Looking back though it has been really encouraging to see that there were some lovely moments of normality in my own little weird world! Here are some stats and highlights for me. Over the past 48 weeks I have completed a total 622.5 hours of cycling, swimming, running, paddleboarding and kayaking. Looking at the average of 13 hours per week that this comes in at and I can see why Coach Tom had been starting to worry that I may have been doing too much. Here is how it broke down across the various disciplines... Cycling: Not surprisingly, this was the discipline where I covered the majority of my mileage. 7,991km in fact. Despite owning a turbo trainer, just over 90% of my distance on the bike was done outside, and my trusty hybrid took on a large portion of that, which is only fitting as it took me on my REAL Andes adventure four years ago. It saw me through all sorts of weather and terrain conditions. Then there was my 'surrogate bike', Ian's old jalopy as he calls it, which took me up numerous hill climbs out in the Chilterns I credit my lovely cycling buddies Giovanna and Nikki with getting me through many 'lockdown' miles both this year and in 2020. With restrictions in place again early this year we embraced the peace in London to capture some tourist moments in the City. It was my road bike, affectionately named 'Estrella' which took me through some of my longer rides, and particularly came into her own for my races, but more on that to follow.. Running: This was where I racked up the next biggest portion of my challenge, at 668km. Though at times it felt like harder work than it should have been due to recurring achilles niggles. It was only halfway through the year that I started to join the dots and see that some of these annoying pains and minor injuries were correlating with what was going on with my body hormonally, and so I started to switch up how I was training. Despite the introduction of my amazing GoPro into my life in April, I never could quite get to grips with videoing myself whilst running. So it seems like all I have here is a happy post run in the early spring, or a dodgy dark run during a recent storm... Swimming: I may have 'only' racked up 253km through this discipline, but it doesn't quite reflect just how much time I spent in the water. In fact probably about as much time as I spent on my bike. It is definitely one of my happy places. I am also proud to have completed ALL of my swimming outside, and my first full year of swimming throughout all four seasons in just my swimsuit. Like all of my sports, I carried on regardless of the weather, and in fact it as we enter another winter of swimming it reminds me that the adrenaline rush and afterglow feeling of these cold water dips are what set me up for the day. Even if it may sometimes involve seeing the Thames freeze over in sections and the resultant pink colour of my skin Swimming outdoors really made me very aware of the changing seasons, from bright sunny mornings, through to moody sunrises and of course my recent 'night swim'. Of course part of what brought out my open water swimming passion was necessity due to Covid restrictions on swimming pools. This did mean I embraced new swimming spots and made me ever more appreciative of this wonderful environment. The year started swimming at Teddington, and I never thought I would have seen myself swimming in the Thames! It opened my eyes to nature's challenges, not only the weather but also the flow rate, which led me to experience the outdoor watery equivalent to treadmill swimming, i.e on the spot! As Covid restrictions were relaxing, I managed to swim in the Serpentine from March through to August when another natural phenomenon reared its head - blue green algae. This closed the lake for a few weeks, which afforded me the opportunity to head back to the re-opened Hampstead Ponds. In amongst the highlights of my summer swimming adventures must have been the opportunity to venture to Oxford and then, finally....Aberdeen! I never thought I would have been so excited to swim in the North Sea! Paddleboarding and Kayaking: This was an area where I was relying on opportunities to hire the required kit and have access to some suitable spots. I tried my best and loved every minute of the 94km I managed to cover in these areas. My first opportunity was at the end of April to take part in a 'paddle and litter pick' on the Thames near Kew. This was almost cancelled due to cold weather which made me smile when I think that I am usually IN the water whatever the conditions. A relatively local and favourite spot of mine is Little Venice and an opportunity to get in a few paddles along the Grand Union Canal. Here you pass a myriad of urban landscapes, with the added soundscape of people chattering as they walk near you along the canal path asking random paddleboarding questions, usually along the lines of 'have you ever fallen in?'. (No, but I have a feeling I might if you keep distracting me....) Taking full advantage of my weekend trips to Buckinghamshire to see Ian, I was introduced to the Westhorpe Farm Lake. What a facility to have on your doorstep! It was great to have the opportunity to do both a SUP and a kayaking session with Ian on this lake. On our weekend away in Oxford you can imagine my excitement to find out that the house we were staying in with friends had access to a canoe! Well that was definitely there to be taken advantage of and offered a beautiful way to see the surrounding area. Achievements: In amongst all of the mileage I was set monthly 'wildcard' challenges from Coach Tom, and set myself some others along the way. The first was to do 1000m of climbs and descents of 6% or more on the bike. This equated to 15 hill reps over 2 days, but oh so rainy days, and so the challenge was increased by having to do it on my hybrid for safety. Then there was another bike challenge of covering at least 50% of my distance in one week carrying at least 30kg to simulate a self supported trip. More weight was added in for a 'farmers walk' challenge - to walk for a mile carrying 40kg. This one took me by surprise as I thought it sounded too easy. Well it was anything but, I was in pieces afterwards, but all kudos to Argentinian Javier for encouraging me through it! Peppered in amongst these wildcard challenges were a couple of races. It felt so long since I had done any actual events so I was delighted to be first female in a standard distance aquabike event and first in my age group in what turned out to be a brutal middle distance event. Well I guess the clue was in the title... 'Conquer the Chilterns'. I proudly wore my Sundried kit to both of these events having recently been invited to be an Athlete Ambassador for them. Of course this also gave me an opportunity for a swim in two other locations on the Thames too! I'm not going to deny there have been times that it has all felt like very hard work, especially when I have been trying to balance the uncertainty of my work which has been mostly a famine, and occasionally an almost unmanageable feast. So it was lovely to get some words of encouragement from some sporting heroes of mine. Duncan Goodhew is someone I definitely looked up to during my early swimming years and as the face of the Swimathon back in the day he inspired me to take up distance swimming. So you can imagine my delight when I realised he was a fellow 'Serpie' and I had the chance to chat to him when I was wardening at the Serpentine in the summer. Such a lovely man. Added to that, Ian managed to tell former Olympian Greg Whyte about my challenge when he ran into him in the gym. He is a bit of a legend in my eyes as someone who has actually medalled in the modern pentathlon. Spurred on by my sporting achievements, and with the aforementioned uncertainty of work hanging over me, I was inspired to take up a new personal challenge. To train as a triathlon coach. I spent the first few months of the summer head down, absorbed by my Ironman coaching course. It was all consuming and made me doubt myself on many occasions, but the hard work paid off and I was delighted to achieve coach status with a final mark of 94%. Looking to develop further and really interested in how I was having to adapt my own training, I also undertook the 'Menopause for Athletes' course delivered by all round guru in this areas, Dr Stacy Sims. This has been a bit of a game changer for me and gives me such a sense of pride, both for myself and those I have started to coach. And of course whilst the sporting endeavours spurred me on, it was the many other influences around me that kept me going. A shout out first of all to the lovely animals in my life this year. Two of note: Pushkin, the miniature schnauzer who lives in the flat downstairs who has become my daily walking companion. Although we cover about 20km a week together, I have never factored it into my distances - it has been an ongoing joy to get to know this little furry fella and to hear him side barge the door downstairs as he seems to know when his 2pm walk is. Then there is the equally endearing Mira, the adorable canine companion of my Teddington swimming buddy Nerina. Seeing her arrive enthusiastically in her 'Lifeguard on doody' top, running alongside us as we swim is a thing to behold. Not to mention Dash the enthusiastic black labrador who amuses us with his swimming/diving prowess on every swim. (I can almost see Mira roll her doggie eyes at his antics). At this point I also have to add in a one off, but nevertheless memorable encounter with Finlay and Gabriel the llamas, what a lovely animal encounter to round off the year with. But of course the year would be nothing without the non-furry people around me, and there have been many that have kept me going. Not only through my sporting challenge, but the ongoing personal angst that Covid has caused. I have been so lucky to have such amazing friends and family supporting me. There have been numerous highlights, but in terms of this challenge specifically they have to be my newfound swimming, and I hope, lifelong friend Nerina and cycling buddies Giovanna and Nikki. It was great to be able to share some of the final moments of my challenge with them, which included both South American company, enthusiasm and food and drink! Of course Coach Tom kept me on track, also supporting my strength and conditioning, and championing me to undertake my Ironman coaching course. I owe my lack of injuries in the main to my good friend Dawn, a huge thanks to her for leading me through weekly Yin Yoga sessions all the way from Edinburgh when finances were too tight for me to afford regular sports massages, but muscle flexibility was key. It was a real boost to be able to finally get up to Aberdeen to see family and friends after 20 months this summer, so lovely to be able to hug and spend time with my family, and also Shirley, Allison and Shäron. There is a saying that you don't always have to be able to see friends and family to know they are there, and so it was really heartening to hear their words of encouragement throughout the year. The biggest shout out has to go to Ian who continues to be the most amazing person, and support to me throughout whatever I do. I think hell will literally freeze over before I get him swimming in open water at anything less than 25deg, but I have to give him kudos for suggesting we go kayaking together, and also embracing paddleboarding, despite a bumpy start! And then of course there is the support and encouragement during my races during the year....lets face it, it's not much fun getting up at 5am on a Sunday and standing outside in all conditions for hours. He is a legend. He has seen me through such a period of personal and work uncertainty, as we have now spent more of our relationship during Covid than in 'normal times'. He continues to make me laugh and smile, stay positive, and join me in moments of celebration. And of course it was only fitting that he arranged a wee 'steak night out' to celebrate the end of my South American challenge. Complete with steak that was the closest thing I have seen to those actually in Argentina, and the obligatory Malbec, it was the ideal way to mark the end of this year. Of course I can't finish this blog without letting you know where I would actually be right now had I been in South America. My finish point would be the Argentinian city of Ushuaia It is located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World.” The windswept town, perched on a steep hill, is surrounded by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It's the gateway to Antarctica cruises and tours to nearby Isla Yécapasela, known as “Penguin Island” for its penguin colonies. Poignantly it is also the start point of many of the extreme 'ice mile challenge' swims give the truly hardy an opportunity to swim a mile in waters averaging around -1deg in the Antarctic. This puts my ongoing 'Jedi Polar Bear' swim into perspective, and one that will be ongoing until March 2022.
But surely there is another challenge afoot next year Denise? Yes indeed there is, but more on that to follow in January! For now, from the virtual landscapes of Latin America, I wish you all 'Feliz Navidad' and hopefully, dare I say it a more normal 2022?! But then again I personally don't do normal.......
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So, first off, what exactly is a hybrid event? Well, very simply put, a hybrid event is an experience that brings together people at a physical venue, where everything is taking place, with a virtual audience alongside. It’s essentially the best of both worlds, particularly in a time where the world is changing the way it works as we come out of a pandemic. A hybrid event allows you to gather a certain group of people physically, according to the restrictions put in place. This will, of course, vary from city to city and country to country. But just the fact that you can bring back a certain aspect of in-person is great! And it’s even better because you can harness technology capabilities to add a virtual audience to the experience. What Are The Advantages of A Hybrid Event? Now more than ever, the biggest advantage of a hybrid event is that it will allow you to have a certain level of genuine human connection and interaction going on. After so many months of mandatory social distancing measures, people are hungry for feelings of togetherness and touch – even if it’s in small clusters. One of the best things about hybrid events is that they give you the power to reach a much wider audience than in-person events ever could. Not only are you catering to people who are physically present, but you’re also giving people all across the globe the chance to be a part of this amazing experience. If the goal of your event is to raise brand awareness or generate leads, hybrid events truly represent the best of both worlds. But creating a successful hybrid is not simply a matter of streaming sessions from a socially distanced venue. Looking at some recent successful hybrid events, I have pulled together some top tips to help you navigate into this new evolution of events. First Things First Preparing your attendees for how the event experience will look and feel, whether the gathering was face-to-face or digital is now especially important when you are combining the two. This means making sure your virtual guests know how to log in and are given clear guidance on the platform you are using, and that your live guests know there will be a virtual audience. This ensures that they both know how the agenda will play out. All promotions should make it clear that the event will have both digital and in-person elements and audiences, allowing prospective attendees to select the delivery option that fits their comfort level and current ability to travel. Likewise, try to keep your registration flexible. Travel restrictions are changing from one day to the next, so host organisations need to allow participants to change their plans easily. Someone who might not be ready to commit to attending in person today might find the prospect of traveling more appealing in a few months. Make it easy for registrants to upgrade to in-person attendance if circumstances allow — or to shift from attending in-person to joining virtually if new restrictions keep them home. It is also key to engage all attendees in a meaningful way from the very outset of their event journey. Setting up an interactive platform with a live-chat element long before the event will both stimulate engagement, and possibly also allow attendees to submit questions and suggestions during the registration process. This way your audience feel like they have been involved and you are allowing them to help guide the content. Keep Virtual Attendees Top of Mind When making decisions about speakers, room layouts and the flow of the day, digital attendees should be considered first. It is important to recognise that a remote attendee is just not going to have the same level of attention span as those who are there in person. You also need to consider that the digital audience will need to be able to interact with those at the in-person sessions — asking questions of the speakers, meeting with exhibitors or networking with all other attendees. Shorter, more focused sessions keep attendees' attention better, which benefits all audiences. Make sure you have a good variety of content - presentations, panels, fireside chats, breakout discussions, informal groups, sponsored sessions and networking areas all keep delegates moving between activities and create a flow for the day. And don't be tempted to revert back to a long conference day format - 10am to 4pm is about the maximum time you should consider running a hybrid event for to keep everyone's attention. How Do Physical & Virtual Attendees Interact? Facilitating interactions between the remote and in-person audiences is the true challenge of hybrid events. Solving the dilemma might mean putting a screen onstage to allow remote attendees to take part in a presentation or ask questions; or providing individual tablets to in-person attendees for one-on-one exchanges with digital participants. Integrating a platform like Hopin or Socio is a great addition to your event as it enables meaningful connections to be made via networking. It's important to blend audience engagement throughout the sessions as much as possible, to keep them all equally involved. This is where a strong moderator comes in - they should take as many questions from the in-room attendees as from those online, no matter the numbers. Ice breakers or networking games should be geared toward getting both types of participants talking with one another. You can also try to gamify audience involvement, awarding points when people sign up for the event app, join in meetups or sessions, etc. Those with the most points can win a prize, be entered into a raffle or simply be recognised for their engagement during the meeting. Social media channels, hashtags, and email submissions also go really far in making sure everyone is included. What about the Entertainment & Educational Elements?
Deciding on the entertainment and educational sessions might be slightly more challenging than it would be if this were an in-person or virtual event. With hybrid events, you’ll have to consider how well the content you provide in-venue will translate into virtual. Very loud sounds and dark rooms make for a great live experience, but not so much for a good remote one. Where possible you should make every effort to bring the presenters to the physical event, particularly when arranging panels and other sessions where a lot of back and forth takes place. The interaction and energy onstage become far more authentic and credible done in this way and are a lot more engaging and effective than virtual panels. Not every type of session will suit both audiences, so it is fine to simultaneously run features and sessions that have been crafted specifically for the virtual audience and the in-person audience. This way, everyone feels included and grateful that someone took the time to create seamless experiences for both circumstances. Does this mean double the planning? The concept of a hybrid event does involve some extra planning – certainly more than an in-person or a virtual one would. Obviously, you’ll have to take the time to outline a strategy for the virtual audience and one for the physical audience. Everything you’d have to consider for an in-person event is still relevant – the venue, the speakers, the entertainment, the catering, and so on. And simultaneously, the production aspects pertaining to virtual events will also require attention – the platform, the engagement, and the technology. But don’t think about it as planning two different events - it’s the same one, only heightened and elevated to new levels. So this is where it is key to ensure you have the right project management team and suppliers on board. Hybrid events demand a higher level of production than standard ones do. Your venue/and or production company should offer robust Internet with good speed, high quality cameras and microphones, onsite technical support, and the ability to test and rehearse as many times as possible. Remember that technology can be a dangerous pitfall if you don’t put enough thought and resources into it. Some event hosts have worked with venues and suppliers who have gone that extra mile and have converted breakout rooms into production studios, where in-person producers can create content going out to remote attendees or on social media channels, and where videoconferencing can be set up for private meetings between those at the venue and those joining remotely. At the end of the day, your hybrid event can be as large or as small, as involved or as simple as you like. The main thing to remember is to work with the right project manager who will guide and support you through the process. Get in touch with me for a no obligation chat and to see what is possible! |
AuthorDenise Yeats is a coach, personal trainer, endurance athlete and avid adventurer. She is passionate about supporting women to achieve their goals, working with, not against their changing physiology. Archives
April 2024
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