Are you a Giver or a Taker ?

That's the swim season pretty much over, except for a trip to Buttermere later this year to swim once more where it all began. (Amanda you are coming too!)

At times it feels like we have virtually never been away from The Lake District. At the outset I should take this opportunity to thank Charlie who has never complained, not even once when asked if he was happy to help others achieve their dreams or support other peoples business interests. Despite having had my fingers burnt, on the most part it has been entirely satisfying, fulfilling even emotional at times.

•Windermere with Charlie to pilot for one of Amanda's 6 hour swims (kick start her EC Solo prep.)
•Coniston with Charlie for my BLDSA 5 miler
•Ullswater with Charlie to paddle a 7 mile BLDSA event (for Phil Yorke)
•Derwentwater with Charlie to paddle a 5 mile BLDSA event (for Phil Yorke)
•Windermere with Charlie to Pilot for Kathryn's One Way
•Windermere with Charlie for my latest One Way
•Windermere with Jason to Pilot for Gavin's One Way

I am a firm believer regarding the importance of giving back to the sport whenever we can. Swims at all ends of the spectrum are officially recorded as 'Solo' however they are without doubt always a team effort. Not just the main events but our build up and training, which can sometimes be years in the making.

We should never lose sight of, nor neglect to be grateful for the unsung volunteers who give their time to support, be it in, on or around the water. Financially assisting us to achieve our dreams or remaining at home taking care of loved ones.

Personally speaking I get a real buzz witnessing like minded people achieve what they once considered the impossible.

So if you can, give a little back. It feels good.... I promise. and above all......

Two days, Thomas and Trackers

At 5am this morning I finally finished my last shift prior to the 2 way swim...Not a great deal of sleep as is usual after night shifts, but I hope to catch up a little bit tonight..

I just spoke with my friend Thomas Noblett who recently spent 17 hours battling what he calls his mistress, ie The English Channel, it wasn't to be his day on this occasion but he will land in France one day soon of that I am certain. Thomas is one of the nicest blokes we have met. He goes out of his way to help others, his hospitality and supportive nature know no bounds.

He has very kindly allowed me the use of his spot tracker for Thursday so you will be able to see exactly where we are on the lake. It will be switched on just before the start.
Here's the link: http://bit.ly/swimtrack

We will be starting on the West side of the Lake at the Ferry and swimming south to Fell Foot, then heading back to the Start point where the electric boat from Shepherds will need exchanging for one with a new power source (I will be joined by a kayaker at this point before the return of the fresh crew and boat)

After this, the plan will be to continue North to Ambleside with an eventual turn around back to the start point...Well...that's the plan...what actually happens remains to be seen.

Thank you so much for all of your comments on the previous post, facebook and twitter. Its great to know you are taking interest and your support means a great deal to us.

3 days and counting

As  a result of the untimely car accident, a new shift pattern at work and the summer holidays for schools, my training took a bit of a battering, however, things are settling down nicely with the aid of physio, massage and medication...I apologise for the lack of updates but to be quite honest, there has either been nothing much to say or I lost the urge to post...

On the training front I have swam as much as the above circumstances have allowed, with a couple of six hour swims, including another one way Windermere, a six hour at Ellerton last weekend and the odd two/three hour efforts here and there. More or less double the amount of swimming I managed last year.

With just three days to go until the planned 2011 target I am feeling rather nervous, excited too, but more nervous than anything else..

The plan is to reunite the team (Capt Pash, Sarah and KGB) at The Langdale Chase Hotel and start the swim the following morning at 6am Thursday 25 August...a year to the day since my first 1 Way Windermere..

I am hoping to have a tracker on the support boat, where if you are so inclined you will be able to follow my progress as I attempt to swim the length of Englands Longest Lake in both directions, 21 miles hopefully in about 14 hours.

Everything after 7 hours will be new territory, hence the nerves and anxiety at the prospect. your support is really appreciatted and any comments are greatly received!

More news soon...I promise

Thick and Fast

The children returned to school last Monday after the the final break of the educational year, albeit will soon be the six week summer holidays. This allowed for a little more training as I continue along the road (or stepping stones as I prefer to call them), enroute to the goals for 2011.

I have developed quite a good relationship with Joe Hunter (EC Sept 2011) and together we have been swimming and laughing at the 'resort' of Seaton Carew near Hartlepool, the water up North is a little cooler than that of the English Channel therefore the time spent on the sessions is obviously nowhere near that of Freda's gang at Dover. That said, we have been making some excellent progress whilst shuffling our everyday work and family issues.

Monday 6 June 1hr 15mins @ 54f/55f
Tuesday 7 June 1hr 35mins @ 53f/54f
Thursday 8 June 1hr 25mins@ 53f

Sandettie shows the Channel in the region of 57f so this is good training for Joe (he recently swam the Eton 10km in 3h:38m and has had a three hour swim at Dover and five hours at Ellerton)

Meanwhile on Saturday I travelled together with KGB, Charlie and Lottie to the Lake District in order to meet with Andy Williams, the purpose of the rendezvous was to have a test swim to assess our pace and to discuss some of the finer details of the planned 2 Way Windermere. We were invited by Thomas Noblett to base ourselves at the delightful Langdale Chase where we were allowed full use of his swimming facilities including kayaks, jetty, changing areas etc.

Andy and I swam for an hour (59f /15c) from the Jetty at the hotel to Holme Crag, accompanied by his wife Ruth in her own sit on kayak, therefore our safety was never an issue, afterwards we warmed up in the the sunshine overlooking the lake from the beautiful hotel grounds where we were spoilt by Thomas providing us fresh coffee with scones, whipped cream and jam..heaven! After some navigation talk and general planning we left for a few hours in Ambleside before the usual 100 mile drive home, before I end this piece I should say a massive thank you to KGB for her continued support and to Thomas who could not have done more to assist....Top man.

Once home I broke most of the pre swim event rules by having a few glasses of red wine, a large hot curry and a late night (for me) watching Forrest Gump..I say pre swim as Sunday I was entered in the BLDSA Wykeham Championships.

Rising early enough to try and fail to eat breakfast, I drove the 65 miles or so towards Scarborough whilst Charlie spent some time with Grandad, it was lovely and sunny with just a little breeze, far better than the prediction. On arrival it was great to see Mark Blewitt, Nuala (Stop Talking) Muir-Cochrane, El Capitan Mark Pashby and his trusty side kick Darren as well as Jo and Amanda from Ellerton who were competing in their first BLDSA event.

I was keen to get started and return home to Charlie and was therefore a little disappointed with delayed start time,  however the 5 laps each of 1000m were soon underway, the conditions were good with the water at 60f/15.5c a little surface chop but nothing like the sea. My goal as with all of these events is firstly to finish and secondly to endeavour to complete in somewhere near to last years time of 1h:41m:12s, (the course is plotted using GPS to ensure accuracy), I was very pleased and surprised to complete my 5km in 1h:37m:45s so age has not taken too much out of me........yet. Thanks to all the safety paddlers and to Dee and Liane for running the show.

Congratulations to Amanda, Jo, Pash and Darren who all completed their swims.

As stated I was in a bit of a rush so departed prior to the awards ceremony, in fact, I was in so much of a rush that I left without my tracksuit bottoms, it was only a few miles up the road I realised I was in fact driving home in speedos with a towel around my waist (I am so pleased I didn't get pulled for speeding!)

The events seem to be coming thick and fast now with The Champion of Champions event this Saturday..so to finish and continue the Tanni GT vocalisation...I am hoping for 2h 50m 5 miles, 1h 40 3 miles, 35 mins 1 mile..fingers crossed.

New Year New Targets

New Years Eve filled with parties, alcohol, fireworks and festivities isn’t always my favourite time of the year. I often find myself reflecting on memories from years ago, childhood thoughts of ‘first footing’ at my parents house and the joy those days brought. On the flip side is the dread of what the coming year may bring. Trying to dispel the fears of the emotional battles that lay ahead we move into 2011 with another set of goals.

2010 more or less rebooted my swimming , with a specific set of stepping stones leading to the target of the One way Windermere swim. I generally find it a lot easier to be motivated when I have something to aim towards, last year was very methodical and thankfully allowed me to progress without to much trouble be it mentally or physically, I had some lower back problems earlier in the year but this soon subsided as my condition slowly improved.

If anything, training of late has been ahead of schedule in comparison to last year, timings in the pool are down on twelve months ago but stamina appears to be improved, basically I am not as quick but I can go for longer! A better situation to be in I suppose…slow and steady wins the race so says the tortoise!

Last week brought my first little challenge since the summer when I decided on a steady two hour pool swim (I hadn’t swam for longer than 90 minutes since August) I was pleased to get 7000m under my belt which is a great benchmark for the big plan. That said, like most of the UK I have been suffering with varying degrees of ‘manflu’ since before Christmas which has resulted in a chest infection coupled with an intercostal muscle injury. A trip to the GP for confirmation and a weeks supply of anti biotics and instructions to take it easy was not what I wanted to hear yesterday. I dare say the weather hasn't helped with everything including the River Tees being frozen.

The lay off from training has allowed me time to get stuck into my recent birthday present from Charlie….Lewis Pugh’s book ’Achieving The Impossible’

I actually have several new swim books to keep me motivated. I am all too aware of the phrase “a little frustration builds the desire” and this certainly is the case whilst injured. Speaking of motivational gifts from Charlie, I also received the DVD film Touching The Void which I recommend without hesitation. If you enjoyed my other favourite ‘Two Swimmers’ you not be disappointed in this powerful documentary film.

So..in a frustrated state, unable to train, that brings me to this years ambitions…similar to last year I have a main goal with some testing challenges enroute..

Here goes:

The April/May weekend of the Royal wedding brings the Swim4Life…a twenty four hour event, swimming 1 mile on the hour every hour for twenty four hours at Guildford Lido. Whilst this isn’t in freezing cold water it will definitely be a tough day with little sleep/rest between each mile.

Having rejoined the BLDSA the next insane stage is the Champion of Champions event at Dover Harbour mid June, this involves three swims of 5 miles, 3 miles then 1 mile in what usually averages around 13 degree water. This will without doubt be a very very tough day.

This leads me to my principal 2011 Challenge… some time in August I will attempt to swim Lake Windermere both ways non stop 21 miles of freshwater, I have already asked another swimmer to join me on this challenge, I am delighted he has accepted but he will remain anonymous until he is happy to be identified (oh and when he has told his Mrs!)

The 2Way swim is a massive event for me, it will take over 13 hours, but throughout the swim I will have the words of The King, Kevin Murphy himself ringing in my ears.."if you have plenty of sea swimming experience and can do a two-way Windermere I'd bet on you completing the Channel"

The King of The Channel

GLG Buttermere Challenge

I wasn't the most popular person in the world when I told Charlie we would be getting up early on Sunday 3rd October to travel to the Lake District for the latest in the GLG Challenge Series, when KGB and Lottie realised we would be leaving around half seven there was some doubt regarding their attendance at the sacrifice of the Sunday morning lie in bed. I had a little chat with the kids and tried to explain, at times we need to give a little back to those people who support us, the need for being reliable and standing by your commitments. We agreed to be ready to hit the road no later than 7:45am.

Returning home just before bed, I sent Gary (GLG Cycles) a text, he stated the 'artists' (you can decide what type of artists they are!) would be leaving home about 6am with an estimated arrival time of 9-9:30...knowing the organisational skills of the individuals involved my initial thoughts were those of doubt. Next morning I was delighted to find Charlie awake before the alarm sounded, we were soon ready as KGB arrived to pick us up, the kids ate breakfast enroute as KGB constantly reminded me how hungry she felt and that she was desperate to stop for food. The tight schedule would not allow for this, we motored across the A66, over the totally impressive Honistor Pass and down to the pre arranged rendezvous at the south end of Lake Buttermere.  

We arrived bang on half past nine and parked at roadside in the pouring rain. There was no sign of Gary and his posse? preparing a cups of tea, we both questioned whose bright idea this had been? the skies were grey, the rain fell constantly with an air temperature around 10 degrees, we sat in the car wondering if the others had actually decided not to bother. We had no signal on our mobiles as a result of which we had no way of communicating. We resigned ourselves to getting cold and driving back home if the artists didn't arrive in the next hour.

Just as hope was fading Gary's car flashed by, I sounded the horn, he screeched to a halt and jumped out... that was it....the laughter began, he was already kitted out in his ill fitting wetsuit, cycling hat and shades (it was pouring down) I was creased up, they had been parked a few hundred metres away and were thinking the same as us. Off they went to park a car at the North End of the lake returning to escort us to their seedy hide away.

We were soon stripped for action, the new kayak purchased by Gary was inflated, off we headed to the start, a slight trespass over private farmland, over a stream to the slate shoreline of the start, I carried the kids across the stream, the water felt freezing, my legs were numb within moments. Oh dear was this going to be a bridge too far?

We took photographs pre swim, noted Craig's duct tape securing his wetsuit around the waist and legs (I kid you not...check the photo!!) I then briefed the swimmers, KGB, Andrew, Craig, Gary and Dave our faithful boat support. The faces looked somewhat more serious than at at the Seamew Crag Challenge, was this worries or was it men trying to look cool in the presence of a girl. Afterall there had already been some suggestions after Gary zipped up KGBs wetsuit....ahem. Yes, that was noted gentlemen.

The shrieks and screams could be heard for miles around as water entry was tentatively negotiated, I walked further east to set Charlie and Lottie on their exploration walk of the lakeside path with strict instructions to stay in sight..then I was off, good grief this felt way cooler than my Windermere swim, was it down to my lack of exposure to cold water recently or was it really that cold. I breast stroked through the shallow water getting to grips with my breathing, the rest of the gang were well on the way as we all headed towards the re group point. I could hear Dave, Craig and Gary laughing from the word go.

Once I adjusted the water felt OK, my watch was reading 55F about 12.5C, by now I was swimming front crawl breathing to the right trying to spot the kids as we headed North, stopping occasionally to confirm their location and well being, I was soon disturbed to see they had stopped and had been still for some time. I was signalling for them to move on but was unable to hear what they were shouting. I had no option than to swim to shore, remove my ear plugs and asses the problem. Standing in the waist deep water, both kids explained they were being watched and were frighted to move...What!? was I hearing correctly, we were in the middle of nowhere, then I saw it, as they shouted "UP THERE..THE SCARY SHEEP!!" I could see a sheep complete with large horns watching over his pasture....reassurance soon won over the kids as the dashed to safety, laughing and looking over their shoulders..its was quite funny.

I swam on to see the re group agreement had been abandoned, so much for my briefing! the swimmers had split into two groups, Andrew and Kelly were doing well swimming front crawl, with Craig and Gary leisurely head up breast stroking, taking in the scenery, accompanied by Dave. I swam the 2km to the end of the Lake to be greeted by the kids who were keen to tell stories of their adventure, soon I was joined by KGB, she looked frozen though she had done really well to swim this far more or less alone.

The swim complete, we stood waiting for the arrival of the others, the kids had carried a towel for me but KGB was beginning to suffer, I made a barefoot recce to locate Gary's car so we could be ready to head off in the correct direction as soon as the rest of the gang finished. After some time and Andrews divertion (I think he was heading for Crummock Water, we were all on dry land, glowing with a sense of achievement, the boys appeared very happy with their swim, the fantastic surroundings added to the enjoyment, even the rain had stopped. 

The walk to the car brought some strange looks from hikers and dog walkers with me in my speedos and Craig wearing his rubber poncho, eventually despite Gary's attempts to park as far away as possible we reached the car, where the boys got changed. Back to the southern car park KGB and I shed our wet swim stuff before tucking into hot drinks, cakes and sweets. Andrew provided the kids with a flask of hot chocolate..though only luck prevented them receiving cup fulls of Craig's coffee laced with Whisky!

It was all too soon time to head home, we had a great time despite the weather with the Lake District yet again coming up trumps....the next GLG challenge will be next year at Derwent Water, another little step up in distance, however I will speak with the big man upstairs and pre order some sunshine. 

Lake Windermere One Way

Rising at 6am on Wednesday 25th August after a reasonable nights sleep, the weather looked fantastic as I walked the dog, prior to the usual uncomfortable and dreaded forcing down of porridge. This eating first thing on a morning lark never gets easier for me. The car was packed with enough supplies to feed every living relative! Chris Pearson arrived (he was going to swim in his wetsuit and as many other bits of rubber / under garments as he could find) Departing from home at 7am I was surprised by the amount of traffic using the roads as we crossed the A66. Progress was thwarted by the odd heavy goods vehicle, caravan or tractor. Ambleside as always, was a welcome sight, however just as Windermere itself came into sight...so did Chris' breakfast! not what I wanted to see, hear or smell. A brief welfare break and we were once more enroute to Bowness our intended rendezvous point with the rest of 'Team Robson'.

I had reserved an electric boat at Shepherds for a couple of reasons...no physical exertion to be required, some cover from the weather would be afforded to the crew, the noise would be minimal if any and most importantly there would be zero fumes to upset my stomach or head whilst swimming.

The ever jovial Sarah Tunnicliffe had already arrived, closely followed by our skipper for the day Mark 'Pash' Pashby, after introductions, hugs (and hungry parking meters) we off loaded the cars, the girls stowed everything on the boat whilst Pash was briefed by the horizontal laid back staff.

Moments later, slightly behind schedule we left Bowness and motored (at 4mph!) to Fell Foot the official start point of the swim. This was ample time for me to brief Sarah regarding the finer points of my feeding plan and Pash for the best route to Ambleside, as Chris rested his weary head.

Conditions looked near perfect, a slight breeze, breaking clouds, I couldn't have wished for more. The crew were chatting away, picking out landmarks for navigation purposes and becoming slightly nervous at the imminent event, to the extent that we all needed the toilet! With Fell Foot in full view Chris squeezed into his rubber torpedo suit, Pash skillfully moored us at the jetty, it was time to strip, grease up and commence my attempt to swim Englands longest lake.

(Some Windermere Facts: ten and a half miles long and a mile and a quarter across at it's widest point, with a depth of up to 220 feet. The lake is so large that it has a slight but discernable tide. Deeper than the English Channel.)

Chris stood on the Jetty dancing around freeing himself from nervous energy as I applied Vaseline around the arm pits, neck and groin, the crew took their positions, Pash started the clock at 11:14am as I lowered myself into the water and began stroking in as relaxed a manner as possible. Initially we had to manoeuvre around several moored yachts before having much open water ahead. The boat was positioned to my right hand side, so all I had to do was breath, I was completely confident of being piloted the shortest possible route, I didn't want to have to sight ahead which strains my neck, it was great having the boat for company, knowing all my needs were taken care off by a very upbeat, enthusiastic crew.

The arrangement was to feed every 30 minutes taking Maxim and possibly some solids in the shape of jelly babies, chocolate rolls, jaffa cakes, milky ways or similar. I had pre mixed the maxim just before we left home using the guide Nick Adams posted on the Channel group earlier this season. All Sarah needed to do was pour 200mls into the feed bottle, add 200mls of hot water, attach to the 'Cliff Golding reel and line' and dispatch to the swimmer.

The first feed arrived in what seemed like no time at all, I commented to KGB that the water was 62F, drank the maxim as quick as possible together with two jellies, and swam on. At this point my stroke rate was 64spm. I felt great. The next couple of feeds were fairly uneventful, Sarah was keeping notes on what I consumed, Pash logged the location as KGB snapped away with the camera..it was going like clock work.

According to Pashs' log:
Feed 2 @ 12:15 Blake Holme Nab..Plain Maxim 400mls
Feed 3 @ 12:45 Dog Nab.. Maxim and Coffee 400 mls. Stroke Rate 68 spm.
Update @ 12:54 passing Beech Hill Hotel
Feed 4 @ 13:15 Rawlinsons Nab..Maxim 400mls

So.. two hours had now passed, Pash recorded that I was in good spirits, was joking about the water temperature and splashing the crew mid stroke, I remember splashing both Pash through his open window and Sarah (she was quick to tell me off). I was happy enough, but was developing a bit of a headache which I put down to the Cressi goggles I opted for at the start (they have yellow lenses and make any day look bright and cheerful). As a result I flipped over mid stroke and spoke with Sarah requesting some clear Aquasphere Goggles at the next feed.

Feed 5 @ 13:45 Black Coffee

Feed 6 @ 14:15 Maiden Home..Maxim 400mls

Update @ 14:32 Passing The Lillies (adjacent to Belle Isle)
I recall this point in the swim, I knew this meant we had now crossed to the West side of the Lake where we would remain until the last couple of kilometres, I was also aware this was the half way point, all of this knowledge lifted my spirits I remember upping the pace somewhat as we travelled through the shallows.

Feed 7 @ 14:45 Thompsons Holme..Maxim plus 2 Jelly babies, Pash also entered the water here (he must have needed to take a leak!) he would swim somewhere near the boat upto, but no further than it was time to return to the East side of the Lake (plan was to cross somewhere near Wray Castle). KGB was now piloting the boat after instruction from the skipper.

Feed 8 @ 15:15 Bass Rock to the left side..Plain Water..I was starting to feel a little full on maxim and felt the need to flush out my system before I over loaded, Pash approached me in the water and asked if I was OK, I responded saying "I'm having a bit of a blip but I'm OK"

I swam on once more knowing the next hurdle was the cross over, somewhere around this stretch the water again became a little more difficult to the extent that I was adjusting my recovery to combat the waves, it soon became apparent this was due to speed boats and water skiers, I was amazed to see this as the lake has a 10mph speed limit..Is it possible to water ski at such a speed? Whatever the answer is to that, the boats as well as the passenger ferries all gave me something else to think about and broke up the boredom of the ideal conditions with which I had been blessed for most of the swim.

Feed 9   @ 15:45 Maxim

Feed 10 @ 16:15 Wray Castle..Plain Water..Pash now tried to leave the water, he was struggling to get into the boat so much so that I decided to swim on alone as this was clearly going to take some time. I could see a large green buoy in the distance and tried to make progress in that direction until such times as the boat caught up. I also used this time to backstroke for a couple of minutes resting my shoulders as well as seeing if the boat was on its way. 

With Pash back on board and wrapped up warm, onwards we continued, I asked if we were about to cross the Lake and was pleased to be told we were already doing so, by this stage the days Maxim was feeling like it no longer wanted to stay in my stomach, it wasn't due to the swell, it was something else, I was becoming increasing agitated by the nauseous feeling, it was forcing to stop, face away from the boat and let out an almighty belch each time, I was not actually vomiting though it was on its way for certain. 

Feed 11 @ 16:45  Offered a feed of choice.. maxim / water, I declined everything at this point due to the stomach issues and decided to continue without hoping it would settle down, a Rennie tablet had no effect so I plodded on recognising Low wood Hotel and knowing full well  I was inside the final mile.

Throughout the next half an hour or so the sickly feeling continued, I stop several times to address this, took a breather before swimming on, Sarah was then entering the water for the final leg through the small boats moored near the Ambleside Youth Hostel, an area I know very well, the end was literally in sight. KGB was now seated on the front of the boat cheering us all on as we slowly closed in on The Ambleside Waterhead Pier.

After 5 hours 58 minutes and 58 seconds Chris, Sarah and I all swam across the finish line..to much cheers and congratulations...Job Done!

I was delighted to have finished, to have completed the swim and hit the target I set some time ago at the start of the season. I struggled to dry land, and proceeded to be violently sick, my hips were very sore and my stomach felt like it had been turned inside out.

Eventually we all dressed, returned to the boat and motored off South to Bowness, I was presented with bottle of Champagne by Chris (thankyou Chris) and a toy medallion from Sarah! The journey back to Shepherds was lovely and peaceful, the sun was shining allowing me to fully take in the days events.

The sickness continued preventing me from enjoying a post swim meal but that wasn't important. The day was a complete success...My Crew whom I cannot thank enough were absolutely awesome, everything went exactly according to plan and I learnt a lot. Not least of which is the strength at which I can handle maxim.!

Thankyou all so very much...it was a great day. I will be calling on your services again of that you can be sure. Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou

Capt Pash Pilot extraordinaire

The end in sight...

another feed

GLG Seamew Crag Challenge

I have known Gary Dean for over twenty years, he runs a bike shop (GLG Cycles) very close to where I lived as a child. He has always been a great source of support, he is reliable and guaranteed to inject humour and practical jokes into almost any situation. Though at times he does have some crazy ideas. His dad, Stan, introduced me to the art of swearing in between words!

Gary and some of his long standing friends from school have been undertaking some physical challenges..walks, cycles etc in what I refer to as their mid life crisis.

Earlier this year I watched the Robson Green Wild Swimming show on TV which gave me the idea of swimming around Holy Island I made some enquiries with Ollie Jay who kayaked for Robson, it soon became apparent the swim was a non starter due to tidal influence and a lack of actual water to swim in. The idea of Gary and his posse swimming to and from Holy Island in similar fashion to Robson was also not possible due to the restrictions in place and protected environment of nesting birds. The seed however had been in Gary's fertile mind.

I had the perfect solution, a swim I was familiar with in spectacular surroundings, that being Ambleside YHA to Seamew Crag on Lake Windermere, a distance of around 900 metres each way. After consultation with his 'gang' a date was set for the GLG Seamew Crag Challenge. I agreed to accompany them as guide for the day.

So...the day after our visit to Keswick, I was returning to the Lake District. A slightly late pickup, introductions and much laughter as we crossed the A66 through cloud, rain and foreboding weather to arrive at an Ambleside blessed with  pleasant dry conditions. The cars were parked and we quickly viewed the water and distances awaiting us. Dave was dispatched to collect/hire a rowing boat as the remainder (Gary, Andrew and Craig) donned their ill fitting wetsuits. My face was aching, my eyes were streaming and my sides were sore due to uncontrollable laughing. I honestly thought I was going to wet myself. You had to be there..

I tried to get serious for a moment in order to deliver a safety brief, we entered the glassy waters together and began the swim, I remained with the boys for around 200 metres with Dave as safety boat flag alpha included, then as agreed, swam on towards the intended destination. My swim was good, it was a little weird being out mid lake alone as passenger boats passed by. I reached the Crag, took in the magnificent views then returned across the lake to rejoin the others, accompanying them to the Island, we landed after 45 minutes of leisurely breast stroke, Gary in sunglasses refusing to get his face wet!

A couple of minutes rest, welfare checks and they were off again on the return leg. I stood in the water at the Crag on what was now a beautiful sunny day, allowing them ten to fifteen minutes head start. From my position I could hear the laughing and joking and Gary shouting 'get out of my lane'. I then continued my swim joining the others mid lake, all was well, spirits were high. I gave some advice and asked for some re grouping as they approached the other lake traffic. Everybody was sensible, I swam ahead in order to be ready with the camera to record their achievement. As they closed in to the jetty and the YHA they all looked very proud, a couple of them even appear to have been bitten by the Open Water bug to the extent that I have suggested the next swim challenge...Lake Buttermere at the end of September.

Thank you to Gary and the other 'artists' not only for buying my lunch, my gifts of 'Dino' wine and the 'Jaws' mug (very funny Gary) but for a great day out, I haven't laughed this much since the girl came in the bike shop and asked for a "speed omlette" (she wanted a speedometer!)  It was beneficial for me too, 95 minutes in the water at 64F in addition to yesterdays swim at Keswick, its all in the bank...Looking forward to Buttermere.

Capsized in Keswick

Since my last post mid July I have had around ten open water swims, the first couple after Charlies swim being in The North Sea at Seaton Carew near Hartlepool, which as always expected after the balmy lake felt absolutely Baltic! at 55F. I have also had a very beneficial sprint session at Ellerton Lake with Chris Pearson.                                                             
                                 

Last week for the first time since 2008 KGB accompanied me with the kids to Seaton, to watch me swim in near perfect conditions, the water was a little patchy ranging from 55F to 58F, though it was more or less flat and very enjoyable, I wanted/needed to ensure I kept up the colder swims prior to the upcoming BLDSA event. That said, KGB purchased a wetsuit last Wednesday and was keen to test it out which meant another visit to the lake.

On Friday 30th after a day at work we drove across Country to the Lake District for the Derwent Water BLDSA 5.25 mile swim, on arrival we checked into the very very nice bed and breakfast 'The Lookout'  just outside Keswick Town Centre, it was a delight especially after the recent episode at 'The Dover Dump. I had been made aware that Dan Martin was also to be in attendance in order to support Alice Harvey a young, very talented swimmer from Jersey. (she has already swam around Jersey and Jersey to France). It came as a great surprise when Cliff Golding called and explained he was also with Dan and Alice, it made my day knowing Cliff was soon to be with us. After showering we walked into town, met up with the gang and headed to an Italian feed spot and a couple of beers, followed by an early night for much needed sleep.

As usual the early start routine was to attempt to force down breakfast (I find it difficult to eat anything before 10am) then take the short drive to the Lake for registration, numbering and re introductions firstly to Dave Neal who again we hadn't seen since 2008 who had kindly offered the use of a kayak. I also met Karen Throsby and her partner Peter. Karen is due to swim the English Channel in just two weeks time and has undergone a very methodical, detailed and extensive preparation. Below Karen (L) Alice (R).

At the five minute warning all boat crews deployed on the water, KGB was using Dave's sit on Kayak storing flasks of hot maxim, wearing her new wetsuit to avoid the cold should the rain start. Swimmers were then counted into the water before the event/race was officially started by Pam Morgan the BLDSA President. The course was to be a triangular route with two left turns, basically over two miles out, left for the width of the lake then left again and another +two mile stretch back to the start/finish point.

The first leg was with a slight head wind, I found myself adjusting my stroke slightly to compensate for the mild chop, I spoke to KGB after about forty minutes and told her I would feed at the first turn buoy, it was nice to eventually see her pouring my drink which she handed me at the turn after about 70 mins. The depth of the lake then dropped severely, I was swimming through dense weeds and at one point scraped my hand across the lake bed. I took another feed at the next buoy before we turned to head south.

A short time later I was passed by Alice, this was nothing to worry about, if anything it would make life easier for navigation as KGB could just follow, being that the finish was nowhere to be seen. Well....that was the plan.

Then it happened...I was swimming along minding my own business trying to stay in the zone, the water was a steady 62F and I was on the home stretch to complete my longest open water swim of the year, when without warning over went my kayaker into the water, capsized and soaked to the skin. I could see her trying to right the kayak as the flasks bobbed around one of which disappeared from sight into the depths. A few minutes later as KGB struggled to climb aboard we were joined by one of the safety craft, too late I'm afraid as we were now ready to recommence our efforts.

My mind was now wandering I could see Kelly was drenched and did not look too impressed or warm, we were being blown of course, with Dan and Cliff well off in the distance. About half and hour later I took one more feed and plodded on, we had drifted into a cove and could not see the finish line until we were more or less on top of it. Once we finally sighted the piers I stroked home in a time of 2 hours 40 minutes, around ten minutes sooner than predicted, which considering the unexpected incident wasn't too bad at all.

We waited around for all swimmers to finish before the presentation, followed by final goodbyes to friends old and new. I had completed the swim without injury, made an excellent recovery with no adverse effects to the time in the water on what had turn out to be a damp grey day. Overall brilliant training and another step en route to bigger goals.

Coniston and continued training

Sunday 30th May was event one of the Epic Swim Series, the location was Coniston Water in the Lake District, at the crack of dawn I headed across Country utilizing the 'sat nav' and soon found myself being taken the scenic route to say the least. The journey took much longer than normal, I think next time I will rely on the old fashioned methods. Modern technology then took me to the wrong final destination, fortunately the actual location I needed to be at was only a mile or so away. I arrived at a the registration point,in a local school, signed in, collected my timing chip and scoffed down some breakfast whilst admiring the spectacular views.

The first swim of the day was a 500m sprint, watching this to familiarise myself with the start point etc. Despite my objections the organisers had declared that wetsuits were compulsory, I changed into rubber and stood around waiting for the start of the 3800m event. After a short safety brief around 90 swimmers were counted into the water, it felt very warm and awkward in the wetsuit, my watch was reading 58f. We were informed a two minute count down would precede the start, so, there I was bobbing around between a boat and the first buoy when suddenly the horn sounded and we were off. It was a mass start, the dog fight that followed kind of took me by surprise, I should have known better. Sustaining an elbow strike to the face almost instantly which knocked my goggles just about clean off but for the fact they were under my cap, it was almost game over at the start.

I eventually got into some clear water and pressed on. The course was set out in a manner where two laps were required, the buoys in the distance about 1000m away could not be seen. This was my only real criticism of the event which I am told is to be addressed for future 'epic events'

After the first full clockwise rectangular lap I checked my watch, I was disappointed to see it reading about 32 minutes, I continued with the second loop and reached the the final buoy another half hour later, a short swim to the shore, a run up the matting and over the timing mat stopped the clock. I stripped to the waist and watched the remainder of the swimmers finish. After watching the final race (1mile) I headed home via lunch in Ambleside.

The next day whilst having a day off in York rehydrating with Guinness I discovered via the results that I was the 13th male to finish in a time of 66minutes, I was hoping for a better time though this is only comparing back to my triathlon days, no two courses are identical and this one was certainly not easy to follow with so few buoys. All in all it was a fun day, a nice change of venue and easy to swim in the presence of others.

Three days after the Epic swim on June 2nd I had chance to visit good old Seaton Carew, I had real trouble getting into the water, it was bloody freezing ! I wasn't sure but was convinced it was due to swimming in the wetsuit at the weekend. I did talk myself round and swam and hour among tonnes of seaweed at a constant 52f. I do prefer a steady surface temperature rather than patchy water but that Wednesday was horrid.

Thursday 4th another trip alone to Seaton, the sea weed was still present as were the lifeguards, I walked in expecting the worse, yet, to my amazement the water was warm, my watch was hitting 59f I thought this could be due to the hot sun being absorbed by the masses of seaweed. The sea itself was quite challenging, very confused short choppy waves making technique and breathing difficult, this was excellent training and less mentally challenging with the warmer water.

After what feels like an age I returned to the pool this week to complete a time trial incorporating a 5500m descending ladder, my time has finally dropped back to that of 2008 and I was able to hit 90 minutes at long last.

This week I have an OSS swim with Sarah Tunnicliffe at Thirsk on Saturday 12th and The first BLDSA Championship of the year at Wykeham Lake on Sunday 13th June..more news to follow soon

little by little

I am finally beginning to feel a little fitness coming back after returning to the pool, I have as usual been training alone and swimming as and when the usual commitments permit. My swims have usually been for around an hour or less, initially it was a struggle to just plod for a thousamd metres but I am pleased to say my times are beginning to drop.

This the weekend I decided to have a go at one of my old favourite swim sets...Basically it is a descending ladder in 100m drops from 1km to 100, ie 1000,900,800,700 etc down to 100 which totals at 5500m.

Last year I was always able to hit 90 minutes for the set with around 15 secs rest between efforts...at the moment I am on 95 mins, sometimes stretching it to 30+ secs rest towards the beginning of the session. After the first three swims I was doubting I could finish but was delighted to do so in a reasonable time. As my aerobic fitness slowly returns I will be able to lower the rest periods and be closer the target time.

This weekend (12/13 Sept 2009) is the Great North Swim in Lake Windermere (1 mile in open water) I am in a wave on Saturday afternoon and will be hoping to finish in 26 mins. After which I will decide what route to go down with longer term swims...there are few irons in the fire, but its early days (and I still haven't won the lotto!)

2009

Hello and Happy New Year to you, I recently had a couple of days off and was having a look at the BLDSA website to figure out a few dates for 2009..I will be going to work today to see what the situation is regarding time off for the following swims.

July 19th Coniston.. 5 miles
August 8/9th Windermere 2 way.. 21 miles
Sept 5th Windermere 1 way..10.5 miles

Whichever events I decide upon I sincerely hope the water is rather warmer than the picture of frozen Derwent Water below taken (not by us) Jan 4th!

Lake Windermere ..Bank Holiday Training

Yesterday KGB and I returned from an overnight stay in Ambleside. We left home around 11am on Bank Holiday Monday for the 100 mile skip across country in absolute glorious sunshine. Arriving at the Smallwood House Hotel again where we had initially stayed with Swim Trek and then Loraine. Soon after checking in we headed down to Lake Windermere a matter of minutes away.

Here we spoke with the Aide and Kate at Lake Lander, they are very friendly and supportive whose services I would recommend without hesitation, we sorted out the hire of a sit on Kayak for KGB. Then, as usual I swam out to Seamew Crag a small rocky island that juts up about 1000m (as the crow flies not the route we swim) from shore opposite the YHA building). My records show that last October it had taken 22 minutes to reach the Crag, however today we were there inside seventeen minutes, Kelly was paddling right next to me and it was very comforting to know that she was close by and offering me some protection from the passing steamers and other craft.

My wristwatch was showing 56F, though at times in dropped out to 52F, the lake itself was very patchy in terms of surface temperature, I wasn’t sure if this was due to the amount of recent rainfall or to the amount of vessels churning up deeper/cooler water.

Anyway, I swam for 1hour and 20 minutes during which I could easily notice those cooler patches. My core felt warm enough most of the time, and I was reasonably pleased with my performance. We also took the chance to practice feeding in the deep water, whereby I would have to either lay on my back or tread/kick whilst I took on the hot maxim, we had used all of the drinks by the 60 minute mark, so that was a little annoying…must plan better!
After the swim we had the usual hot chocolate at the Ambleside Pier and headed off to shower and take a well deserved power nap. That evening we had an excellent meal at Lucy4s, followed by too much alcohol and a good nights sleep.

Waking slightly groggy on Tuesday morning I forced down some breakfast before heading back to speak with Aide, I was due to be back home for work at 1445, so decided to just swim for 45 mins, Kelly accompanied me again and we had the feeding off to a tee, we had figured out some basic hand signals for “danger/stop” and for “feed time”. The water it self seemed to be much more even in feel and temperature, my watched signalled a steady 55F, I was delighted with how enjoyable the swim was, in terms of comfort, safety, flat water, sunshine and KGB in the kayak, I thought to myself “conditions don’t get much better than this so make the most of it”.

Overall we had a great time, rather short lived and rushed as is normally the case, but excellent training (I Think?) Am hoping to meet Joni Storer at the Bishopton Lake on Thursday too, so things are progressing nicely, I am finally swimming mostly outdoors…lets hope for a nice long summer!

14 weeks out.....update

With 14 weeks remaining…activities are certainly picking up, Dover training commences this weekend where swimmers will gather to train every weekend before their expectant dates to tackle the Channel, I am slightly jealous that we live 340 miles from Dover, the distance and work commitments (I work shifts and have limited holidays) all mean that my trips to train under the guidance of Freda Steeter will be restricted to five weekends during June and July.

That said…I am still training hard, my twelve consecutive days of work did effect my training figures, this week so far in addition to pool work, I have had two swims at Bishopton Lake, once for an hour alone (Tuesday) and once (yesterday) with Joni Storer for 65 minutes, both swims were at 55F, warmer than the current sea and the Channel temperature, but good training all the same. It was Joni’s first visit to the idyllic lake which seemed to meet with his full approval. Though I must say his directional skills have not improved despite recently swimming for 6 hours in Malta! with Swim Trek.

Health wise all appears to be well except for some lower back pain, shoulders seem to be fine and thankfully I escaped the flu and stomach bug that was doing the rounds recently.

I mentioned some envy regarding missing the early Dover training sessions, however there is again a silver lining, on Bank Holiday Monday sensitive family issues permitting (which I cannot go into on the blog) KGB and I are going across to Ambleside for the an overnight stay, where we will have some time together and some swimming/kayaking in Lake Windermere similar to when we trained there last year with my support swimmer Loraine Verghese.

Speaking of Loraine, I sent her Channel Swim DVD to three other 2008 aspirants, Kaise Stefan in Australia, Megan Turner in Swansea and Chris Pountney in Whitstable.

Megan said: “Anyway, Mark was kind enough to send me a copy of a DVD made of Loraine Verghese swimming the channel. This DVD was fantastic to watch it showed the excitement, tension and (though this element was somewhat understated) it also showed how difficult it can be swimming into France against the tide. Loraine’s story is exciting and inspirational and it really made me think about what it will really feel like…. I have a feeling that I will be watching this DVD quite a few times over the next few months!”



Finally I am delighted to have been made aware that the J-A-C-K website is now live, thank you once again to all who have donated, (especially Mr Sean Price..(more details to follow) who have spread the word and have encouraged others to support me in The Fight against Neuroblastoma.And Chris said “I just saw the DVD of Lorraine's swim last year and it looks like you have got yourself a fantastic team there! Lorraine's swim was very impressive, you probably couldn't ask for a better support swimmer. And a very good and encouraging pilot. I think your gonna be just fine!

Windermere workouts..

Sunday 14th October 2007, just before noon, we attended Darlington Railway Station in order to collect Loraine Verghese (who we new had been on nights and was quite likely to sleep straight though the stop and awake in deepest Scotland), much to our surprise she was in fact awake and arrived bang on time, after brief intros, we grabbed coffee and headed for the A66 to drive around 100 miles cross Country. This passed uneventful, we quickly checked in to our house hotel (The Smallwood Ambleside where we stayed with Swim Trek).

No sooner had we ditched the bags, we motored off to Windermere only a stones throw away, the weather was fresh, not raining and the water was 13 degrees. We had decided to swim as soon as possible before dark to let Loraine check out the conditions on this her visit to the Lake District, we swam from the North End of Windermere in a kind triangular route.. out to Seamew Crag, the water was almost flat though it was cloudy with the amount of recent rain, however the weeds and underwater plant life sometimes reaching the surface were something completely new to Loraine, she was quite spooked at first but soon got over the initial shock....Honest!
We swam the same route back and were greeted by Kelly with the warm towels and hot chocolate drinks. Round about 45 minutes just short of 3km.

We more or less headed straight back to the Hotel, got changed once we had warmed through and spent the night talking about Loraine's Swim and My future Channel swim whilst re hydrating on the usual Irish beverage...Back to the hotel for more gossip and more socialising before hitting the pillow.

Saturday we awoke to the sound of heavy rain on the windows, a peep outside showed it to be typical Lakes weather, it was misty, rainy and cold. After breakfast we drove to a couple of nearby lakes (Rydal and Grassmere) but decided we would stick with 'Big W'. Kelly then hired a sit on Kayak and became our safety boat, which as it happened was just as well, the lake was as rough as the sea, with waves and big swells, let alone the wash created by the passing steamers. As Kelly battled the elements on the kayak we swam from the east side of the lake across to the crag again and returned via the same route, well..we tried to go the same route... but we were pushed well of course by the conditions. At the outset I had planned to swim for at least a couple of hours, but Loraine was sure that the mental gains and acclimatisation would be greater if we split the swim in two parts. Thus warming up after swim number 1. Once we more or less stopped shivering we headed back to the waters edge from the comfort of the Lakeside cafe, to do mental battle and force ourselves back into the water. By now the conditions were worse still, it was tough going and was definitely like being at sea but for the salt water in the mouth, we fought against the wind and currents again out to the crag and followed Kelly back to shore. Between us we had the temperature at 12.5 to 13 degrees. The prospect of returning for the second swim was not nice but once submerged the worst was over. I was glad we had done the swims this way and felt that I had won a psychological battle. Though I doubt either of would have returned without our safety kayaker.

Sunday morning after another late night of forced alcohol (Loraine you are a bad influence) we returned to Lake Windermere in what was quite the opposite conditions, yes the water was the same temperature but it was pan flat and the sun even began to shine, another swim out to the crag and back to shore, a really nice refreshing swim compared to that of yesterday.


To summarise we had four swims over a 48 hour period, in around 12 to 13 degrees in various conditions, had a great time with our guest, and seemed to laugh non stop for the whole duration. A very worthwhile trip indeed...Loraine was great company for us. To the point that on the journey home I asked Loraine if she would consider being my support swimmer next year. She was delighted to accept. We had big hugs at the station and headed or separate ways.

Above: that is infact Loraines head not a lettuce or a football next to me at the end of our final swim.