The L.V. Interview Part 2.

The following text is the second part of the interview conducted with Loraine Verghese, I think you will agree that she has been open and forthright with her answers, some of the information has certainly helped me, I hope it does the same for some other aspirants out there...

M.R. “TELL ME ABOUT THE WEEK LEADING UP TO THE SWIM, YOUR ACCOMMODATION, PROBLEMS, MIND SET”
L.V. “I think the week before my swim was surreal and many thoughts and fears seem to have been forgotten looking back but one thing stays fixed in my mind ! -THE WEATHER as this was what determined my future.
My workouts ended on the weekend before with a 2 hour swim on the Sat 18th August and Sun 19th August where I swam a relaxing two hour swim just to get the feel of the water. Mostly I had to find things to do down at DOVER… because of the postponement of the swim, which left me having to stay down at Dover for ten days and hence I had the absolute joy of making my new home at the SANDOWN guesthouse so close to the beach (Thanks to Mike Cross--conquered the channel twice - who told me all about Martin ) so friendly and understanding of Channel Swimmers needs and mood swings !!! !ha ha .
Please do check it out as a possible option both Martin and Sonia are fantastic hosts and really take care and spoil you .
So the week prior to the swim was a tense one as the weather factor left me in anticipation most days, but thanks to my mum and of course my princess Jodie I was never lacking for company. Mum -I thank you so much for helping me through this without a complaint .I had several thoughts about my feeding too and realised that once a decision was to be taken it was to made with no doubt . With a funny week and all the discussion about electrolyte (the pros and cons ) I decided to keep some on the boat but not use it unless I was in dire straits, as I did not like the taste and felt queasy when I used it. To my surprise whilst I was in Dover I came across the newly released Lucozade and loved it….hence my decision stuck - This is what I would use as the label stated it contained electrolytes and I loved the taste! By this time a week before my swim I was rearing to go and time could not pass fast enough .In hind sight one must enjoy this last high as funnily there is a low to follow after your success unless you can hold on to the fact that you have now joined an elite club of cool people.................who love swimming under pressure .”

M.R. “AND THE NIGHT BEFORE?”......................
L.V. “Gosh that was the most disastrous last night in hind sight !!!!!!!!!!! as well as the morning before my swim !!!! .I remember looking at my watch and realising it was 2200 hours and late that I needed a good sleep as I knew my sleep would be filled with a few disturbances of my tossing around and not to forget Jodie's visits to the bathroom .The last calls from friends to wish me good luck came in at 2200 and after converting MARTIN and Sonia's kitchen at SANDOWN into a workshop area with all my boxes and items that I would be taking on the boat, I felt tired and was ready for bed .
I knew that the MAXIM would need to be prepared in the morning as its potency lasts only for a maximum of 24 hours and so there was only so much I could do that night as I had all the major work in the morning. I made the 24 rolls for my beloved crew before I went to bed 2300 hours and then crawled in to bed realising I would need to be up at 6 am which left me only 7 hours but this I suppose was better than nothing until at the dot of 5 am !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was wide awake and the adrenalin was pumping .My visual planning kept going around like a stuck record in my head .................I was ready there was no doubt.
Today 26th of August was a dream finally coming true there were no ifs and buts .Failure was not an option - I rushed down to the kitchen and that's when the horror struck me I had all the MAXIM to prepare into all 40 bottles that I had to empty of water and fill with( 28scoops of maxim in 2 litres) MAXIM 250ml which I was to take on the boat, It took me and my darling mother Brigitte until 7am to do them all. I began to panic realising in just over an hour I was set to swim .I soon realised this was just my mind zoning in on the task ahead It was almost surreal .I then got calls from my faithful crew saying they had arrived. Jacks father who was instrumental behind the power that drove me arrived after a late night trek from Devon-London only to begin another journey London-Dover in the early hours of Sunday morning to show his support for me.
Although I was glad my support swimmer was already there the night before ,ready to boost my morale during my swim . .I was nervous and did not feel particularly hungry but no sooner had the first bit of toast gone down my throat I realised I was hungry and knew I would be soon crying out for food so I decided to dig in .........................Five toasts and tons of scrambled eggs prepared by the SANDOWN awesome couple (Martin and Sonia) I was soon sated and ready to rock and roll .
I then got a drop to the marina with Jodie sitting on my lap ,she was so excited for me it was such a warm feeling seeing the sparkle in her eyes filled with all the love she could show me " Mummy you are going to swim the channel today .Will it be long before I see you ?" I replied " No darling I will be home to cuddle you in your sleep " satisfied with my reply , she snuggled into my arms content with her knowledge of my whereabouts for the day..
Kindly both MARTIN and SONIA had offered to drop Mum so that she could show the magnitude of her support for me on this mission which would change me forever ..............................then time stood still and all I could see was the miles of water that separated me from France....…”

M.R. “DO YOU REMEMBER THE WHOLE SWIM OR JUST THE HIGHS AND LOWS?”
L.V. “The sun had just risen and the truth dawned on me .......... today was D day and I had a big task ahead of me .With everything packed we headed to the harbour and stashed everything aboard. On the boat Mum realised someone was missing, soon I realised it was ‘Dan’ thankfully he arrived a few minutes later. Andy was then able to set the wheels in motion and started heading towards Shakespeare Beach for lift off .
At 8.30 the fun began, the horn sounded and I dived towards France but not before I turned over to my side whilst swimming to the boat just to wave to my darling mum and awesome daughter who screamed in delight "Go mummy go."
The first three hours was a breeze, filled with fun coming in the form of funny messages on the white board. Despite having several large gulps of sea water I remained focused but soon as the saline water found its way down the intestinal tract I started to feel sick!!! The urge to throw up was the stark reality, but I held it down and changed to water feeds in order to give a chance for my kidneys to sort out this mess .The feeling soon was a distant memory.
At around 1700 hours when I was well into the North East shipping lane I stopped for a feed and then all of a sudden felt this immense sting and saw the most beautiful jelly fish but sadly IT STUNG ME!!! Ha ha and so the happiness and joy at seeing it did not last long I had to grab it with my hand and pull it off me as it seemed to latch on to my left shoulder and to my surprise a cute lil one followed in its wake bobbing away but I did manage to avoid getting stung a second time and Mum and baby continued their venture around the world. I cracked the whip from time to time encouraging myself to race the boat -I LOVED IT. Slowly as the day passed, without further incident I saw signs of sunset beginning and was pleased as I had could see that my goal was finally attainable. However with the 3.6 knot tide pulling me sideways I soon realised I was battling against the weather gods. Because still felt very strong I decided to take up the fight yet soon I was aware that despite my speed and strength I was not going anywhere, barely making any progress forward at all .
Frustration is a funny thing it can make you weak, weak enough to give up, or on the other hand it can make one stubborn!!!! Well I am glad to say it made me stubborn and more determined, that was when my skipper Andy (unsure of my mental state) asked
"Do you want a support swimmer?” Without a moments hesitation almost defiant I said "Hell NO" I was going to make it alone and hoped that Paul (my support swimmer) who was encouraging me from up on the deck throughout, would understand my defiance. Any help at this point would have been no use. It was dark, I could barely keep an eye on the boat and I was nearly there. I could almost touch the lights in the distance. So instead I just cracked on.
At 21.45 hours I landed just a bit past The Cap Gris Nez and felt the bottom! I stood up and of course funnily lost my balance, falling back into the water. But at every difficult moment I felt connected with a hidden cache of strength from deep within, along with a burning desire to succeed and these I WILL REMEMBER so in essence, Yes, I remember it ALL and feel I have learnt something new about myself ................”

M.R. “IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE”
L.V. “August 26th finally arrived and after a long wait because of dreadful weather I finally was given the go ahead 12 hours before the actual swim ...........Would I change anything ?Many thoughts come to my mind ................ and most of them so positive which easily outweighed the negative that I can only say No Regrets.
I never look back on the past with regret for the things that might have been,
Nor the promises made to my crew that I may have unintentionally never kept for life cannot always be perfect and our days don’t always shine bright and promises are sometimes broken
and the dreams may not turn out just right, but no time has ever been to waste for me NOT EVER and certainly NOT NOW,and I look back on my journey across the channel
with No regret but a SMILE .......... "

M.R. “WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ALL THOSE WANNABEES OUT THERE ?”
L.V. “Life is a game, play it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is an opportunity, capture it.Train hard and be true to yourself there can be no cheaters cos you only cheat yourself. Enjoy your training and take help from those that want to give and also remember that your motivation is not our strength but it is our desire that moves us
Its all about character.......................watch your character it becomes destiny. While most are dreaming of success winners wake up and work hard to achieve it, There is no giant step that does it ,it is the little steps ( training, support , friends and crew )that do...................so keep going until you reach the shore
Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are, for what you could become.
Know that ..........what the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve and It is the size of one's will which determines success. If you are not afraid of failure. you'll seldom have to face it
Positive attitude it changes everything.......it does it for me .
The power to impress - the design to conquer & the ability to command respect is the greatest gift of all and most of all.................................To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift of the honour of crossing the channel.
Thanks once again to my skipper Andy - and to the all of the crew of the LOUISE JANE ( Nicole, Dan, Terry, and Jack Browns Dad -Richard Brown )who worked in absolute harmony each linking and providing a vital detail to my success and who made my dream ..........
REALITY!"

M.R. “FINALLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED FOR YOUR TIME, HONESTY AND OPENNESS, I AM SURE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND MANY OTHERS LOTS TO THINK ABOUT AS WE LAY OUR FOUNDATIONS FOR FUTURE SWIMS. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW VENTURES. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU PERSONALLY AND FOR WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED FOR JACK BROWN, YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD”

L.V. “Thank you Mark for giving me a chance to express my thoughts."

Swim Trek Lakes Weekender

Earlier this year I booked a weekend trip to the Lake District with Swim Trek, the aim being to finish off the summer (if you can call the recent weather a summer!) with some cold open water swims in different bodies of water, as both a confidence building exercise as well as the physical/acclimatisation benefits as oppose to the pool at the gym, (which at times bores me rigid). As well as an obvious break from the routine. We made the short trip of about 90 miles across Country on Friday and met with the other guests and Swim Trek guides at the Smallwood Hotel in Ambleside, made our introductions, had the itinerary explained then settled down for the night.

Following breakfast we drove the hour or so to Buttermere for the first swim of the day, there was about sixteen swimmers, the ages and abilities within the group varied greatly, but only two of us were to swim without wetsuits, we were grouped and began the swim at intervals according to the predicted swim times. We swam the length of the lake in what was around 15.5 degree water, the weather was OK, it was dry and only a slight breeze it felt great to be swimming without the need to turn every 25 metres, knowing we had boat support if we needed it. And what’s more it was weed and craft free. It was silent but for the splash of our group….....Bliss! After the swim and lunch, we walked for about 90 minutes to the next lake...Crummock Water, a much bigger, more scenic and impressive lake . Here there was a choice of swims, a shorter width section or a triangular swim of just over three and half km. Kelly (who by her own admission is not a swimmer) was brave enough to get in and tackled the shorter swim with breaststroke ease. I was well impressed. This was the best swim of the weekend, we really got moving and felt great at the end after 55 minutes again at 15.5 degrees.
Another drive… back the Hotel, a meal attended by almost all the guests and a late night of socialising.

Next morning and slightly delicate! A shorter drive to Coniston, where we swam over and back in another triangular route, probably only 2km or less at what was a degree warmer than the previous day. Another trek/walk through the picturesque Grizedale Forest and onto Lake Windermere for the final swim of the weekend. Here we swam for about 45 minutes in almost constant weedy water. It was a grouped swim again and we managed to get our heads down and before we knew it were back at the shore for food . Where again Kelly took on the Mother role and made sure we were all loaded with hot drinks, food and were wrapped up dry and warm. Thank you Kelly. It made a big difference you being there not only to support me as usual but also for the benefit of the others in the group.

Overall it was a great weekend and I would recommend it without hesitation. Hats off and special thanks to Lesley and Brad our guides for making the break so enjoyable in every aspect.

Granted the distances were not massive (about 11km in total) but it was another step forward and another piece of the jigsaw en route to my dream of Swimming The English Channel in 2008.

Over 23,000 metres this week , the shoulder is holding up…just......on we go.

Charlie and Jack

Just as a brief update to the below post.... late last week I showed Charlie my little boy (he is seven) a you tube video of Jack Brown, he stood and listened to the broadcast and then as cool as you like said "ok I will do a swim for him" knowing that he did a similar thing for the charity CLIC Sargent, I was delighted that he wanted to help again. Together we decided he would do a thirty minute continuous swim at David Lloyds in the indoor 25 metre pool, obviously he need a few rest/drink stops but after thirty minutes on the dot, with his mum counting, he had managed 29 lengths, he was happy to have broken the 700 metre barrier and raised a few pounds (£53.50) in the process. Well done Charlie. We are all really proud of you. You are a top man x

Back to School

So after six rapid weeks the kids are back to school today....we will all be back to the routines just like July which literally feels like five minutes ago, its been all go what with Egypt, Dover Regatta, Shift work, Parenting and Training. Things always seem a little weird after the holidays, but at least it feels like there are few more hours in the day for training during the actual school hours. I have been managing my 20km a week without to many issues and that too will be a lot easier now time wise. Thursday sees Charlie doing a sponsored swim for the Jack Brown appeal, (his own small way of giving a little back). Then Friday I am off to the Lake District for a weekend with Swim Trek, we will be swimming in a number of Lakes and are staying in Ambleside. The water is around 15 degrees so it should be great training to round off the summer.
On the down side I have developed something of a twinge in my left shoulder, probably tendonitis or impingement pain, hopefully I can get it sorted with some nsaids, ice and massage. I expect its a fault in the recovery phase of my stroke so I will have to have that looked at before I cause any long term damage.
Other than that everything seems to be going according to plan (touch wood). Loraine has the second lot of questions which will be posted on receipt. We will update with a report on the weekend when we return.

The L.V. Interview part 1

I recently spoke with Loraine Verghese (see post below) and asked her if she would be kind enough to be interviewed for the blog, with a view to enlightening me and other readers on her preparations for her English Channel Swim, she agreed without hesitation, so without further delay here is the first instalment, with more to follow. It would be interesting if we can get others to answer the same questions for us to compare.
MR . “Loraine, some people are aware of your previous achievements in swimming but for those of us in the dark could you give a brief re run please.”

L.V. “Firstly thanks for such a chance to answer such in depth questions!
Well I began swimming at 6 and training seriously was at 8 and half years.
I loved the water, Trained 7 days a week with two three hour sessions each day except Sunday with only one ................between the ages of 8.5 and 22 years so some may say I wasted a lot of my life but I loved it .........................and made many friends.
Got my first bronze national medal at 9 in the junior National Championships
Became the Junior National Champion at 14 yrs(1985)until 18years(1989)
Became the Senior National Champion at 15 and a half (youngest ever)(1986) and remained until 22.
Received my first South Asian Federation Gold medal at 13 and half years in Nepal (KATHMANDU)1984 and my First Bronze medal for the Junior Asian Games In 1986. Was part of the Commonwealth Games team to Edinburgh Scotland in 1986.
Stopped competitive training in 1992
Totally amassed:
GOLD SAF GAMES MEDAL 1984
BRONZE JUNIOR ASIAN GAMES 1986
78GOLD NATIONAL MEDALS58SILVER NATIONAL MEDALS39BRONZE NATIONAL MEDALS
Joined a medical college in 1990 and completed my degree in general medicine in 1996 ......
Came to England in 1999 to do my post graduation but instead life’s journey .....got me a daughter Jodie and another dream began when I joined the MET in 2005 start.
In 1986 had a chance to either swim the channel (my dream then) or train in America.. I chose training as I wanted better times at my event 200m PB "2mins 04 sec" after a training camp in Fort Lauderdale where I won the coveted "Camper of the year award 1986"
Favourite event -200m
Favourite Stroke -Freestyle” although I always ended up swimming 10-12 events some times !!!

MR. "Excellent...when you first decided to swim the English Channel how long did you set aside to train, and what specific training were you doing, (distance times temperatures etc)?"
L.V. "Even before my training started I had the blessing of my mothers complete support to look after my lovely daughter Jodie whilst the training got long and tough it was a godsend ………..done with the passion any mother would feel as their daughter took up a challenge that most people in the world would think an impossible task The first of my practise for the Channel began in December 2006 and then a sequence of events started ...............a lot of cold water training down at HYDE PARK -The Serpentine as well as the cold waters of Fairlop .
The first time I dipped into the freezing water it was a shock to the system as no one really can explain what cold water actually feels like . I had such a head freeze with the water temperature being 6 degrees, the pain I endured was immense as we all know but I succeeded in staying in the water for 45mins ......................
I also realised at this point the enormity of the challenge and realised that I needed all the back up in regards to time to train from my Borough Commander who without a moment of hesitation ……….. Gave me all the backing I required and the time to train for the event which he felt was an awesome effort for a good cause.
At the same time started a lot of anaerobic training and cardiac /fat burn at the gym purely because as I stated earlier I wanted a layer of muscle before I could build up a good layer of fat . Resting pulse improved significantly each week literally.........
Flexibility after these strenuous workouts was paramount as I could feel the muscle contracting after each heavy workout. By Feb I was swimming five times a week and a distance of up to 10-15km a week. By March this increased to 15-20 and so on a gradual increase of 5- 10 km each week. Stroke technique was the most important part of this exercise as it is vital.
I got to know my stroke rate and knew how fast I was swimming at any given time. As the swimming increased the gym workouts decreased and more stretching was etched into my routine.
During May I started mentally preparing for my first dip down at Dover Harbour which was an awesome event, as although the temp. was only about 9 degrees I was so overwhelmed, after about 45 mins I knew I was getting hypothermic delusions and got out of the water ....I had only been given 15 minutes to do so I did pretty well in my eyes.
June July and August went in a blur...................at my peak of distance I was training over 40 kms in a week with my main workouts just being weekends at Dover and a mid week swim only. All gym workouts came to a halt and I found that this did me good as my body was able to recover and get me ready for the next weekends workout ..................
In addition I made sure I enjoyed my training time too and when I needed a break from the continuous training up and down I did give myself a break but with the knowledge that I had already done a good swim or would do one after a while, more so the latter .
I also had many meetings with my skipper and spoke of my swim times, my needs, learnt the tides and learnt my boat and most of all told my skipper what I wanted out of him. I made this event an enjoyable one as it was a challenge of a lifetime ...........................
All my visualisation exercises were full steam ahead during the days leading up to the event ...........I had swum the channel many times over before I had actually faced it in real time ...............................!
Two weeks before the actual swim in August I ended up doing a taper session from two 7-7 back to back weekends it gradually decreased to the final two hour session on the last weekend with a few hour swims down at the beach days before with no strenuous swims . By then the adrenalin and the acceptance of the fact that the swim is only days away ……………CARB RUSH each day I gained a few pounds on the days leading up to the event.
My ethos” No guts No glory" is closely followed by “Amor est vitae essentia” and “carpe diem”

MR. "What about rest and nutrition not while swimming but to adjust weight etc, I know I need to gain a gain a lot and this is a concern of mine?"
L.V. “Yes this question posed a great concern to me to and in all I had to put on just under two stone but I am aware that as a result I found that the cold did NOT get to me at all. I usually weigh 11.10 and have gone up to 13.6 and of course am now on a MAJOR DIET!!
With Nutrition I played around with Protein drinks for over four months trying to get my body build that strong muscle layer before I started piling on the pounds to provide insulation, this formula worked miracles and now losing it wisely I should be left with my muscle layer .......I found it easy to put on weight eating high carbs and many meals a day.
I never stopped the workouts though through this period so I never let my body have to feel any drastic change ...............also continuous regular massages kept my muscles supple and able to cope with a lot of lactic acid build up..........alongside was my visual training techniques which as well as rest and nutrition , were some of the most important skills taught in the early years of my career and helped me an immense amount. IE goal setting, relaxation, visualization, self talk, awareness, control, concentration ,using rituals, attribution training and periodization ...so very very important.

M.R. "What were your needs, fears and expectations? "

L.V. “Well going back in my earlier years as a swimmer .I always found life with a challenge and it has followed me through. I love testing myself and the thrill of the unknown beckons me to push myself to new limits .....by way of comments throughout the swim and the whiteboard was the best way to stay focused and take my mind away from the actual pain so all the scrawled messages were set out to keep me entertained and as I wanted to know the truth along the swim ....my skipper Andy kept the promise and I never felt like I was in unknown territory .
I knew that I loved positive reinforcement..............and the attention so I made sure that everyone knew that .
Having Richard (JACKS DAD ) was the most powerful motivator as he was the most important person to me as I watched him revel in his own mental world which seemed so full of solemn thoughts .at one point in the swim I felt the connection it was as if there was only him and me fighting the same cause ............JACK!!!
Failure was never an option and I, as I always have, pushed my body beyond what I would call the comfort zone the pain is almost a HIGH as one could and would call it. I knew that I needed a group of people that would keep my morale up and keep my spirits going! most of all I knew I needed friends who cared .............cared enough to want me to go past the finish line ....
I needed a support swimmer that would get me through the difficult times and push me beyond the pain zone. Paul although our friendship was still new was a kind man who only ever had words of support whenever I spoke to him so I knew he would be perfect for my psyche ................
My expectations through all my visual training exercises had no space for a failed swim ..........I could not fathom the feeling of or thought of not being able to complete the challenge ahead .
I know that my journey is not over and there will be many more challenges along the way I will look out for them and for be grateful for all the friends. "

MR. “How did you choose your crew for the actual swim albeit you have kind of answered that in a previous question?”

L.V. “Well .......For starters high on my list, the main aim .............to get people on the boat with a high level of morale and enthusiasm.

RICHARD BROWN - Jacks Dad to remind me of the reason to drive me across the Channel
my support swimmer.......who had the faith in me to encourage him across the Channel .......likewise I could recognise the fact that he was backing me 100percent .I had total faith in him...........NEVER A DOUBT even though I did not require him to enter the water and to give me any pace support whilst swimming as I decided to take another challenge up whilst swimming and that was …………swim alone -SOLO .Thank you Paul for all your support
ANDY ..........My pilot whom I spent a lot of time allowing him to get to know the drive in me .............. to realise my dream and ambition.
to know how I face hardship and pain
TO KNOW WHAT I NEEDED FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
TO KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW WHILST I SWAM
TO KNOW HOW I WANTED TO BE ENTERTAINED DURING MY SWIM
TO KNOW WHEN I HAD ENOUGH OF FUN
TO KNOW I NEEDED CONSTANT SUPPORT THROUGHOUT
TO KNOW I COULD DO IT
TO KNOW I DEPENDED ON HIS EXPERTISE
TO KNOW I NEEDED HIM TO GUIDE ME ASHORE
TO KNOW THAT HE HAD NO DOUBT IN HIS MIND THAT I COULD DO ITNICOLE GALLON ................... A friend who knew my spirit and ambition and who was fun and ready for a laugh as well as hard work.
TERRY BARRON...................who showed so much enthusiasm when he knew I was doing it ...... I knew he would be a good crew member.
DARREN ELLIOT ............................. a friend whose wife I had just recently befriended and when she knew I needed good support she offered her husbands support on the boat for me to help with documenting it all.

And lastly have to say I loved the white board most of all as it helped me stay in close contact with all the crew as I knew constantly what was going on with the crew and this allowed me to take my mind off the swim for many hours .........................”

That's all for part one, Loraine has the second installment of questions which will appear soonest.

Loraine Verghese The English Channel Swimmer

At 0730 hours on Sunday 26th August 2007, Loraine together with her support swimmer and her Pilot left the shores of England to swim to France. Thirteen hours and fifteen minutes later she clambered onto French Rocks in the complete darkness having conquered the Everest of all swims. Loraine swam in order to raise funds for the Jack Brown appeal, and should be delighted and very proud with her achievement. Congratulations Loraine, we never doubted you for a minute!!. When Kelly first met you at Dover she said to me "She will definitely make it, I can just tell" Here are a few photos from the swim, I will shortly be posting an interview with Loraine where she will tell us all about her build up, the swim itself and life after the Channel.

New World Record !

Yesterday 24th August 2007 Bulgarian swimmer Peter Stoychev swam The English Channel in 6 hours 57 mins 50 secs, Not sure of the crew and Pilot as yet, but an amazing achievement, more details as and when they are received.
Congratulations what a swim !!!

Update email from Michael Oram :
Captain Mathew Webb started his successful swim of the English Channel on the 24th August 1875. He took 21 hours 45 mins to reach French soil.
Wonder what he would have said if he knew that Petar Stoychev would start and complete his successful Channel swim 132 years later to the day ?
Break the 7 hour barrier with a new World Record of 6 hours 57 mins 50 secs.
That was 6 minutes off the old record of 7 hours 3 mins 52 seconds set by Christof 2 years ago.

Start -- Shakespeare Beach 10:11
Finish -- Point @ Cap Gris Nez 18:08:50

Pilot Boat: --- Gallivant
Pilot: --- Michael Oram
Crew: --- Derek Carter
Observers: Jennie Hanson & Alison Streeter MBE

On the same day 18.5 mins later than Petar the Russian swimmer Yuriy Kudinov left Shakespeare Beach for his attempt at the World record. It was a tense day and a race to the end. His track was identical to Petars with the hourly track compilations showing the swimmers running neck and neck with only small 50 to 100 metre fluctuations in the speeds over each hour. Petar came out on top 8 minutes 46 seconds in front of Yiriy.
Yuriy landed just a bit further down from the point at Cap Gris Nez - under the lighthouse - with a time of 7 hours 6 mins and 04 sec (to be confirmed).
The sea was not flat - it was not rough either, just the usual "Channel chop" we expect after a Northerly blow. The Northerly / North North West wind helped hold up a very weak flood tide then turned to the west to help at the end. The Neap tide was at it's lowest. One of those days when you hope it all goes right -- and it did on this occasion.

Don't Panic !

Its been a funny old week...On Tuesday the 21st we had an early start with the best of intentions, I dropped Charlie at his mums and together with the ever watchful Kelly, headed for Redcar on the North East coast about 20 miles from home.The plan being to arrive around about the same time as high water and swim for at least an hour in the lovely North Sea. It was a little breezy when we left home, however on arrival at the beach the wind was blowing a gale and the sea was in a foul mood, as bad as we had ever seen it. It looked more like December / January weather as oppose to the height of the British Summer! In addition the red flags were flying so there was no way I could get into the water without endangering myself and others. With great disappointment we headed off to the gym and swam in the pool. This emphasised my awareness of the frustrations being felt by several Channel Swimmers who were at that moment held up in Dover due to poor conditions. We are in touch with Loraine Verghese who is due to swim any day, though at this stage it looks likely to be Sunday, Loraine is swimming for the Jack Brown appeal please click to help.

Weather wise the next few days were about the same, so I have been hitting the pool and have done some quality sessions against the clock...Then came Thursday (23 August)..... I was working a day shift, so it was possible to visit the beach at Seaton, where I could liaise with the lifeguards and make an assesment of the sea state. There were plenty of breakers and a big swell, though we agreed that it should be swimmable beyond the white water later in the day. Following work we therefore packed (again) and drove the ten miles or so to Seaton. As always I checked in with the lifeguards both on the beach and at their control station, I outlined my intentions, to which the reply came .."Rather you than me"

Off I went wading into what was obviously the most poor conditions to date, the sun was shining a little, but the waves were incredible, relentless and the swell made it feel like a roller coaster ride. The breakers them selves seemed to go on forever. I gave Kelly a wave and pointed in the direction I was heading, after acknowledgement I was on my way.The water felt good, refreshing yet comfortable enough at 15.5 degrees. I swam south parallel to the shore towards my normal turn around point, however the further I swam the worse it seemed to become. I was unable to see the shore, with only glimpses of buildings in the far distance as I rose to the top of the immense swells.

Without my knowing, the lifeguards and Kelly had all lost sight of me and were becoming increasingly anxious, I could not be located with binoculars from the roof of the vehicle on the shore line, it was therefore decided to launch their jet ski in order to find me and check if I was OK. Oblivious to this I was stroking away fighting the waves and getting battered in the process. A couple of times I was tossed completely over and for a moment or two was lost beneath the surface due to the surprise breakers. My goggles were ripped from my face and I was finding it difficult to get into a rhythm.

For everyones sake, I decided to head in and wait for a better day. On exiting the water I was about a kilometre away from my friends on the beach, as far as they were concerned I was nowhere to be seen. I rushed along the sand, eventually Kelly noticed me and managed to notify the remaining lifeguard who in turn informed the crew of the jet ski.

It wasn't over yet though...the jet ski was then unable to negotiate its way back to the beach with the crew falling off a number of times fully clothed into the water, I felt really bad and embarrassed that this was happening because of their concern for me. They did manage to land later at the headland having lost communications with their colleagues. As for me, well, I thanked them for their help and headed off to the pool to finish the training for that day having left the sea early. Other than that its been a good weeks training so far. Will check back Sunday with my figures. Good Luck Loraine dont be too scared of the dark!!

Alison Streeter MBE & This week

I briefly mentioned Alison, (The Queen of The Channel) but only very briefly on the previous post having met her at Dover. I thought it only right and proper to give her more of an acknowledgement, she is a lovely person, really down to earth and offers advice at the slightest hint of a question, I believe it is rare to find a person who has reached the sort of heights achieved by Alison yet remain with their feet firmly planted on the ground. She is a diamond. Here is this Wikipedia version of Ali.

"Alison Streeter has conquered the English Channel 43 times, more than anyone in the world. This total includes a triple-channel swim. She also completed seven Channel crossings in one year, a feat made more difficult because she mounted her challenges against this 21 mile body of water one at a time on separate attempts of about one every ten days. Alison is also the fastest woman from France to England (8 hours 48 minutes), a record she established in 1988. She was the first (and so far only) woman to swim the Channel three ways non-stop in 1990 taking 34 h 40 min for the feat. Only 2 other men have succeeded.
The Queen gave her the MBE in 1991 for the above and charity fundraising. To date she has raised over $100,000 for various charities. In May 2006 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale. She worked as a currency trader all her working life in London until earlier this year, and now spends part of her life in Adelaide (Seacliff) and the summers in Dover in her beloved English Channel as a fully qualified Boat Pilot."

On the training front...its been a strange week, what with work and parenting through the summer holidays. Not to mention two days sickness, one of which I was laid up in bed having spent the previous twelve hours projectile vomiting at half hour intervals. Didn't get to the sea as a result of being ill so only pool swims this week, all better now though.. so hoping for better schedule this coming week. the plan is 20km a week consistently now, mainly intervals pyramids etc against the clock, 30km a week by Christmas. Building to 40+ km by the start of the season in May 2008, Well...that's the plan as it stands, but that could all change, we will see.

This week 15,350km. Not so bad in the circumstances

Dover Regatta Weekend

On Friday 10th August having slept for about four and half hours, we were awoken by the patter off tiny feet (if you can call Charlie at 7 years tiny, he was clearly still on Egyptian time and was fully refreshed having slept 80% of the journey home) I on the other hand was knackered, however it was time to rise, unpack then re pack for Dover. Charlie was dropped at my parents, and we began the 340 mile drive. I am familiar with the route having crossed into Europe dozens of times so there was no navigation problems.

After a lengthy stop over at Bluewater just off the M25, (Kelly was horrified going over the Dartford Crossing ! She has nightmares of how she will come to her doom on a similar structure!! strange but true) we eventually arrived in Dover around 6pm, checked into the Ramada and made our way immediately to the sea front, I wasn't entirely sure of the exact location of swimmers beach though our guesstimate wasn't far off. Kelly picked up the first pebble she set her eyes on and we had a paddle to our knees to check the water in THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. I am pleased to report that it didn't feel too bad after my dread following the balmy Red Sea.

It was such a nice evening, so we walked and talked and took some photographs of the usual stuff, ie The Matthew Webb bust, The Two swimmers and The Harbour itself. Then we returned to the hotel to eat and have some long awaited sleep.

Saturday morning wake to a glorious day, after breakfast we made the short trip to the harbour early enough to claim a parking space, the sea front was already a hub of activity with many French and Italian sellers in situ and various other stalls.

The race registration took place between 8.30 and 9.30 followed by the brief, it was obvious at the briefing that a lot of young club swimmers (racing snakes) were taking part yet they looked barely old enough.

Into the water on the role call at 9.57am with much trepidation, I was convinced it was going to be dreadful after last week, I swam over to the Pier Wall and was delighted that it wasn't the freezing temperature I had feared all week. The whistle blew for the start and the racing snakes were off in a flash, some introduction to the harbour this was going to be. I plodded down to the boundary groin touched and returned to the finish on 34 minutes, by which time Kelly was itching to get to the bar.....to re hydrate. The presentation took place a short time later, The remainder of the day was spent making introductions to several Channel Hero's including The General aka Freda Streeter, The Shingle Stomper Barry and Cliff Holding to name but a few. Then sun worship and a tipple or two (it was Becks birthday so we had a valid excuse after all)

Saturday evening we spent at The Cullens yard, where we had a nice meal and way too much alcohol (it wasn't my idea)

Sunday and another wonderful day weather wise, down to the harbour for ten (its normally nine for the swimmers but I didnt want to interfere with the regulars on my first day, as they would be doing long 6 and 7 hour swims in anticipiation of making crossing in the near future) I spoke with Freda (see pic below) and felt as though she had taken me under her wing without delay, all the horror stories I had heard were not true, she was lovely and without hesitation I thought "I like her, this is going to be good" She was kind enough to allow me to just do 90 minutes on my first day too.

I was planning to wait but was gagging to get started, I couldn't find my clear goggles but wore my tinted ones getting in more or less right away and began swimming to the Eastern Dock Wall, On the return the chop picked up quite a bit and I couldn't see a thing, the temperature was fine, I swam back and the repeated the same with a shorter loop third time round. We couldn't swim up the other end of the harbour at this point due to other demonstrations taking place. The 90 minutes were up fairly quickly, other than the frustration of my misty goggles and a cold left hand I felt really good. I was my longest sea swim to date and a massive step forward. Later that morning I met and spoke with the Queen her self aka Alison Streeter, she too was really positive and full of great advice. Another lovely person, the place seemed to be full of them, the energy was almost overwhelming.

Before too long we said our goodbyes, received some training advice from Freda and promised to return. Thank you all for a great weekend, for your time and generosity. WE WILL BE BACK

90 minutes @ 18 degrees

need sleep zzzzzzzzzzzz

Okey dokey, landed at Manchester late last night, arrived home via KGB taxis by about 1.30 am, up for 7am and now we are packing to leave for The Dover Regatta 2000 metre race (some are calling it a sprint, but I a not so sure about that) another 340 miles down the road to go, I managed to get a few swims in Egypt but no real quality training as such, had a meeting with a 'jelly' at one point or so I thought, then realised it was a plastic carrier bag ....panic over ! the weeks rest has probably done me good, I am flapping a little about the change in temperature from 33 degrees to maybe 16. Whilst I know that is not cold, it will be a little shock to the system after a glorious weeks weather. Will update the blog on our return with pics and race report. Really looking forward to getting on swimmers beach.

Eating Egypt

Here we are in Egypt at Naama Bay just 500 metres from SHARKS BAY !!, and I can tell you that it is ridiculously hot. Charlie and I have been swimming/snorkeling in the Red Sea where the marine life is amazing, Charlie was really brave and swam beyond the drop off, more than would have ever dared at seven years old. It was and is almost too warm to at 34 degrees. The pools are even hotter, its like being at home in the bath, so much for the cold water acclimatisation we had been doing. I feel like that was a complete waste of time now, the 2000m freestyle race at Dover Regatta will certainly be a shock to the system after this. We are just having a little respite from the midday sun, so thought we would drop a line or two onto the blog. I am reading Marcia Cleveland's Dover Solo yet AGAIN ! its still a great read after 3 or more times, check Marcia's website to obtain a copy. We are going to try our best to get up earlier in the morning to do some laps before the water becomes too crowded and prior to the over protective lifeguards being about. The one bonus is that we or rather I am getting plenty of high calorie food down my neck in my weight gain efforts!! Best be off to drink some more beer and eat some ice-cream and cakes.....its a hard life.. but someone has to do it!!