Join Me on My Journey to Swim the English Channel!

Training Highlights

Update Monday 4 May 26: it’s Bank Holiday weekend and my birthday today but no rest from training over the weekend. I was back in the quarry which is warming up nicely in the spring sunshine and is now a manageable 14 degrees C. I’m expecting the sea temperature in the Channel to be between 14 – 16 degrees C and so this is great training. It was a long 3-hour swim on Saturday, with a 2.75km swim followed by a feed (the family passing me energy gels using washing peg bag on the end of the washing line poles!) We found the energy gels in a sports shop and seemed to help. Off again then for another 2.2km swim in the spring sun and clear bluey green waters, before another feed (blackcurrant gel…yum) and then a 1.6km swim to finish off. In all, 6.6km or just over 4miles. By my reckoning, that’s about 20% of the channel…and next time I need to remember the sun cream on my back!

Update Saturday 25 Apr 26: a lovely warm sunny spring and great for a long training swim at the quarry (it’s the one in the photo above). The spring has helped warm the water to a pleasant 12.6 degrees C which after a winter swimming in water down to 2 degrees C is almost a warm bath…but not quite! Yesterday’s swim was a 2 hour open water swim covering about 2.8km in 50-55 minutes before practicing taking on some food in the water. I felt a bit like a seal coming in for my fish as my partner held the pole with my Haribo and lucozade in a waterproof bag at the end. Feeding complete, back off for another hour swim, again covering about just under 3km in the spring sun. Not so easy second time out, but still felt ok and something to build on for sea training coming in the next couple of weeks. More to follow….