Day 304 - Friday 29th July 2011

Still got the rubbish throat; in fact this morning was coughing up some rather yucky lumps of something; charming!! Kids all good again last night; Mia came in about midnight for an hour, but apart from that nothing else. So apart from my throat I felt rested and ready for a swim.

The sky was wispy cloudy, but no wind and dry, with air temp around 16 degrees; clearly a nice day ahead. I met Big Bob at the Arch at 7am and we headed off to the West Pier; Pier to Pier to Pier, 1.5 miles in total. Whilst the sea was fairly flat the tide was going East, so it was against the tide the whole way there. We didn't see each other on the way there as I seemed to be constantly swimming out into the ether, whilst he seemed to be heading in to the shore. By the time we reached the Red Buoy at the end of the West Pier we have both managed to get on track and we converged pretty much at the same time to the same spot; 35 minutes in total to get there. Coming back was with the tide, which is always helpful, however for some reason we found ourselves sprinting. We stayed together the whole way back and apart from Bob getting some cramps in his leg and having to stop for a short time, the swim was uneventful but very fast; swim back 20 minutes. We really did speed it back the whole way, 20 minutes for 0.8 miles is pretty fast in the sea. The temperature was up to around 16.5 degrees, which was good, but still it could go higher (please).

At work now, day in the office, with a stiff neck and shoulders. Good start to the day; always great to do a decent swim in the morning really sets you up for the day

Day 303 - 28th July 2011

Third day in a row that the sea has been flat, calm and a pleasure to be in. Temperature still in the mid 15’s and air temperature only 13 degrees, sky blue/gray and wind nonexistent. Had the pleasure of Tim Piatt swimming with me today, training for his triathlon at the weekend ; his second time in the sea and I took him all the way out to the helter skelter; the boy did good.

Tomorrow, assuming the conditions are good, I’ll swim to the West Pier and back; need to get a couple of miles in whilst the seas are flat. Will aim to do a bigger one at the weekend as well; perhaps lagoon to pier, about 4 miles. Tonight after work I’m at the gym with Ross for an hour and then gonna do a 10k run as well.

A side note – kids slept in their own beds ALL night for the last 2 nights. Praying that they will do it again for a third in a row!!

Day 302 - 27th July 2011

Woke up this morning with a very scratchy dry throat; courtesy of young Jesse who has spent the last few days coughing straight into my face; my kids love to share. I did consider, very briefly, staying in bed this morning and not swimming, but figured that whether I swim or not I will feel rough today so I may as well get in the sea anyway.

I’m working in London today so needed a slightly earlier swim, so was at the Arch by 6.20am and in the sea by 6.30am. I did the same swim as yesterday, except went another 2 buoys further east as well. The sea was flat and hardly any movement at all. Considering I wasn’t feeling my best I managed a decent pace and felt quite strong; in fact I had only planned a quick trip around the four buoys and ended up going around eight buoys and the pier in 40 minutes. The temperature of course was still low at just 15.5 degrees and the air temperature (considering its end of July) was a very poor 16 degrees.

What is up with people by the way! By this I mean people who drop litter; why do they do that? The beach cleaners hadn’t started as early as usual today and walking down the beach I must have seen somewhere in the region of 50 empty beer cans and a dozen discarded beer boxes; not to mention the paper and plastic amongst them. There are massive dustbins at the top, how hard is it to use them! I just don’t understand people’s mentality.

Rant over!!

Day 301 - 26th July 2011

A fishy start to today; mackerel city. Walking down the seafront at about 6.45am I could see literally hundreds of fish jumping from the sea; first time I’ve ever seen that. There were two large shoals, about 10 metre square each and they were right by the shore line and they were busy busy. By the time I got down to the sea’s edge they had moved from the east to the west and were at my beach. David ended up catching nearly 30, Evo around 20 and Paul & Shoichi bags of them. The seagulls were having a feast when the heads were being removed and thrown onto the beach. In fish terms it was a massacre, in bird terms it was a high holiday feast and in fisherman terms it was the catch of the day. In swimmers terms it was wondering if there were bigger fish chasing the smaller fish in!!

Not being a fisherman myself I simply took in the spectacle and then jumped in the sea and had a swim; around the two buoys, diagonally through and around the pier to the two buoys the other side and then back through the pier to our beach and in. A decent swim of probably a mile and a half in about 40 minutes; following big Bob all the way.


Temperature still low at 15.7 degrees; will it ever reach the dizzy heights of 16 again! Apart from the stirring by the fish, the sea was calm and flat with a fairly strong current to the west.

I have a gym session after work today with Ross for an hour and then I’ll do a short 5k sprint around the park before heading home for the business of books, bath and bed for the kids. I’m feeling a bit sluggish at the moment, possibly because I’ve pulled back on the training compared to the massive amounts I was doing earlier in the year. It’s not a great feeling so I need to start upping it again. It’s hard though to train in the evening, even though I’ve got a gym at home. Last night I decided to train at about 8pm after the kids were down; giving me an hour in the gym before we eat. The kids however had other plans and by the time the bed battle was over it was already 8.50pm and time to cook the dinner! The “will” to do it is there, but time seems to be a constant fight.

Day 300 - Monday 25th July 2011

Day 300 of my swimming career and I was pleased to be able to share that with my good buddy Timmy Piatt. Tim is doing a Triathlon next week and apart from training a lot on his bike and running he has hardly done any swimming! So this morning he joined me in the sea for a before work swim. We went from the Arch through the Pier and then back again; a short swim, about 25 minutes and maybe 1000 metres. I think Tim was a bit shocked at how different the sea is to the pool and perhaps he realises that maybe he should have put a few more swimming sessions into his training; but he did do brilliantly. It’s not easy getting into the sea for a swim, especially with people who do it every day. He made no fuss, just got on with it as he does; good boy. He is planning on joining me Thursday morning as well; maybe without his wet suit! Actually that would be daft as he’s not used to the cold and that would be really shocking for him, but if he’s up for it I’ll take him out to the second buoy and see how he fares with the depths.

In other news, yesterday was my brother-in-law Darren’s birthday; the big Four Oh!! Not only is he my brother-in-law, but also the Project Director and co Founder of the Starr Trust; an inspiration to me since I first met him some 13 years ago. He had a fantastic party with friends from all over the world turning up; bouncy castles, drumming sessions, mini concert (he sings professional as well!!) and far far far too much cake. In fact my little Jesse ate o much cake that he was up all night and not all the cake stayed down!

Day 299 - Friday 22nd July 2011

Last nights Chocs event was stunning, really invigorating. It was a evening of us introducing Chocs to new schools and new businesses also introducing them to some of our existing charity partners. During the event we were lucky enough to have with us the lead people from one of our existing Chocs partnerships; Alison deputy head of Varndean School, Andrew, Manager from The Grand Hotel Brighton and Michelle from Shika (our charity school in Tanzania). The three of them have been working together on Chocs for the last year and they explained to everyone what each one of them have got from being part of Chocs; Alison even presented Michelle with her first fundraising cheque of almost £3,000. To hear first hand what Chocs has meant to all three parties involved was incredible; a real testament to the Starr Trust that we have launched such an incredible educational programme; especially in such trying economic times. It really does make me so proud to be involved with something so life changing to so many people. If you get a chance, check our www.starrtrust.com and go into the CHOCS page and see what it’s all about.
My swim this morning was a one I really enjoyed; buoyed by last nights meeting. The conditions we almost perfect (at 15.2 degrees it could have been warmer, but that‘s the only complaint!). I swam on my own to the fifth buoy towards the marina and back again; a nice decent pace and a great start to the day.

Apparently (and I’m told it is seriously true); a few sharks were spotted at the end of the pier; a fisherman even caught a couple and Damien swum back to the beach with one! One was around 5 feet and the others half that size. First time since I’ve been swimming that that has happened! Very pleased it wasn’t me who spotted them!

For lunch I met Little Bob and Lindy and talked through the Relay. I am thrilled to say that Lindy is definitely part of my team (what a strong team I now have) and Little Bob is going to be crewing for us; a fantastic crew to go with a fantastic team. Very exciting.

The in the evening it was to London for a meal at Le Dans Noir with friends. This is a mad dining experience. It is dining in the dark; complete dark. You are not even allowed to wear a watch in case the dials light up. All the waiters and waitresses are blind, so basically you dine in a restaurant in the complete darkness and experience what they experience every minute of every day. Of course it was hilarious, especially trying to eat a 3 course meal and drink a bottle of wine with no sense of what or where; but also it is humbling to think how lucky we are to be able to see. Definitely one to experience if you get the chance.

Day 298 - 21st July 2011

Sleep: Effected by kids and Ice cream
Health: Not bad but electrical
Swim: Charming
AOB: Always

After work last night I parked at Flamer, went for a 10k run and then ended up in the gym for 90 minutes with Ross. He pushed me “hard”, one of those sessions when I thought I might actually be sick; I wasn’t! We worked on core, abs, chest, shoulders and biceps – I didn’t know one could do all that in a single session. Afterwards I headed home and got there at 7.30pm, just in time for Sharon to dash out to get her hair cut, leaving me with teeth, books and bed for the little monsters. By 8.45pm they were all settled and I was in the home office on left over paperwork until Sharon got back for dinner at 9.45pm. A nice meal of M&S Paella, followed by a whole tub of Ben & Gerry’s chocolate ice cream whilst finishing my paperwork – a mistakes I can tell you!

My evening was basically filled with various visits from the kids, I think they came and went about 6 times, but I lost count. The in-between time was spent with my chrones complaining about the ice cream. Total sleep approx 40 minutes in total!
The lack of sleep seemed to aggravate my rheumatism as well and the old faithful electrics shocks were back in my inner thigh from about 5am until I was in the sea at 7am. The sea of course as usual taking away all the pain. Temperature in the sea down to 15.2 degrees, but it was very still and very flat. Luckily Bob didn’t fancy a mammoth swim today (I was certainly not up for anything huge), so instead we went around the four buoys at a leisurely pace; however we did it in freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly! A day like today does give you the chance to practice your stroke; or even all your strokes.

Tonight after work we have a Starr Trust “Chocs” network event in Brighton; delivering Chocs to some new schools and introducing them to possible partners and charities. I am desperate to stay awake for it!!

Day 297 - Wednesday 20th July 2011

Last night the weather held off so I did a 2 hr pool swim at Falmer after work. Even though it’s loads warmer than the sea it still felt cold, especially after 2 hours; probably not helped by the fact that as ever I feel exhausted after no sleep, a hard day at work, a morning swim and then an evening swim.

Back to today. Last night was another restless child night, Mia three times and Asher once; although Sharon did the bulk of it last night as whilst I was awake I couldn’t move much, just too tired; probably a total of 90 minutes sleep in all. Was at the beach by 6.50am, just in time to see Paul F de-heading some mackerel he’d caught, Damien off to work in his nicely pressed suit and Shoichi warming up in the shower; early boys!! Big Bob and I pretty much did the same swim as yesterday, except in reverse (I don’t mean swimming backwards of course). We did the buoys on our beach, then round the pier and onto the two buoys on the other beach and then back under the pier o our beach. Total swim just over a mile and total time just under 30 minutes; so a pretty speed powerful swim. I’m not completely sure how I do it sometimes with no sleep and feeling so tired, but there you have it. In fact coming out of the sea after the swim I was still yawning. The conditions were much the same as yesterday, very flat sea, very little movement and around 15.4 degrees. The sky however is pretty dull and the threat of a thunder storm is certainly there. Tonight after work at 6pm I’m in the gym with Ross training on legs and lower body as I’ve still got skinny little legs and I need to start bulking them a bit.

On the Relay front, I met with Shoichi yesterday and we talked about the swim in general and the training plans I want to set up. He is very much up for it and really excited about it, which is great. I also spoke with Alex and he also is definitely up for it. I’m meeting Lindy later this week and Paul F next week to talk through things, but I believe them both to be on board, so by next week the Starr team will be confirmed. If everyone is happy with the numbers then we may stick with 5 plus 2 back ups; 5 feels like a good number to me; 5 Starrs seems to be a constant in my life.

And you thought a Channel Swim was hard!

Go to Google Maps



2. Click on Get Directions



3. Enter China as the starting point



4. and Taiwan as the final destination



5. Read step 48

Day 296 - Tuesday 19th July 2011

Impossible to compare yesterday to today. Yesterday was a monstrous tide, howling wind and no chance of swimming; today was a calm sea, no wind and a perfect day for swimming. There is simply no way one can really plan for swimming days ahead, not with any real certainty.

Last night the kids were back to the norm; I had Asher up at midnight, then Mia up at 1am, then Jesse at 2.30am and then Mia again at 3.00am and finally Jesse again at 4.30am. Sharon was clearly tired as she slept through most of it, so I was solo on this one. Still despite this I was at the beach by 6.45am and in the sea with Big Bob and James by 7am. Despite being tired it was a beautiful start to the day; really fantastic conditions. The tide was just changing from coming in to going out, which meant it was fairly motionless; with just the odd small wave to give a little interest. The sky was blue and the wind had moved to another county. We headed straight out under the pier to the east and swam to the second buoy along, then we turned and headed out and back around the head of the pier to our beach and along to our two next buoys and in. Total swim about 30 minutes and about 1 mile. Nothing massive, but a decent swim in lovely conditions. Water temperature average 15.4 degrees, which is still too cold for this time of year, but not too cold for a short swim like this.

The weather is “expected” to change once again to storm and rain this afternoon; just what one expects from a good British summer. If it’s dry I’ll do a swim in the outside pool at Falmer, if not I'll have to brave the inside pool and the xtreme heat and chemicals. Gotta keep the pool up though as need the speed!!

Day 295 - Monday 18th July 2011

Another evening of no children visiting us (3 nights in a row) so I was up and ready for action by 6.00am. The rain was spitting and wind was howling, in fact the howling had started mid way through the night, so by morning it was in full howl. I got to the beach by about 6.40am and waited for others to turn up; lots of waves and thought it better to wait. By about 7.10am Bog Bob and I, along with a few others, were at the waters edge. The waves weren’t big, so there was no danger, but they were constant and the tide was monstrous pulling to the East (marina). With the wind also bashing to the east it made any movement to the West almost impossible. It was a very low tide so you could stand way out, but just walking out and not being pushed towards the pier was really tough. The aim this morning was to swim to the first buoy; simples! Not quite !! No matter how hard we tried, both swimming and walking, we were pushed away from it. Bob and I certainly went for it and at one point we were almost a couple of meters away, spitting distance, but then a waves unbalanced us and we shot back away again. We tried again and once again were almost there, but then in seconds we were back to the pier again. A very physical and fun start to the day.

Day 294 - Friday 15th July 2011

Last night was a revelation; no children joining us in bed at all – it almost felt lonely just the two of us! More of that please!!

I was at the Arch at 6.40am, no-one else there except some clothes (probably Shoichi & Paul & Damien), so a quick change and in I went. It was a low tide, which meant a short walk across the sand and out to the closest buoy. The sea was very calm indeed, hardly any movement at all, however it was cloudy again, so no star fish watching today. Without ay real intention of what to do I headed West instead of East and swam to the West pier; took about 20 minutes to get there against the tide (it was quite a strong tide underneath). The swim back to the Brighton Pier took around 16 minutes. I then headed out again went around the Brighton Pier and then back to land. Total swim 1 hr 8 seconds and temperature exactly 16 degrees. It was a weird one today with temperature when I was swimming to and from the West Pier; there seemed to be pockets of extreme warmth (probably as high as 18 degrees) and then pockets of extreme cold (probably as low as 13 degrees); this happened at least 8 -10 times.

A really nice swim though, really enjoyed it.

The Relay team is now starting to come together; so far Lindy, Shoichi, Paul and Alex have said that they would like to join me on this adventures; all decent swimmers and cool people to hang out with. There is concern about the sea sickness on the boat and that is probably the greatest concern at this point, so I will see how we can address that. We may all need to go out on a fishing boat and test our metal in that way. Also not everyone has regularly done 2 hours swimming in these temperatures, so that is also something I need to deal with by setting up a training schedule for everyone. As we don't need to tell the CSA who our team is until next year it gives everyone time to decide if they will stick with this or if it's not for them; everyone needs to be really up for this to make it work for everyone, so it would be daft to rush and finalise the team before the year end.

At this point Fiona has been really taken up with Angus’s swim, must have really taken its toll on her as she was the driving force on his team, however now that is over I remain hopeful she will join me on getting my team together and organised. She’s a great lady in so many ways and as such everyone seems to want a piece of her; I’ll do my best not to be a drain on her, but at this time her knowledge and drive could be so very helpful. All in all a great team is shaping up.

Day 293 - Thursday 14th July 2011

Today was back to the pool, yuck. I probably didn’t need to do a pool swim as the sea time is so limited in terms of months in the year, but it’s been ages since I did a pool swim and I need to make sure I do start to now rack up long swims again. Even though I’m now doing this as a Relay I still want to be able to knock out 4-5 hour swims, even though I hate them. Today as I’m just getting back into it I did just two and a half hours, but that’s not to be sniffed at as it’s the longest one I’ve done in a while. I stuck to the outside pool for fear of getting ill with the chemicals again, but I might try the indoor one in a couple of weeks again just to see if I am any better in dealing with them now. Tomorrow I have a gym session and a run after work, so I’ll head to the beach in the morning and decide at the time what I’ll do.

Day 292 - Wednesday 13th July 2011

Training so far this week has been swimming Tuesday morning with Bob Bob around the pier & the buoys in a calm but slappy sea, followed by an hour at the gym with Ross on core and shoulders, then today was an early 5.30am sea swim on my own followed by a dash to London to work. Next two days I'll probably do 7am sea swims and another gym, but I'll try to do an hours pool swim as well. My big focus now is to get back to swimming technique and build on speed. Hopefully I can do this without help as I really don't want swimming lessons again after my troubles with Mark, but if I have to then I have to; ultimately I now have another year to become a swimmer and I will not waste it.

Day 291 - Tuesday 12thJuly 2011

Angus completed his channel swim in 18 hrs 42 minutes. Or to be exact 4 years, 18 hrs 42 minutes. He has amazing tenacity and focus; the sort of focus I believed I had but which now leaves me questioning myself.

Me believing I could achieve in a year what took Fiona and Angus many years shows me how naive I was; one could even say I was insulting the hard work and dedication put in by others, although if I did so then it was without intention.

Looking at myself I find that whilst my respect for Angus has grown, my self respect has shrunk. Sure I know in my head that my weight issue is medical and not of my doing, however my heart tells me I am a quitter. It's not an easy thing to deal with and to get positive about.

However, positive I must be and I must focus on the fact that in a year I went from non swimmer to being able to deal with sea swimming in all conditions & temperatures and I managed long pool swims 5, 6 & 7 hours. With this is mind if I stay focused then with another year of training I should be a very fast and strong swimmer who can compete at channel level; both in a relay and even possibly in the future as a solo; the dream may still come true, who knows.

Last night I started the Relay plan with a meeting of possible team members. We met at my house over wine and snacks and got to know each other a little better. The mood was positive, if not perhaps a little too jovial for our first meeting. Some possible team members did not realise the reality of what a Channel Relay involves; the fact that only 3 out of 10 relays this year have been successful speaks volumes as to the hardship of the challenge. I'll be catching up with everyone individually over the next 7-10 days to see where everyone stands. Getting the right team together is everything at the moment; I might have it in place, but then again maybe not. I'll continue the conversations over the next couple of weeks and then hopefully I'll have a full team including two reserves. Once that's in place I'll need to get back to "serious" training as I will not allow myself to be the weak link amongst some very accomplished swimmers.

Day 290 - Monday 11th July 2011 (the Twins 3rd birthday)

No swimming today, in fact no exercise today and I am feeling bad about that. The reason, of course there is “always” a reason why we dont do something we know we should do, is that the Twins turned 3 today. I really didn’t want them to wake up this morning on the first birthday that they really understand and me not be there. As for swimming the rest of the day, from 9am onwards I am up to my kneck with meetings and paperwork, then after work it would be rubbish of me to not go home and help Sharon as she is having about 30 kids over for a party this afternoon and then the adults staying on at ours for dinner. So yes it is an excuse for not swimming, but a fair excuse if one considers it.

Today is not about me swimming though, it’s about Angus McFayden. Angus is a Brighton Swimming Club member who has been training for 4 years to swim the channel; having missed his slots the last two years, once through weather and once through illness. I don’t know him that well as we’ve only swum together a couple of times and we don’t see each other a lot, but I have to say that I had great admiration for him as he has stuck to this challenge for 4 years and despite various challenges over the years he has kept going. He has certainly put in the training one needs (and then some) and has raised money for a wonderful cause. He started his swim this morning and the weather leaving Dover sounded just about perfect, although the temperature in Dover is still low (around 16 degrees) and the channel will be lower than that. So I want to take this opportunity of wishing him well in his swim and to say that I for one have the absolute respect for what he is putting himself through at this particular moment in time. I truly hope that tomorrow I can blog that he was successful.

Day 289 - 8th July 2011

Another crazy day of sea today. Last night Asher was a right royal pain in the arse! He came in our room at about midnight and basically refused to lie in his own bed and winged and winged until we let him in our bed, where he proceeded to fall asleep whilst kicking me in the back and snoring! So very little sleep indeed!

I was at the arch around 7am and Leo, David, Big Bob and Alex were already there. Big Bob and I headed in on our beach to go around the pier with the tide but against the wind. Getting in was not too bad, there were some huge waves, but they were breaking slightly out from the shore which meant we could find a spot and just go or it. As soon as we dived in we went straight into a wave and it was like running into a brick wall; it really winded me! But heads down we kept on swimming and headed out to sea. Unlike yesterdays madness, the waves were not breaking further out, however they were very big swells and it was really choppy (choppy is such a little word that doesn’t describe it, but I cant think of another one as I sit here). When we got around the head of the pier we stopped for a breath and Bob called out to me “not many people would take this on”. As soon as he said it Leo, David and Alex came around the pier in the opposite direction and said good morning! Funny really! In truth apart from the 5 of us I don’t think many would do what we did. It’s impossible to describe being so far out at sea right in the middle of massive walls of water which are crashing and swirling around you whilst you are trying to not only swim through it but also avoid being thrown into the razor sharp legs of the pier; even writing it out can’t describe the feeling; the fear mixed with the adrenaline whilst trying to maintain a level breathing and a “it’s just a swim” attitude to keep yourself calm. I spent the whole time saying to myself “find the inner peace and relax” whilst taking in gulps of sea water and seaweed! This really is an extreme sport no doubt about it.

Coming around the pier we fought on and went under the pier back to our beach and then headed in a straightish line to get to the donut by the groin on the far side of our beach. The shoreline by the donut is much flatter than the middle of the beach and with the waves as they were it was better to try to get to the groin and land there than land in the middle of the beach safely; also with the wind going away from the groin it meant that whilst it was a harder swim there was no danger of hitting the groin.

Another massive workout before work, adrenaline rushing around the body and a nice safe landing. Job done !!

This was meant to be my channel solo swim week; in this weather I would not have been able to go. Considering I was third swimmer it is a safe bet to say that even if my chrones hadn't called off my swim the weather definitley would have done. I'm not convinced Angus will get to go this week as there is no way you could attempt it in this temperature (15 degrees in brighton, so around 13 degree in Dove) and certainly not in these seas. The challenge is so dependent on the weather.

Next week I'm meeting with my possible Relay team to start planning next year; very excited by that.

Day 288 - 7th July 2011

First time I’ve done two swims in the morning before work; especially when neither have been particularly enjoyable.

The first started at 6.50am. It was damp in the air and the wind was extremely strong. The waves at the shore were huge and the swell seemed unusually big. A sensible thing to do would have been wait for others to turn up and also to then go in on the girly beach to the left of the pier; of course my middle name is not “sensible”, which sometimes is a great shame. I stood at the shore for about 10 minutes trying to find a way in and during that time I was hit by about six large waves big enough to knock me backwards and throw stones at me; nasty blighters! After a few big breakers I found my gap and went for it, jumping straight in and swimming as hard as I could to get away from the swells. I soon found myself being taken out quickly and was up the silver ball near the helter skelter in no time. Looking back to shore I felt a little unsteady as the waves seemed to be getting bigger and bigger and at that point I decided to abandon going around the pier and to just head back. Unfortunately as I turned back around to face away from the beach I was faced with a massive wave that was about to break on me so I did the only thing and swum down and under it. Swimming deep under the waves is much safer than trying to go over or through them as you are the one in control and you can normally come back up cleanly. However today the undercurrent, or perhaps it was a massive rip tide, was so strong that as I went under somehow it grabbed my legs and spun me over backwards. Before I realised it I was being spun in a ball and didn’t know which way the sky or the sea floor was. Calming myself I simply let my body float until it took me back to the surface. As soon as I broke through the sea I came face to face with another wave of the same proportions and the same thing happened all over again. Once again holding my nerve I let my body float up, but I have to say that I was really quite scared that I’d surface and it would happen for a third time and again and again. Luckily the next wave was only half the height and I was able to swim over it. At this point, with my heart in my mouth, I swam to shore as hard as I could. Each stroke however meant I was facing the beach and away from the waves and that itself was scary. I did manage to get back to shore, but it took longer than I wanted and was really frightening the whole way. This was the first time I found myself being turned under so far out to sea. It’s happened a few times at the shore, but all that happens is you get a few bangs and scrapes, but way out there you genuinely wonder if you’ll make it back! A couple of BSC swimmer on the beach were watching me and sensibly walked back with me to the Arch and saved their swim for another day!

The second swim was at about 7.45am. After my shower and change into civvies I was ready to go to work for a warming coffee and a couple of Nurofen. But it struck me odd that no one was at the Arch at that time; usually there would have been Little Bob, Mike, David, Bella, Big Bob etc. So clutching my bag of wet swimming gear I left the Arch and wondered back to my beach to see if anyone was around. Not seeing anyone I wondered over to the girly beach and there they were; a more sensible place to go in. As they were just standing around I thought I’d wonder down and take a look; there was Mike, Little Bob and Charlotte on the shore line, none going in, and their was Bella and Big Bob out in the ocean making their way back in. Both made it safely back, but both were unnerved by the experience; Bella particularly seemed a little out of sorts and shaken by the intensity and strength of the waves and undercurrent. Rather than go back to the Arch they all stood looking to sea; David and Martina were still in there and about a third of the pier down. We stood watching them for a few minutes and it was clear that they were not making much headway. David, whilst being the elderly one amongst us, is a very strong swimmer and managed to head back quicker. He simply is not able to physically bring someone in with him despite being a fantastic swimmer and as soon as he was near the shore he called out that Martina was in trouble. Immediately Big Bob sprung into action and dived back in. Looking around me there really wasn’t anyone else able to go in and help so there I was stripping off my clothes, popping my wet trunks and goggles back on and heading out to help. Bob and I reached her pretty much together and took position either side of her. Just having us there as support was enough for her to swim in with more confidence and with us guiding her and shielding her as much as we could form the bigger waves we all made it safely to shore.

Walking back up the beach to the Arch we passed a council worker who was standing under the pier with fear in his eyes; clearly wondering what the hell we do this for.

20 minutes later, showered again, dried, dressed, hair gel in place and clarins moisturiser reapplied to my salt battered face I headed of to work for that coffee and those headache pills. 30 Minutes later sitting at my desk I realised being a simple office worker was not such a terrible thing to be!

Day 287 - 7th July 2011

We definitely are living in England; no other country can change its weather like England can. Yesterday morning it was warm, bright and calm and then this morning it was gloomy, raining and windy.

I was at the Arch by around 7am and decided to wait a short while until others turned up; no reason other than I didn’t fancy swimming alone today. By 7.15am I was heading down the beach with Big Bob, Little Bob, Mike, David, Charlotte and Martina; seven crazy fools all fighting the wind to get to the shore. As for the rain, it was the cold type! Not much of it, but big droops and rather icy when it hit your body. The sea was very choppy, with some really big waves, but luckily the breakers at the shore were not too bad so one could get in and out very easily. Big Bob and I headed out and around the three buoys, the first buoy seeming to take an age to get to. Halfway between the first and second Bob hit something, he thought it was me, but I was a way away from him; later when we returned to the beach we saw a big pallet floating, so it was probably that, but I bet it made his heart skip a beat. Once we got to the third buoy we turned around and traced our way back around them and then headed back. By the time we got to the shore my arms, particularly my biceps, were really aching and in fact an hour on they still ache. Last night after work I headed to the gym and had an hour with Ross and it was all on shoulders and biceps as I’m trying to now build up my strength for faster power swims. After the gym I did an hour in the outside pool and pushed myself as hard as I have done for months. After that I did a 7 miles “fast” run around the streets. By the time I got home I actually felt physically sick and had to sit in the shower for a few minutes until it passed; I haven’t felt that like form training in years. Therefore it’s no wonder my arms and biceps ach after all that and then getting to the beach today and tackling a busy sea. All that aside, I have to say that I really enjoyed the swim today as not only did it stretch me out, a kind of “hare of the dog” for exercise, but it was one of those swims where you were really battling the elements but in a fairly safe and comfortable way. More days like today (without the rain!) would be great.

Day 286 - 5th July 2011

Another weather day much like yesterday; air warm, sea up to around 16.5 degrees, calm, flat and just jolly nice. Got to the Arch at a leisurely 7.20am (very late for me!) and headed in alone; others (Big Bob, Little Bob, Mike etc already in and doing their things). I didn’t fancy a pier swim today, although I probably should have done a West Pier swim; instead I went around the three buoys on our beach, going around them 4 times in total. A nice easy enjoyable swim. The sea itself was really clear today and you could see straight to the floor. Going around the buoy by the pier it was easy to spot the ride tokens that have dropped down (some people in the club dive and collect them by the pocket load) ; good spoils for all. Going back along to the middle buoy I spotted circa half a dozen star fish of varying sizes; all lying still and no doubt having a morning nap. I love days when the water is clear like this, it makes being in the sea so amazing.

After my swim I spoke to Leo and Shoichi; both of who want to join me in the relay next year and both who I would love to have on my team. Both of them really good swimmers and very determined people as well as being fun to be around. So with 3 of us on board we are now going to get together and plan the rest of the team. There is a 4th person at the arch (the female variety!) who is amazingly fast and strong and super nice; she has expressed that she might like to also join us, so I’ll chat to her next week as well. No names yet just in case she changes her mind.

I have had a number of really supportive email recently, once again giving me extra strength and confidence to carry on:


Dear Rob,
I was sorry to read the first half your email knowing what great effort you have gone to in order to plan the challenge. However, I was greatly encouraged by the second half of the email proving the old adage “you can’t keep a good man down!” (or out of the water in your case!)
In every respect, you still have my full support and the support of the radio station behind the amazing work you are doing and the inspiring causes you are supporting.
Best wishes to you, your team and your family.
Ryan


How determined is Rob, well done to him. Wish I was a strong swimmer and I would do my “bit” My late husband had the same illness so I do understand . Anyway enough of this time to get on with the day, the children are in!
Jane Assistant Head Teacher for the Primary School

Day 285 - Monday 4th July 2011

After a late night (in the garden with friends until around 11pm ish) I was tired this morning. However as the kids didn’t get to bed until after 11pm it meant that they did sleep through most of the night. I got to the beach around 7.15am and was in the water by about 7.25am. The sea was completely calm, not a ripple and you could see pretty much all the way to the bottom. The temperature was around mid 15 degrees, so still cold, however a certainly better than it has been. As I was still tired I just did once around the pier, nice and leisurely and just took my time and enjoyed it. Not much more to add than that today; it’s just another Monday and apart from the sun shining it is uneventful – that in itself I guess is noteworthy!!

Day 284 - Friday 1st July 2011

An early start of meetings today meant that despite the fantastic hot weather and clear sky I couldn’t get to the beach before work; it would have meant a 5am start, which even for me was not something I felt I needed to do. However my day ended earlier than usual with my last meeting finishing at 4pm, so I opted for an afternoon swim instead.

I was at the Arch by about 4.15pm and went twice around the pier, beach to beach to beach. Total swim approx 42 minutes. The sea was a little choppy, but not offensively so and the temperature was around 17 degrees; which was the highest it’s been all year; in fact whilst it felt warm I am not convinced it was that high and perhaps my watch was being a little optimistic!

It was weird swimming at that time as the beach had a few people on it and both the prom and the pier had visitors. Being on my own late afternoon with all those people about was slightly uncomfortable. However I have to say that the actual swim itself was fantastic, much nicer than my morning swims. The sea was a lot warmer, I had more energy and also had the arch all to myself. I am certainly considering do this more; maybe once or twice a week if work allows.