Swimming Days 320 - 322 – Monday 22nd – Thursday 25th August 2011

Been a bad blogger and not blogged for a few days. Simply been so up to my eyes with work and home that haven’t even been able to find the time to blog; how sad is that! So here I go a fairly quick one for the last few days:

Swimming – I’m swimming in the rain, oh swimming in the rain, what a glorious feeling etc etc. I swam Monday, Wednesday and today and it rained each day whilst I was swimming. I was planning on swimming Tuesday, but a total lack of sleep (twins of course) meant that even for the hardy folk such as I it was just too much to have not evens an hours sleep and then go swimming! The week has basically been temperatures around 16 – 16.5 degrees, the conditions have ranged from fairly flat to fairly choppy and the swims have been on average 1 mile per day and 35 minutes worth each time. Nothing extraordinary and that itself is not a good thing! I had planned to be upping my swimming again, but haven’t managed to. It’s not a disaster of course, but I need to get my mind back to it and start increasing them again. That may mean back to the pool; oh dread.

Running – Monday I was in Watford working again and then home at 4pm and I did a 12.7 K run in 1 hr 15 minutes; not bad as only just started running again. Today I did a run at lunch time, a smaller 10k run in 48 minutes; again not great but not bad. Will aim for a third run of the week on Saturday, I’ll try to do a 15k-20k.

Gym – Tuesday evening I used the gym at home and did a 45 minute session, including my Vasa swimming trainer; need t o more of that (as I keep telling myself!). Wednesday did an hour with Ross at Falmer and he really battered my shoulders and abs. That’s it for gym work this week; unless I can find the energy and time for a quick home session Saturday night. Not sure I will though as I’m a guest in the Directors box at the Albions new Amex stadium Saturday and it will involve wine and champagne!

Squash – A game with Ross at the weekend; turns out I have not lost the touch after all as he didn’t get a game and I was not exactly pushing it! Another game this week, tomorrow in fact with Jamie from work. That is likely to be a good game as Jamie has been playing Jon very week for a few months and I’ve only had two games in the last 6 years. But I recon I’ll give him a run for his money all the same!

What else; mmm, let’s see? Well LB & L are off to Italy for a couple of weeks so will miss them in the mornings. Big Bo of to France for a few days so will miss him in the mornings and I guess that’s pretty much my morning buddies! So morning may be a little quieter for a few days; I’ll take the time to push myself of course. what else, mmm, I’ve signed up for a short Triathlon in September and if goes well I’ll find a decent one for next year after my swim; so that will mean next year I’ll do a Marathon, A triathlon and the Channel swim; my version of the three peaks challenge! Wot else, mmm; oh yes Jamie Goodhead! Jamie is my swimming friend who I crewed for last year when his swim was called off. He managed last weekend to get his shot at the channel and he took it with both hands and both feet. Personally Me and any other swimmer you talk to would say he is now officially a channel swimmer, but I am sure Jamie would not think so; he is wrong! He got within 300 metres of France before they pulled him out; that as far as I and everyone else is concerned is a job well done and a channel swimmer extraordinaire. His swim it seems was so very tough; 6 hours of on the spot swimming, 9 hours swimming in gale force 6 , water on the lungs and eventual temporary blindness. Yet with all that he still managed to get within 300 metres of shore. They had to pull him out at that stage as he was simply not able to continue for fear of death or at the very least permanent damage, but what an incredible swim. To say I am in awe of him and have massive respect for him is such an understatement; he has tried something that to date I have still not been able to. Jamie my friend you are a channel swimmer and a madly brave one at that.

I will now try and blog back to my usual standards and time!