This blog is a dedicated blog for Rob Starr's journey from sign up to eventual Channel Swim. Rob's dedication to the Trust is second to none and this commitment to not only the gruelling hardwork, training and preparation for the swim, with his own personal challenges, but also the steadfast commitment to raising £100,000 and creating smiles. Please do follow
Back in the sea today after about 12 days away, that was a rude awakening I can tell you.
The temperature was 11.9 degrees, which is remarkably warm for the last day of October and it means that we can still swim around the pier; in fact tomorrow will be a swim around the pier in November, something we couldn’t do last year due to the temperature.It was not an easy swim though as it was really choppy and even out at the end of the pier we were being hit by the big waves.Not many in the sea today; David and Shoichi went before us, so Big Bob and I went just the two of us (as we so often do).The hardest part was actually just getting from the silver ball to the helter skelter as the waves kept fighting us back, but eventually we broke through and made it around.I think that having not swum for nearly two weeks, still being in holiday mode, having a chesty cough and the conditions of the sea made it a much harder swim than it probably should have been.However we did make it safely around and it was a decent start to the day.Hopefully tomorrow I’ll feel more able and strong and can enjoy it a little more.
Safely home and always good to be back amongst your own things.Not swimming today as needed to be at my desk earl (5.45am as it turned out) as there were over 500 emails for me to look over – holiday are great, but one has to pay the price on the return!Everything has a price it seems.
Tonight we have the Starr Trust Swim4Smiles Presentation at the Sussex County Cricket Club.We have about 130 people coming; some of the projects we have supported, some of our donors, some friends of the Trust and some new friends of course.I can’t believe that a whole year has now gone since we launched Swim4Swiles and in that year we have managed to raised circa £72,000. An amazing achievement by the Trust.Tonight we celebrate by giving out the £72,000 to our projects and hearing exactly where the money will go and how it will help children smile.For me of course the challenge continues as I do not complete my swim for another 10 months, so that 10 months of training and worrying; but for now it’s time to enjoy the amazing work that the Trust has done in the last 12 months.
A fantastic holiday; truly fantastic.There was no more illness from the moment we reached Cyprus and the kids have been a dream all week. The weather was a constant 22 degrees, so great to sit out in, but not too hot to sit out in.Food wonderful, place exceptional, kids a dream; all in all just what was needed.I did go into the sea one day; it was about 25 degrees, yummy!I also managed to use the hotel gym twice in the week, but apart from that it was no exercise at all (apart from keeping up with the kids).Definitely doing to make family holidays a priority in the future.Heading home later this morning and not looking forward to the cold sea that awaits me!
Almost never left today for holiday!A very close call indeed.
Asher stopped being sick yesterday afternoon, but was naturally tired, so we felt confident to still go. By 7pm Ash was in bed but Mia throwing up for England, the next Olympic gold medalist in projectile vomit.She was still throwing up at midnight, by which time we were throwing in the towel and had decided not to go away. By 2am, with us still awake and Mia fast asleep and Jesse only falling asleep by 11pm (he simply refused to go to sleep) we had decided definitely not to go as no doubt Jesse will be ill when he wakes up and Sharon and I were only feeling 75% well ourselves (probably just exhaustion, but could have been sickness bug as well). I turned off the alarm and resigned myself that I would be back to the beach and to work tomorrow as usual.However at 4am Sharon woke up, woke me and the kids up and decided we should go for it; an interesting and ballsy idea.
By 5am we were handing over our car at Gatwick, by 6am we were checked in and now at 9.30am we are at 30000 feet! Asher watching a DVD, Mia drawing and Jessie asleep across me.
So far no more sickness and everyone in good spirits; I need a holiday I think!!!
No swimming today as Asher not at all well and Sharon needs me around in the morning to help out and to try to keep the Twins away from him so that don’t catch anything so close to our holiday.Everything crossed that they stay healthy and we get to go!
Back to the beach again; but at the far more sensible time of 7.10am.Busy arch this morning, must have been around 8-10 of us.Sea cold again, down to 12.2 degrees today and whilst there were not many waves the ones there were very powerful.Big Bob and I decided to swim west rather than go around the pier, although as the tide had a decent pull to the east it meant we only got a few metres passed the groin.When we swam out a distance it was quite flat, but further in the waves were so strong that at one point Bob was actually taken over me whilst I went through a wave; one second he was next to me on my left and the next second he was on my right; a fantastic You Tube video if it had been filmed.
Back to the gym later to see Ross and work off that awful burger king I had yesterday; my crones was certainly complaining about it to me this morning by giving me some quite severe stomach cramps.Must avoid the rubbish food when I’m travelling for work; seems like a good idea at the time but boy do I pay for it later!
Tomorrow is my last day at sea for a week as we are off on a very much needed week away.In fact a week in the sun and with little or no exercise will be a treat and will do my shoulder the world of good as it’s still not right.Hopefully tomorrow the sea will be flat enough for a pier swim to finish of my week.
It started at 2am exactly with the terrible Twins turning up in our room, jumping into our bed and falling fast asleep "longways". Within 5 minutes I had no room and was uncomfortably lying in Mia's bed waiting for the morning. By 6am I was in the car heading for the beach in the pitch black wondering what the hell I'm doing it for. Seeing Lindy, Mark, Shoichi and Paul already wondering down the beach at that time at least made me feel I was not the only madman in the town. A quickish 30 mins swim around the pier later I was back in the arch (pleased that the others had only just got back as well as it meant I did a decent speed) and showering to warm up (12.4 degrees) and then dressed in best suit headed off to Brighton station for my 7.33am train to Middlesbrough. Now it's 9.05 pm and I'm on the underground heading to Victoria hoping a Brighton train is there to get me home by 10.30pm.
The one thing I dislike about days like today is the eating. As expected I had my usual “little” to eat during the day and now no doubt I will find myself standing at Victoria station for 40 minutes waiting for a train and will end up gorging on a rubbish burger king and chips and then will regret it for the next 24 hours whilst my crones complains!!!
Tomorrow it starts all over again, minus the burger king of course!
A slightly later swim this morning as quite frankly I couldn’t be bothered to get up when Jesse jumped on me at 5.30am and the alarm went off at 6.00am; I know I’m getting lazy!I was at the arch jus after 7am as Damien, Shoichi, Lindy and Mark had finished their swim and Little Bob, Simon and David were just getting ready for theirs.I was in the sea by about 7.15am and as the tide was very low and the water calm it meant a walk out just passed the pier sign before one could submerge into the depths.Walking in felt colder than it has done in recent weeks, which was as much to do with the air temperature dropping as the sea temperature.The sky however was just brightening up and to my right was a very bright and still visible moon and to my left a bright and vibrant ball of sunshine; for a moment standing in the middle of the sea looking left and right it felt like a scene from a sci fi movie about a land of water with two moons high ion the atmosphere.
I wasn’t planning on swimming around the pier today as my shoulder is still swollen from my physioterrorist yesterday, but with so few days left at this temperature it felt a waste not to.As it turned out I felt strong today, despite my shoulder, and swam at a really good pace.Possibly if I had not been alone it may have felt slower as I usually end up chasing people, but on my own I have no-one to judge myself against and as such it was nice to at least pretend I was motoring along.
The temperature was 12.9 degrees; so we are now sub 13 and I am sure it won’t be long before Big Bob and I will be in there complaining about it being under 6 degrees.
Having had a text from Fiona yesterday I am hopeful that next week or the week after She and I can get together to talk about next years relay. I am desperate to get my team together and talk through the relay and really have a “team” rather than a group of people, but for me Fiona is key to this as she is so very experienced at this.The problem is that being so good at it she is always in great demand and I am not one to badger people, so whilst I am hopeful she will be on board I can’t keep pushing her as it’s not fair to either of us.So hopefully she’ll be with us and I don’t have to do this alone!If I do have to then I will, but really hope not!
Not able to get to the beach today as had physio very first thing (shoulder from swimming and knee from running - am I getting old or what!) and then back to work for the day and then planning an hour in the pool tonight on speed swimming (my version of speed swimming unfortunately is still somewhat slow compared to others I know!). The swim tonight however is much dependent on my shoulder as Kim really worked it hard and she said that there is a swelling there so I should rest it.I don’t want to cause any permanent damage so I’ll have to wait tonight and see how it is; otherwise I think an hour in the steam room may be a better option.
Once again down my favourite place in the morning, the beautiful BrightonBeach (written without sarcasm). No-one at the arch at 6.45am so I went in alone. Still dark, but the light was coming up and the wind only about 30% of yesterday’s strength. A low(ish) tide and a fairly strong but dealable tide to the east.
I went in middle of the beach and headed around the pier. It was still a bit lumpy out there and I did find myself having some waves wash over me as far out as the end of the pier. I really should have gone in near the west end of the beach as against the middle so that I could let the sea take me safely around the pier head. As it was I found that a couple of times I looked up and found myself facing one of the razer sharp stanchions; really heart stopping stuff, especially when you see it that close and you feel a wave behind you about to thrust you forward! Coming back around the head I wasn’t sure whether to swim straight down and land on the safer beach or swim under the pier and head back to my beach; the tide was strong to the east and my beach is to the west. Coming around the stairs I opted for going under the pier against the tide; my reasoning was that my shoes were on my beach and I was feeling too lazy to walk from the safe beach to my beach afterwards. Of course that now seems like nonsense as it meant I had to battle very hard against the tide to get back instead of just letting the waves take me to shore – that is somehow how my mind works; very odd! I swam hard, especially under the pier as the sea seemed to be coming straight at me at massive speed but eventually I broke through. However no matter how hard I swam I couldn’t break free from the pier and eventually landed on my beach literally next to the groin by the pier; feeling rather nervous as the groin is not something you particularly want to swim into! Was nice to be back at the arch greeting my friends with all limbs intact!
Have you ever swum backwards doing the front crawl?No??Well if you had joined us this morning at 7am on Brighton beach then you would have done.Luckily it was a low tide again, but just like yesterday the sea was wave upon wave and the tide was pulling so fiercely to the east that even a herd of wild pilchards fitted with Ferrari engines couldn’t have made headway against it.A fair few of us down there today and all went in at the donut groin; furthest away from the pier at the other end of our beach; Little Bob, needing that extra power and oomph even wore my trunks today; sadly they didn’t help.No matter how hard we all swam it was a case of one second by the groin and the next by the pier.We kept having to get back to the beach and walk on the stones back to the shore to just stay away from the pier.It seemed the harder you swam the more the tide fought back.A massive morning of exercise for sure and a lot of fun; so much fun that Big Bob and I ended up being in their for over 45 minutes; which for us in the morning at the moment was a decent amount of time.
After work I was meant to be at the gym, but instead thought I’d do another run.Saturdays run hurt too much for a couple of days and that’s not good, so I thought another run this week would help.On Saturday I did 12k at an average of 6.04 minutes per k.Today after work I did 14k at an average of 5.25 minutes per k ; a much better performance and I’m most pleased (and most tired).
Last night we only had little Mia join us in bed; so how come I was still be shoved out! Considering she is only 3 years old and just a little thing she sure has a lot of strength in he legs and arms; I spent the whole night fighting to just stay on the edge rather than the floor. By 5.45am she had won game set and match and I was out the bed on the floor feeling rather sad to have been beaten once again.
On the positive side I needed to up and about early as I had an important 8am meeting to get to so an early swim was needed. I was at the arch by 6.30am and met with Shoichi who as usual was there before the sun came up. Even at 6.30am it was dark still so it felt almost like a night swim. The wind was really pushing and the sea was a mass of waves. Luckily it was low tide which meant we could get in; if it had been high tide it was have been suicidal to have even tried. We went in near the groin and within seconds it was wave after wave of pummelling as well as being dragged forcibly towards the pier. After 25 minutes of battling we safely got back to shore and headed up the beach; both of us swaying with dizziness from the pounding and the crazy movement of the sea. Back at the arch a few minutes later came Little Bob, Big Bob, Alex, Sean, Simon, David, Martina, Evo and others; all heading off to the safer beach (no longer called the girly beach by me!); whilst I headed straight into the shower, holding on the sides as I was still swaying a little too much.
Next week before I go away on a much needed weeks holiday I am going to try to arrange a meal out with my relay team so that we can be regaled by Alex’s recent relay swim and understand a little more of what we are heading into. It will also be great to meet as a team again as time is marching on and I want us to be very prepared; we really can’t simply expect the same perfect conditions that Alex and Bog Bob had on their swim; we need to be ready to take on the elements however they are thrown at us.
On a final note I really must start running at the very least once a week! After my Saturday shortish run my thighs are really tight today and I should be able to knock out these runs without any problem at all.
Last night we only had little Mia join us in bed; so how come I was still be shoved out!Considering she is only 3 years old and just a little thing she sure has a lot of strength in he legs and arms; I spent the whole night fighting to just stay on the edge rather than the floor.By 5.45am she had won game set and match and I was out the bed on the floor feeling rather sad to have been beaten once again.
On the positive side I needed to up and about early as I had an important 8am meeting to get to so an early swim was needed.I was at the arch by 6.30am and met with Shoichi who as usual was there before the sun came up.Even at 6.30am it was dark still so it felt almost like a night swim.The wind was really pushing and the sea was a mass of waves.Luckily it was low tide which meant we could get in; if it had been high tide it was have been suicidal to have even tried.We went in near the groin and within seconds it was wave after wave of pummelling as well as being dragged forcibly towards the pier.After 25 minutes of battling we safely got back to shore and headed up the beach; both of us swaying with dizziness from the pounding and the crazy movement of the sea.Back at the arch a few minutes later came Little Bob, Big Bob, Alex, Sean, Simon, David, Martina, Evo and others; all heading off to the safer beach (no longer called the girly beach by me!); whilst I headed straight into the shower, holding on the sides as I was still swaying a little too much.
Next week before I go away on a much needed weeks holiday I am going to try to arrange a meal out with my relay team so that we can be regaled by Alex’s recent relay swim and understand a little more of what we are heading into.It will also be great to meet as a team again as time is marching on and I want us to be very prepared; we really can’t simply expect the same perfect conditions that Alex and Bog Bob had on their swim; we need to be ready to take on the elements however they are thrown at us.
On a final note I really must start running at the very least once a week!After my Saturday shortish run my thighs are really tight today and I should be able to knock out these runs without any problem at all.
For those Jewish readers (if any) a happy Yom Yipper to you today; although I am not sure if one is meant to be happy on the day of atonement? However in my world we should always be happy; so happy wishes to you all.
This morning Sharon took the 3 little Starr's to the synagogue (I am sure she has no sins to atone for) and me being one not to follow religion decided not join them; support them of course, but not join them. So instead I put on my running shoes and did a nice 12k run; 1 hr 2 minutes. I am sure I certainly have sins to atone for so perhaps a 12k run was my pennance; my knee was aching at the end so there was pain involved!
Another dark and cold start to the day; how is it possible that a week ago I was sitting on Lancing beach in 24 degrees sun and a sparkling sea and taking the twins in for a dip and this morning it is about 8 degrees in the air and very stormy looking.
The arch was not as “manly testosterone” filled this morning, which was good, but still there were a few of us there; Big Bob, Little Bob, David, Big James, Leo, Alex, Lindy, Paula (in her “less is more” swimwear), Evo and others I am sure.The sea was showing some quite big waves at shore and some monster swells way out to sea.Big Bob, Big James and little Me headed out from our beach and straight out to sea.On reaching the helter skelter, having already been thrust feet into the air numerous times by massive swells, I stopped for a second and called out to Bob that perhaps we should turn back.Naturally in such a busy sea he didn’t hear me so on we went.Funnily enough when we got back Bob said he considered stopping at the helter skelter as he fancied turning back but he didn’t think I would want to!!Getting to the end of the pier and heading around we stopped for a moment and enjoyed the calmer effects of being at the end before heading back around and into the walls of water heading to shore. We decided to go straight back down and land on the girly beach (out as men and back as girls) rather than go under the pier and back to ours as the waves would have made it very hard and dangerous, especially landing on our beach; as it turned out we weren’t the only ones to think this as the others either did the same as us or simply stayed on the girly beach from the start.Back at the arch Alex complained that we shouldn’t call it the girly beach just because it’s safer; actually he is spot on as I think the BSC ladies are a tough bunch and often have bigger b---s than the boys!We should rename it the safer beach to be politically and factually correct!
The temperature was around 14 degrees, although it felt a little warmer than that.Walking back from the "safer" beach to the shore on our own beach in our bear feet to collect our shoes wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it was still better than trying to swim there. The whole swim took about 26 minutes I think and it felt like a massive workout; my shoulders are still aching.Bob remarked that we sometimes forget the enormity of swimming in the sea and around the pier, let alone in conditions such as these.He is absolutely right; we do take it for granted that it’s what we do, but for most people it would be unthinkable.
As for the rest of the day, it’s to the office until 1pm, then to the gym with Ross for an hour (like I need another workout; not!!!) then it’s off to London in a penguin suit for a black tie event in the West End tonight as a guest of a business contact.Super kind of them to ask me, but I may be a tad tired by the time I get there, let alone by the end of the night!
Whilst the wind was raging in the night it seemed to be a lot calmer this morning; not gone, just calmer.
In view of the possible crazy sea conditions the arch was alive with testosterone. About 30% busier than usual and boasts of “I’ll swim around the pier, I’ll dive of the steps, I am the greatest etc etc. Now last year I would have just gone along and dived in and braved it out, but this year I have a more cautious side to me; not always it has to be said, but certainly sometimes. The thing is that when you are in a dangerous sport such as sea swimming your ability changes from day to day dependent on you; be it your physical state, your health, whether you’re tired or not, stressed or not. You really must listen to how you are feeling on the day; this is something I didn’t do last year and I found myself frequently in positions of fairly extreme danger and wondering how the hell I was going to get out of it. So this year I have been listening more to how I am on the day and then swimming according to that. This morning for example as the testosterone was building in the arch the challenges being laid down I calmly put on my goggles and hat and swam the other way! Big Bob and I left the “men” to swim around the pier and we once again headed West against the tide, but not too far out, just a few metres out from the end of the donut groin.
The sea was full of swells and some of the waves were seriously big, real bondi beach surf waves. Getting in and getting out was a matter of timing and making sure you never turned your back on a wave. A few times when we were heading in we had to turn around and dive back through a wave and go out again; the only safe option. When we were back on terra firma we watched Shoichi coming out. He swam into shallower waters where he could stand and with a big smile on his face casually strolled in. Bob and I were pointing and shouting and at the last minute he realised what we were doing and turned to see a wave about four times higher than him bearing over and blocking out all his sunlight. Quick as a fish he span and dived through it. Coming in safely to shore a few seconds later, still with a big smile on his face, it was again a lesson; never turn your back on the sea!!
Where's the weather gone? In fact where's the year gone?
After being spoilt for a week with magnificant weather here we are with darkness, wind and a little rain. This morning I was at the arch by 7am and heading into the sea with Big Bob and Lindy by 7.15am. The waves were quite big and the swells carrying you high. Lindy headed off around the pier whilst Bob and I headed West against the tide to the Brighton Centre; we seem to like that swim. I still find I swim better in rougher waters; perhaps it's a case that everyone else is a little more caustious whilst I stay the same and hence I come more into my own. Saying that, Bob copes with all weathers and on a day like today it's good for me that we swim together and stay together; safety in numbers as well as someone to enjoy the crazy experience. This was not the only challenge of the day for me; in fact I would say this was the easiest part of my day.
After the swim it was off to the office for two meetings, both lasting about 2 hrs each and then the fun began. I picked up Asher, Carman and Jacob (friends of Asher's from school); then off to Falmer with them all as Asher had a swimming lesson, then off to pick up the Twins, then home and cook dinner for all five. Where was Sharon whilst this was going on? In a spa day with friends; nice life if you can get it.
Tomorrow it's meant to be a crazy sea (the wind is already bending the trees); but likely that a force 8 gale will be less charactor building than cooking dinner for 5 kids!!
Kids naturally knowing I was tired felt they should come and comfort me!!By 3am Sharon had taken Asher downstairs to the spare room with her (he had a nightmare poor love and there was no room in our bed), leaving me with Mia & Jesse who systematically punched and kicked me all night – they slept fine, but I was awake and black & blue!
I was at the arch by around 6.30am and did a once around the pier.I would say it was a quick swim, but I didn’t feel quick.I think being on my own out there sometimes slows me down as I have no one to chase after.Tomorrow hopefully I’ll have time to go a little later and maybe Big Bob will be there.
The weather has changed from massive October summer to a slightly colder October autumn.It’s still nice, but not sunny and air temp down to about 18 degrees.Sea temp was around 15 degrees I think; I didn’t look, so am going on gut instinct on that one.
Good news for the day – This afternoon I have a meeting with Boxing Promoter Frank Maloney (he was Lennox Lewis’s trainer when he was world champ and he is a Patron of the Starr Trust).He’s coming to Brighton with an Event’s company to meet me about them putting on a Golf Tournament in Portugal in Franks name in aid of a fundraiser for the Trust.How cool is that!
Disappointing news for the day – I was really sceptical about the new swimming training, Total Immersion. It was pretty much everything opposite of what I had been doing in swimming, very radical in that respect.However I am desperate to get my speed up and thought that I should try it out and really give it a go.So last week I had my first lesson and I took it very seriously and then in the week went to the pool twice and practised it.I felt very foolish in the pool doing these exercises whilst everyone else was swimming, but I did it all the same.This morning at 10am I went for my second lesson. After such a long day yesterday and a full diary today it was rally hard to schedule this lesson in, both workwise and mentally; but there I was at the pool at 9.50am ready for my second dip of the day and with an open mind.By 10.45am I was back in my car and really disappointed that not only did the instructor not turn up, but he didn’t phone, email or text!I have since had an email from him saying he forgot to put it in his diary; however I should have emailed him to confirm!How about “sorry Rob my fault it won’t happen again”.When I met him last week there were two of us waiting; he apologised to the other chap saying he was expecting him next week and basically tough luck. The chap was insistent it wasn’t the next week but ended up leaving very disappointed.Seems the instructor has form on this! It’s a great shame though as tt was hard enough for me to mentally commit to something as radically different as this so to then be left standing in my trunks and goggles next to a pool was very embarrassing.This is now the second swimming teacher who had let me down; all I’m trying to do is get a little help; not for free either, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere.
Good News to end – Always have to end on the good news!!My good news to end is that despite not having the help and despite being let down again I will not be beaten.I committed to raise £100,000 for children’s charities by swimming the channel and I will do just that.I will do it despite and not because of the help, but do it I will !
No swim again today; disappointing but work had to take preference.I was in Nottingham today meeting Nottingham Forest FC; a really interesting meeting, but it meant I ended up doing an 18 hr day and am writing this now with eyes drooping!
I had some really nice messages asking if I was feeling better, very much appreciated.I am fine now, it was just a blip, I get them from time to time.I probably shouldn’t have gone to the gym Friday after work as that just aggravated it further and it meant I didn’t swim Friday or Saturday; however Sunday I was in the sea in Lancing and it was glorious.Flat, warm and an October Summer day.Never has October been so hot; I think that the air temp was about 25 degrees; incredible.Tomorrow I have an early start, my first meeting is 7.45am, but I am determined to get in the sea beforehand – really hoping the kids let me sleep tonight.
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