Day 349 - Tuesday 4th October 2011

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 !