Day 283 - 30th June 2011

Another swimming day much like yesterday, virtually the same conditions although a little warmer at 15.2 degrees. Still not what I would consider “warm”, but certainly much better. This morning I swam an hour at a fairly constant and decent pace. I went once around the pier and then to the fifth buoy along to the marina and back; basically 6.30am – 7.30am.

Good news on the channel front; I have a new date – wey hey!! I have a week booked 8th – 16th August 2012; Olympic Year!! I have the 1st swimmer spot, which is basically as good as it gets. It means that for that whole week my team will get the first clear day to do the challenge. What I now have to do is get a team together. I’m not sure how easy or hard that will be, but I am confident that in Brighton Swimming Club there will be enough good swimmers who would like to join me in this; I certainly hope so. If not then I will look further afield. In Brighton, especially with my connections at the Esporta Club, there are a lot of swimmers and triathletes and amongst them I am sure there are people who would love to join us. This is not however a simple case of someone being able to swim an hour at a time; the relay has so many other challenges; least not sea sickness in the boat, air temperature when you come out and try to warm up before you have to go back in again, taking a year to train, taking a week off work awaiting your slot. An easy option it isn’t! However between Fiona and Myself I am confident we will find five stars to join me. My boat pilot is Andy King and his boat is the “Louise Jane”; this is a link to his boat -

http://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/Pilot%20Andy%20King.html

Now I have a new and confirmed date in place I am reinvigorated and excited about the swim again; about time!

By the way the couple outside the Arch in the morning are Glen and Simone; nice to now know their names.

Day 282 - 29th June 2011

After two days out of the sea due to exhaustion from the lack of sleep I was back to it today. The morning was dry, the air temp about 18 degrees and the sea still down to just under 14 degrees. It was 6.35am when I tiptoed into the ocean on my own, having said my good mornings to the homeless couple just waking up outside the arch; I need to get their names as calling them the homeless couple feels very degrading; what is the etiquette on asking them their names, am I allowed to even do that without offending? Tough one.

The sea was very calm and the tide was mid way through its change, so it was quick to get out of depth and the movement was very little; both conducive to an easy start. Heading out I swam past Shoichi and Damien who were heading back from a 6am start and continued to head around the pier. A nice easy swim all the way around so I carried on from the head of the pier and to the fourth buoy out to the marina; a decent distance in the morning. The swim back to my beach was also nice and easy and in fact the whole swim was most pleasurable (you had to be there!). Back in the Arch afterwards I only saw Little Bob and managed a catch up with him which is always a pleasure (he and Lindy did a 2k swim in the Thames at the weekend at 3am with about 600m people – I’m clearly not the only lunatic in Brighton!).

After my swim and two early meetings I headed to Esporta at Falmer to present the Starr Trust and our fundraising to a meeting of 26 Esporta managers from branches around the South and East. The meeting, which Ross put together for me, was really good and we now not only have Esporta Brighton fundraising for us, but also the other 25 branches! A fantastic result to get such amazing support for the Trust. Afterwards I had a session in the gym with Ross for an hour, just on core and shoulders as I've had leg problems today.

On the dark side of today I have suffered quite a lot with my leg pain; the electric shock variety I had a few weeks back. I haven’t had this for a few weeks and when I have had it its been maybe 2 or 3 times in a row and about twice in a day lasting about 20 seconds each. For some reason today I have had about 6 episodes, each one with about 5 shocks each and each lasting about 30 seconds. To say it’s been a painful shocking day with that is an understatement. I’m not sure why it’s started again, but hopefully it’ll go away and leave me in peace. I certainly don’t want to see the doctor or specialist as they will just say lay of the training for a while! Hardly gonna do that!! Probably just the chrons and the tiredness getting together to tell me to have an earthy night and a healthy dinner!

Day 281 - 27th June 2011

Despite a bloomin hot day and a sky of blue I am not in the sea today. Great pity as the first day in a long time when it would not be nuts to go in! However this morning I was way too tired to go swimming and this evening I will be working too late to venture out in the dark (also it is meant to storm later today).

I managed a swim Saturday, which was raining and foggy, however my legs were still hurting a lot from the Friday gym session. I did about 45 minutes in the sea at 6.00am; just to the west pier and back; a hard but decent swim. Sunday I used the gym in the morning, trying to work out the still aching legs, and then went to the beach with the family midday. We went to Hove rather than Brighton and it really was noticeable how different the shore line is in Hove rather than Brighton; much more level and much less movement by all accounts. I think our beach is probably one of the hardest in the city.

After leaving the beach at 3pm we dashed home, awaited our baby sitter and then were out the house by 4.15pm heading to the O2 Arena in London to see the fab Glee in concert; and amazing it was. Getting there however was somewhat of a channel swim in terms of challenge! Can I suggest if you ever drive to the O2 you put North Greenwich Tube Station in as the address and not simply O2. The reason is that in the centre of North Finchley there is the O2 Centre; this is a cinema ! Can you guess what I did! Over 3 hours through the centre of London on a baking hot Sunday afternoon to find ourselves at the O2 cinema; some 45 minutes away from the O2 Arena!!! Arrrrr. By the time I realised and then drove the right way it was alredy after 7.15pm. We arrived at the O2 over 4 hours after leaving home and with just minutes to spare before the show started. The drive home took just 55 minutes! On getting home to bed after midnight we were joined within the hour by all three kids and I ended up on the floor once again. Now I wonder why I was too tired to swim this morning.

On a sad note, two men died swimming this weekend; both bodies found near the Marina. One was in his 20s and one in his 50s; unrelated to each other apparently. The sea is a dangerous place indeed.

On yet another note, my friend Angus, who is swimming the channel this July (the same week I was meant to and his third attempt to go in 3 years) is worried about the temperature and has said that it would be madness to go in 2 weeks with the temperatures as they are. Angus has been training so hard for 3 years and unlike me he has not had an eating problem and has been able to pile on the pounds as well as pilling on the miles; very inspirational chap; certainly someone capable of completing the solo that eluded me. To think that the cold temperatures might delay even him shows me that I would have lasted no more than a few hours. Angus, if you are reading this, then I am sending you all the warmth I can for a hot sea and a successful swim.

Day 280 - Friday 24th June 2011

Blog

Another day of bouncy water and once again a cold sea, circa 14 degrees. The cold today seemed to really get into your bones. I started my swim swim with Bob & James, but they went clockwise around the pier and I went anti clockwise; seems I always go the other way to everyone else! It wasn't planned that way, I just lost sight of them and didn't realise they were going that way. Unlike other sports, sea swimming is odd in so much that a dozen of you could be in spitting distance of each other and you still can't see anyone. It's very easy to feel all alone out there.

After work I went to the gym and trained with Ross, sometimes he trains with me rather than just trains me. We did an hour on just lower body. After an hour of legs only you really know it! My legs feel like ton weights; tomorrow I'll probably be walking like Charlie Chaplin!

My training from now on is going to be focused on speed swimming and strength rather than just distance. I still plan some 3 & 4 hours swims, but I need to get my speed up; ive a year now to nail that and nail it I will.

On the fundraising front things are still going forward. We are at around £44,000 so far and have plans to keep it going hard . Esporta in Falmer, my fantastic gym, are now on board with fundraising and have set themselves a target of £5,000. They have numerous events planned, including a very cool 21 day tour de France challenge on the spinning bikes. Very cool indeed to have such a great sports club helping us.

Day 279 - Thursday 23rd June 2011

Sometimes life is all about perspective. This morning at the Arch I was chatting to a couple who have been sleeping outside the arch door for the last few days, this is an area of the beach that is shielded slightly from the weather. You get quite a lot of homeless people down that area as they have the covered over parts as well as under the pier itself; all offering some protection from the elements and not crazy busy like the middle of the city. Anyhow, I was chatting to this couple and they remarked that I must be “crazy” going into the sea in the morning, especially such a rough sea as it was today. There I was talking to a couple who have slept outside the entire night and for the last few nights at the very least, huddled together under inadequate blankets and subject to not only the elements but also to the dangers of sleeping outside in a sometimes dangerous city; and they think my lifestyle is crazy. Life is clearly all about perspective.

The sea today was rough again with large rolling waves that were breaking heavily at the shore. Getting in was easy enough, but our beach has a really deep shelf when the tide is in between going in and out (or out and in). When you come back in you have to really try to time it so that you either manage to land very close to the groin (hardly any shelf there) or you have to swim in as close as you can to the shore and then time the waves so you have a long enough break to stand up and then make a quick dash up the beach before a waves grabs you back in and spins you over. I somehow never seem to make it into the groin area, so on a day like today you have to be prepared that you might just get a bashing. I went in at about 6.50am and swam West against the tide to the Brighton Centre. It was a decent swim, quite tiring against the tide and the sea was yucky. There was foam all over the place and it was literally flying across the top of the sea like dirty bubble bath; nasty! The temperature was still under 14 degrees, 13.8 to be exact, which is still too low for this time of year.

My wrist, whilst still swollen, has stopped hurting, so tomorrow it will be another sea swim in the morning, following by a gym session after work and an hour in the pool on speed reps.

Day 278 - Tuesday 21st June 2011

Another fractious day in the sea; them waves keepacoming! Temperature back up to 14 degree form 13.7 yesterday; still way too cold for the time of year; absolute nonsense. I swam out to the end of the pier, but being all alone and the waves being taller than a short building I decided to hang out until other came along. I’m not sure what they would have accomplished, but sometimes when your heart skips a beat its good to have other around! After waiting about 10 minutes and simply watching the waves head back to the shore I decided to head back myself; no point freezing out there all alone. By the time I got back to the buoy I swam into Big Bob, James and Damien as well as seeing a few others just coming in; Bob has just come back from a short break in France, so there we were in the middle of a wavey sea discussing his holiday. So nice to bump into friends and catch up on life before one goes to work, even if it’s half a mile out to sea! Weird maybe, what do you think??

I was meant to be at the gym after work today, but my wrist is really hurting – no funny comments please!! About 6 weeks ago, when I was moving some garden pots, I dropped one onto my right wrist and it swelled up quite badly. Six weeks later the swelling has not gone down and today it really has started to ache a lot. I don’t think it’s broken, maybe just sprained, but perhaps six weeks of training in the gym and sea, as well as six weeks of typing on a keyboard, have taken their toll. Not good at all as I’m now starting my speed swimming for the 21 mile coast swim and also the relay next year. I’ll rest it tonight and also tomorrow and will head to the sea Thursday and hopefully by then it will have settled down again. I need warmth and sun; it is a healer of all!

Come on summer, we need you!!!!!!

Day 277 Monday 20th June 2011

Fathers Day weekend just gone and family time the order of the day; ish!

Saturday I did a solo swim in the sea, a rough sea it was. I attempted to swim to the West Pier and back, but the tide was like a monster dragging East to the marina and the waves were a constant barrage. As it was a low tide it did mean that you could stand quite a way out, which in turn kept the waves low to the surface, but their constant wash and the strong tide meant that actually goig anywhere but with it was pointless. So I ended up staying on my beach and just swimming against it as if I was in an endless pool. An hour later, slightly battered and windswept was home and ready for the day ahead. Temperature in the sea dropped again; 13.7.

Sunday - Fathers Day - Kids in bed with me throwing cards into my face at 5.30am. I actually can't think of a nicer way to wake up than having my little stars telling me they love me.; it's like winning the lottery a million times over. A day of family fun until 3pm when Sharon took them all to a birthday party and I put on my running shoes and hit the street. I did a 90 minute run throught wind and rain and felt better for it.

Today - Another week begins and it started for me in the sea at 7.15am. Temperature still only 13.7 degrees, but sea flat (despite the dribbling rain). Didn't fancy going around the pier or heading far, so it was a 20 minute swim around the buoys and back. Nice and easy and a pleasure to be swimming with Little Bob and MIke; not often do I get to do that, so thougherly enjoyed it. This week I'm going to plan out my training for the next few months to make sure I on;t squander the time just doing what I feel like doing. I need to continue building on the foundation I've started and now add speed into the mix. This time next year Rodney.........