Swimming Day 361 – Monday 31st October 2011

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.

Friday 28th October 2011

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.

Thursday 27th October 2011

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!

Thursday 20th October 2011

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!!!

Wednesday 19th October 2011

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!

Day 360 - Tuesday 18th October 2011

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.

Day 359 - Monday 17th October 2011

That was a looooong day.


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!