Lake Windermere

Lake Windermere

Wednesday 23 October 2013

DUBLIN SURVIVED!

Well dear reader, I have survived my last school rugby tour to Dublin. As usual we all had a great time, boys, parents, NDO and myself. As usual, I found Guinness to be vastly over rated and over hyped.

Tomorrow I am off to The British Red Cross HQ for the launch of  the Fire and Emergency Support Vehicle followed by a presentation that I am giving on my Channel swims. Hopefully most people will stay awake.

I am right into my training now for my Alcatraz swim. This will require more speed rather than straight out endurance so my pool sessions are quite different as they are shorter and harder.

All good fun!

Great news. Planet Rock in the car! 105.2 FM. The signal around here is not great, but hey, better than Radio 2.

Sunday 13 October 2013

ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ

I have had to adapt my swimming plans for 2014 as I can't get on a suitable tide for a round Jersey swim as the only ones that I can do in the school holidays have 2 swimmers already.
 Having had to watch the weather blow that swim out twice before, I don't want to risk having to spend another week watching the wind wreck my plans, however lovely Jersey is!

So therefore dear reader, I am looking to swim from the famous Alcatraz prison across San Francisco Bay. Hopefully with a better result than team New Zealand had recently!

This will present me with a whole new set of factors. Instead of training for a 14 hour swim. I will need to train to enable me to swim very fast (for me) across fast currents and very cold water. I am quite excited by the prospect as I have always had this swim on my wish list.

Speed training started this very morning. Cream crackered. Very hard 500 metres followed by 10  hard 100 metres and then another hard 500 metres.

My last school rugby trip to Dublin takes place this week. I may not communicate with you for a few days.

Who'd thought that rock and roll would save us all?

Thursday 3 October 2013

THANKS FOR RED CROSS SUPPORT

Many thanks to all of you who supported my 2 Channel swims this year.

The Virgin Money page has now closed and I am delighted to announce that coupled with the Beach Party at the Hare in Loddington, I raised £4000 for the British Red Cross to go towards a new Fire and Emergency Support Vehicle.

I am now getting back into training. I am trying to swim in the river at least once a week but with school commitments, I will need to use swimming pools. I swam in Harborough last week and today. Having not swum in a pool for 4 months, I had forgotten how hot, crowded and smelly they are. Harborough is a nice pool. I just hate swimming inside.

Listening to Cold Chisel Swingshift as I write this. Star Hotel, just legendary.

Setting off. 7am. Only 13 and a half hours to go!