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.

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?

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.

ROUND JERSEY ON AGAIN!

Now that I am almost over my Channel swims, I am starting to look forward to 2014.

This week I booked a round Jersey swim for the last week in July. The weather prevented me starting this 44 mile swim this year, so like the Jersey/France swim, I am hoping for 3rd time lucky!

My Red Cross page disappears in a few days. Combined with the fund raising party at the Hare in Loddington you have generously contributed over £3000. Great effort, many thanks.

There is still time!

www.virginmoneygiving.com/DavidColeman8

It's a long way to the top if you want to Rock and Roll. But well worth it!

NEXT!

I am sorry thay my last set of words of wisdom were wiped out by me in error. This is what old age does. I am really worried about turning 40! OK, 50 then.

You will be pleased to know that I am back in the river. After a 2 week break I could not believe how cold the water was. It was like swimming in the North Sea in May. I have also had 2 pool swims. Yuk! After a wonderful summer of outdoor swimming, the smelly pool came as a bit of a shock. But hey, needs must.

I am looking at the 44 mile round Jersey swim for next year and I am also looking at Loch Ness. Monstersinc.

The Red Cross appeal has gone really well. Many thanks to all. The giving page closes shortly so get in while you can!

www.virginmoneygiving.com/DavidColeman8

As the song says, God gave rock and roll to us.

CHANNEL MEMORIES

Well here I am a few days after my swim across the Channel.

I am still pretty worn out after battling the conditions for 14 hours. My mouth and throat are still pretty raw after taking in so much sea water during the swim. For the whole 14 hours the waves hit my right side and as I am a right side breather, I ate half the Channel.

My neck has pretty bad chafings as I did not put enough grease on before I jumped in. Sal, my top gun crew chief was telling me that I didn't have enough on. She was dead right and I am paying for it now!

Other than that, I am in top shape! Arms and shoulders are fine so that is a blessing.

I am planning my next challenge. The 44 miles around Jersey looks like my next swim.

Once again, many thanks for your support for the British Red Cross.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/DavidColeman8

There are more photos on the way!

Rock on kids.





Early morning in the Channel

CHANNEL SWIM NUMBER 2!

Yesterday, I swam across the Channel for the 2nd time this summer.

This was a brutal swim with the waves and wind rising by the hour. In fact of the 11 swimmers who set off, 8 had abandoned by the 5 hour mark. NOT David Donald Coleman!

Battling heavy seas and a rising force 5 wind I swam on for 14 hours powering here there and everywhere as the conditions worsened. Fear not for your intrepid hero, as I did get to the French coast. I could smell the garlic. Actually that is a pretty poor use of a sterotype, what I meant was that I could see French people waving baguettes.

By now, it was getting problematical as to whether I could land as we were now being blown towards Calais and heading towards high cliffs. With the worsening conditions my pilot and crew discussed the situation with me and I agreed that it was going to be impossible to land in the wind and heavy seas.

So I got all the way across the Channel but missed out on getting my 2nd shell from a French beach!

Another time I will tell you about my chafings, swollen tongue, constricted throat and the best part of the day, throwing up gallons of sea water on the return journey to Folkestone.

I am cream crackered. Good night.

 Photos to follow.