Two weeks

Gosh, I can't believe it's more than two weeks since I last posted to the blog. What with Christmas and all the stuff that happens leading up to it (I had five carol services to do the music for, and a Santa gig for 360 children), I just haven't had time to get to the PC.

I have been swimming though! Today was my first time back in the water since Christmas day. The Lido was closed on Boxing day, and you had to sign up for a slot to swim on Christmas day (and yes, I was too late to do that). So, 8.30 this morning and I was back in water that was 6.6 degrees. Lovely! First in. Okay, it was raining, and it was dull and cloudy, but there's nothing quite like slipping into a silky smooth pool and hearing the gentle plop of water as your hands enter on each stroke. Lovely!

So, I'll be back in the water tomorrow first thing. I need to burn off some of my excess turkey and Christmas pud.

Shock

I don't want to bore you with endless accounts of how cold the water is ... but, it was cold this morning.

Last week the water temperature dropped to 8.9 degrees. That was bit of a shock. It was though, nothing like the shock I received this morning. The temperature of the water was 6.8 degrees. Yes, 6.8 degrees! The changing room was full (okay, think December-full, not July-full), full of shivering, bright orange men.

The wall between the men's and ladies' changing rooms is paper thin. I don't know if the ladies know that, but we men can hear everything they're saying. (So, be warned if you intend to use the ladies changing room!) Giggles and gossip seeped through the wall from the ladies, whilst we men stood quietly and stoically, shivering.

I wonder if the ladies can hear us? Maybe I should start up a blokey conversation tomorrow and give the ladies something to think about. Mind you, if it's as cold tomorrow, I think I'll just be quietly shivering.

OAP

"Sorry sir, but I need to ask. Are you an old age pensioner?" This is what the receptionist at the Lido asked me this morning. Not a good start really. Before you ask, no I am not an old age pensioner. (I guess I must have looked like one this morning though.)

I could imagine looking like an OAP after a freezing swim, with wheezy breath, bright orange and pimply skin, and hair that's frozen into a style that's part punk and part perm. But, first thing in the morning I hope I look young and fit. Maybe that's my next target, getting the receptionist to ask me if I'm a student (not a mature student, but a young and virile student, a young and virile student who looks ready to swim for Britain). Or maybe I should just be content with sneaking anonymously into the changing rooms (which is difficult when you're one of only two swimmers going into the pool).

9.7 degrees this morning. Positively baking compared to last week. In the playground this afternoon, someone suggested monitoring my heart rate before, during, and after a swim. What a great idea. I just need to dig out that old heart rate monitor ... OAP? Just wait. A heart rate to die for. (Maybe not.)

Dig for Victory

I was stiff and sore this morning, and that was before I even hit Brockwell Lido.

Yesterday I did the ultimate in alternative training. My wife Elaine had arranged for 3 tonnes of soil to be delivered to Rosemead - soil for the 4 raised beds I'd built during the Summer holidays. (Yes, they're big beds.) Normally, soil gets delivered in big bags by a lorry that has a crane that can deposit the soil wherever you need it.

Unfortunately the lorry couldn't get up the narrow (and steep!) drive up to the playground, so the lorry driver dumped the soil on the pavement outside the school. This meant I had to shovel 3 tonnes of soil into a wheelbarrow, push it up the hill, and tip it into the beds.

I'm not sure of the maths, but 3 tonnes of soil equals a lot of trips with a wheelbarrow. I kept telling the curious children that we were moving the equivalent of an Elephant. (For the Trivial Pursuiters amongst you, a 20-year old female Asian elephant weights about 3500kg.) Elaine helped with the digging, but the lugging and the tipping of the barrow was down to me. Several hours later, job done, and I'm a bit fitter than I was before. One more step to victory over the Channel.

The Lido felt good this morning. Okay, so the temperature was only 9.2 degrees, but it did my back, shoulders and blisters a world of good. I swam for thirty minutes.

Definitely recommended - 3 hours digging and humping soil followed by a 30 minute swim in icy water.

Sub 10

In a masochistic way, I've been looking forward to this day - the day when the water temperature dropped below 10 degrees. Today the temperature was 9.75 degrees. Some Lidos close when the temperature gets this cold, but not Brockwell Lido!

When I checked the web for useful tips on how to survive in cold water, I discovered that swimming increases heat loss and can shorten survival time by more than 50%, cold water robs the body's heat 32 times faster than cold air, 0-11 degrees is regarded as freezing, and few people can swim a mile in water that's only 10 degrees.

So, my swim today was quite an achievement.

I can't wait to see how cold the water is tomorrow.

Cold Water Swimming Championships

We've signed up for our next training event - the 2015 Cold Water Swimming Championships on Saturday January 24th at Tooting Bec Lido. It's a 4x30m relay event. 30 metres doesn't sound very far, but the water will be freezing. Honestly, it will be freezing. Back in 2013 (the championships are held every two years) the water temperature was only 0.5 degrees! (I haven't mentioned that to Orlaith, Lynne and Fiona yet. They were the first to sign up with me. The others are, very sensibly, probably checking the small print first.) Apparently there were grumblings from some of the overseas competitors that the water wasn't cold enough. I don't think we'll be grumbling. 

Swimming Naked

For some inexplicable reason, I decided not to wear a swim cap this morning. I'd never realised what a difference wearing a cap makes when open-water swimming. I know the pool was only 11.1 degrees, but when I launched into the water for my first length I thought I was going to freeze to death. My head was throbbing away so much I thought about stopping after that first length ... but I kept going ... only for 15 minutes ... and then I escaped to the heat of the changing room. I'll be back with swim cap next time.

As Channel relay swimmers, we get yellow silicon caps to wear. (The solo swimmers get red caps.) These are cosy caps, but they're really designed to make us easily identifiable when we 're training in Dover Harbour.

We don't have to wear the yellow caps when we're actually swimming the Channel, so I'm going to experiment with some other types to see which offer the most heat retention. After all, no wetsuits are allowed, so us blokes have to swim the Channel practically naked. I'll be checking out the Aqua Sphere Aqua Glide cap - a cap that's designed to cover the ears too.

The rowing machine

Back in 2009 I persuaded 5 other mad dads to help me row an Admiralty Sailing Craft (ASC) 22 miles up the Thames in the Great River Race.

If you don't know about the Great River Race, check it out. It's a handicap race. Slowest boats start first and fastest boats start last. ASCs were built to be sailed and to be rowed - kind of a jack of all trades and master of none. So, they weren't any good as sailing boats, and they certainly weren't any good as rowing boats.

Well, guess which boat was first off the line? Our boat.

What's this got to do with swimming the Channel? Well, I have persuaded 5 other mad people to join me in the swim. But that's not what this blog post is all about. To train for the Great River Race, I bought myself a rowing machine. It really helped. After the event though, it was pushed into the darkest recesses of the bedroom cupboard and forgotten about ... until last week.

Now the rowing machine's back, and it's part of my cross-training for the Channel swim. It's yet another way of beefing up my upper body. And, it's in the spare room with the old telly, so I can row whilst watching back-episodes of Doctor Who. Yeah.

11.7 degrees

11.7 degrees! That was the temperature in Brockwell Lido this morning. I knew it was going to be cold when I scraped the ice of both cars, and the dashboard computer in Elaine's car showed the outside temperature to be 2 degrees.

I'm writing this 2 hours after getting back from the Lido, and my toes are still numb. It was a good swim though. No leaks from the new goggles, and they were comfortable will the curvier nose piece.

When I cheerfully announced "one for the pool please" and handed over my £3, the guy behind the reception desk gave me a 'really?' and 'are you sure?' look. But the Lido was busy this morning. More people than ever. There was something invigorating and macho about braving the water. On the whiteboard, it looked as though the lifeguard had had problems writing down the temperature (probably because his hands were too cold).

Can it get any colder? I'll let you know.

New Goggles

I swam in Crystal Palace pool today for the first time. It's very different from Brockwell Lido. It's warm, clean, and cheaper. And it doesn't really have a shallow end, so there's no easy way to wimp out and have a rest at the end of a length.

Brockwell Lido has its plus points too. The lockers are free, it's always quiet (especially at this time of year), and there's a machine to wring out your swimming costume.

Swimming in warm water was lovely. I could concentrate on technique without worrying about frostbite and the colour of my toes.

I was at Crystal Palace because it's becoming harder and harder to get to the lido. At the moment it's only open from 7.15am to 10.45am, and I seem to have a lot of morning meetings at the moment which kill that slot.

So, I was testing my new goggles at Crystal Palace. Getting a good seal is important to me. I don't mind water in my eyes, but I swim whilst wearing contact lenses, and any leakage will take out a lens. On average I lose a lens a week. Thank goodness I wear daily disposables, and thank goodness I have a huge amount of spares. What I really need though, are goggles that don't leak! So having changed from Speedo to Aqua Sphere, I've changed again to a cheap pair from Decathlon. They work really well. No leaks, and comfortable (for about the first 30 minutes). They're probably a bit tight. Wearing my bahji training partner (check out my earlier blog entry) makes the goggles tighter. I've swapped out the nose piece for a curvier one, and I'll adjust the strap.

I'll let you know how I get on. I'll be trying them in the lido next time.

Very Cross-Training

Torn hamstring

I started running again yesterday. Usually I run a lot, but I've been recovering from a torn hamstring. I tore my hamstring at the Rosemead 'fun' day, playing tag-type games with the children. Being super-competitive, I was trying really hard to scare and catch the children. Then one child turned really quickly, and I went flying. I thought it was simply a very bad sprain until the back of my leg turned black and blue. I guess I'm not quite as flexible as I used to be. I was very cross because it wouldn't have happened if I'd warmed up and done some stretching.

So, 30 minutes running in the rain yesterday. My hamstrings are stiff, but I reckon I can go out again today. I'm aiming to run on the days I don't swim. I think I need a bit of cross-training to get me super-fit, and to keep me motivated.

I'll confess to this blog if I don't manage to swim or run every day.

Is it a GoPro? Nope, it's an SJ4000!

Not a GoPro. An SJ4000!

We need to do a short promotional video for the swim. I've been collecting photographs and some interview video using my smartphone, but I really need some action footage - especially proof that we're training in cold water!

So, I need a GoPro sports camera. Actually, no I don't. I need an SJCAM SJ4000. It's effectively the same camera for a sixth of the price. Someone pointed out that you can by the SJ4000 with waterproof case and a zillion mounts and accessories for less than the price of the GoPro waterproof case. So, I've bought an SJ4000. And today, I tried it out in Brockwell Lido for the first time.

The lifeguard kindly allowed me to bring the camera into the pool. (They don't normally allow cameras in swimming pools, but I was practically the only one in the pool!) Well, it was brilliant. I strapped it to my head, and after 45 minutes of swimming in 14.4 degrees, my numb fingers could still operate the buttons on the waterproof case. And the clarity of the footage is amazing.

Look out for some exciting action footage in the future.

Jellyfish

Medussa jellyfish sting

Today I swam off the Lido il Defino, just a cable car ride dowm from Taormina. It was beautiful. The water was the clearest I've ever seen. It was like swimming in an aquarium. There were fish everywhere. I had to go back to the lifeguard and hire some snorkels and goggles for my daughter Kate and me!

Then we spent literally the whole day swimming underwater looking at all the aquatic wildlife.

Kate's highlight was spotting a starfish. It was such a bright orange colour, I didn't think it was real. I dived down to retrieve it, and Kate became the celebrity of the beach, showing her pet starfish to everyone. We did put it back gently later.

Kate with her starfish

We saw other creatures too, including sea urchins and huge weever fish. What we didn't spot were the medussa jellyfish. A very brave Kate was stung on the knee, and I was stung loads and loads of times across the stomach. Kate was lucky she was wearing a rash vest. I suppose it was great training for swimming the channel where we'll meet lots of jellyfish (and getting back into the water numbed the pain), but I'm a bit miserable at the moment. My stomach is very tender, and even putting a t-shirt on is excruciating. 

Jellyfish is something we don't get in Brockwell Lido!

Alcantara Gorge

Entrance to the gorge

At Alcantara Gorge today. Awesome swim. Ice cold water - reputedly 10 degrees, and an incredibly strong current (just like swimming in an endless pool). The basalt walls of the gorge were amazing, and the crystal clear waters meant I could see all the fish!

The best beach in Europe

About to get into the water at Giardini Naxos

I'm in Sicily this week, so I don't think I'll be doing much real training. Mind you, one of the reviews in TripAdvisor says the best beach in Europe is right outside our apartment. So, I spent most of today in the sea just off Giardini Naxos. The water was warm, clear and calm - ie the complete opposite of the English Channel. Brockwell Lido is going to be a real shock when I get back next week.

Training Partner

If I'm honest, swimming lengths in a pool is not very interesting. Especially when there's no-one else in the pool, when there's no-one else to watch, and when there's no super swimming-technique to admire.

The Lido's whiteboard said 15.3 degrees today. It felt colder, and seeing a lady slipping into the pool wearing boots and gloves confirmed that. No, there's no way I'd every wear a pair of booties and gloves (despite my blue toe this morning)!

So what do you do to make lengths interesting? You listen to music, and you have someone keep tabs on your pace and count the number of lengths you've done. Say "hello" to 'Nabaiji 2.0', my little training partner. Nicknamed Bahji by me (think Indian takeaway), my little training partner is brilliant. She (yes, it talks to me with a female voice) gives me an update on distance every time I finish a length, and she plays my favourite .mp3 tracks.

I'm still experimenting with earphone fit though. An early trial left me with an ear-piece stuck inside my ear, an embarrassing phone call to Elm Lodge Surgery, and an awkward encounter with a giggling nurse.

Still, it makes a good conversation starter in the changing room, and it makes me look like a serious swimmer (provided I don't have an ear-piece sticking out of my ear).

If you're interested, you can find Bhaji at Decathlon.

The Viking Princess

The Viking Princess

This is it. This is the Viking Princess. This is the boat that will escort us across the Channel next year.

It looks like a fishing trawler because that's exactly what it is - it's a fishing trawler! It will be our home for 36 hours. It does have all the latest high-tech navigation equipment. But, more importantly, it has a cabin below deck that's capable of sleeping 10 people, it has a kettle and a microwave, and a flushing toilet.

The boat belongs to Reg Brickell. Reg is our pilot. In 2010, Reg and his crew and his boat were awarded a place in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. The International Marathon Hall of Fame quotes "Their knowledge of Channel elements of weather, water and likely conditions has earned them a place in English Channel history as the most successful team to 'Lead the Way' in helping Channel crossers succeed. They are usually 'right-on' for picking the day and time to start a swim."

Reg and his crew have a reputation for escorting winners. Some of the winners include the fastest man, the fastest lady 2-ways, the fastest butterfly, the fastest backstroke, and the fastest ladies relay 3-ways(!).

Whilst we might not be the fastest anything, I think we'll be in good hands.

All alone

I was the only one in the men's changing room at Brockwell Lido this morning. That's not a good sign. I'm not sure if it's a taster of things to come. It was cold this morning - 14.6 degrees - and slipping into the water without a wetsuit felt like a very brave thing to do.

Pouring with rain again, and with no-one in the pool, the life guards were huddled inside by the reception desk. I don't think they were pleased to see me, but they unfolded their umbrellas, clambered onto their high chairs, and watched me swim for 45 minutes in the freezing cold. I wonder what the temperature will be tomorrow ...

Night Swim

Fiona, Debbie, Clive, Lynne and Orlaith

When Fiona and Orla turned up with tinted goggles (not great for a night swim!), and Debbie calmly announced that she’d discovered her new (untried) wetsuit was actually a men’s medium, I wasn’t sure how successful this night swim would be. Discovering that the temperature of the lake was 12 degrees didn’t help either.

I kept telling myself that this swim was all about getting used to navigating in the dark. Yes it was going to be extremely cold, but this swim was about overcoming the fear of being alone and having practically no points of reference for checking progress and position.

The safety briefing was a bit silly really. “If you get into difficulties, lie on your back and put your arm in the air, and a kayaker will come over and help you.” We had light sticks attached to our goggles, but there was no way anyone would be able to spot a swimmer on their back with their arm in the air!

And then there was a glimmer of hope in the safety briefing. Although we were registered to swim two 750m laps, we were given the option of coming out after lap one. So, if it was too cold, or it was too scary, or it was too tiring, we could come out. I knew, however, that there was no way super-competitive Fiona would bottle it after only one lap, and I knew that Lynne wouldn’t be able to face her Reception class on the Monday morning if she wimped out, so two laps it was for me too.

It took a while to get the 200 or so swimmers into the lake, so our two-minute acclimatisation in the water turned into a twenty-minute acclimatisation. (Okay, it was probably only five minutes, but it felt like twenty, and treading water in 12 degrees wasn’t pleasant.) And then the hooter went, and 199 elite swimmers surged over the top of me. Now I know why the other members of my team were treading water miles away from me at the side of the start.

The sun setting over Bray Lake just before the 'race'

Despite the kayakers with torches and marker buoys with light sticks, we couldn’t see a thing. All we could do was get into a rhythm and think about getting to the end. I don’t know if there were any fish in the lake. I certainly couldn’t feel any. It was for me, surprisingly, a very pleasant swim. It was probably a bit like exercising in a floatation tank. No-one to chat to. Nothing to see. Just time to think. The other swimmers had left me behind. I didn’t see them again until they lapped me and surged over the top of me again. Twenty-three minutes later and I was at the end scrambling back onto the pontoon.

Well, we all finished. We all did the two laps. We all survived the cold and the dark. And, I think we’re all a bit more confident about doing the real event. So, job done. We’ll be putting some more training events into the calendar, and they’ll be cold ones!

Congratulations go to Fiona, Debbie, Lynne, Orla, Steve and Andy for taking part and finishing!

Brrrrrr

15.5 degrees the board said this morning. It was raining too! No wonder I was the only one in the pool when I'd finished.

It's just getting colder and colder. 18.2 degrees last Thursday, 16.8 on Monday, and 15.5 today. Wetsuits are not allowed for the Channel swim - just goose fat!

This is my last training session in a wetsuit before the night swim on Saturday. Then it's back to just swimming trunks from Monday.

Wetsuit

Brockwell Lido with a wetsuit this morning. We're all taking part in the UK's first organised night swim this weekend. It'll be good training for swimming in the dark. We've a picked a Channel swim window in July to make sure we get as much daylight as possible, but it's still possible that we'll be starting or finishing in the dark. We'll be swimming with light sticks attached to our goggles, and the swim is practice for navigating in the dark.

Normally the lido staff write the temperature of the water on a whiteboard. Not this morning though. Maybe they thought it would frighten people off if they knew just how cold the water was. At home, we've finally put the heating on, and we have to switch the lights on when we get up in the morning.

Expected water temperature for this weekend's night swim is 14-16 degrees!

We’re swimming the channel!

Clive at Brockwell Lido

I’m always saying that Rosemead is more than just a school. It’s a community and it’s one big family. We’re always doing stuff together – children, parents and Staff. That's what makes Rosemead special. That's what makes Rosemead unique. I love it.

Well, it’s taken a few years to find parents and staff crazy enough do it, but we've found them and we're doing it. Doing what? We’re swimming the English Channel!

Who are the crazy ones? Who’s in the team?

Lynne Barry - staff

Clive Broadbent - parent

Fiona King - staff

Debbie Louks-Middleton - staff

Orlaith Richardson - parent

Alexandra Woods - parent

Andy Dorrett (reserve)

Steve Dorrett (reserve)

3 parents and 3 staff have signed up for it. And we have Andy and Steve as reserves. Andy and Steve aren’t Rosemead people, but they deserve a special mention because they’ll be doing all the training and preparation, knowing that they’re unlikely to get to do the final event.

Who are the other crazy swimmers? Orlaith (pronounced Orla) swims twice a week with the Saxon Crown swimming club, Alex was probably born in the sea, Fiona is Rosemead’s Director of Physical Education (need I say more?), Lynne rides a fixie (definitely hard-core), Debbie is a bit of a dark horse (wanting to prove herself with the biggest challenge of her life), and then there’s me (looking forward to the day when pensioners doing breaststroke no longer overtake me).

We’ll be doing the swim next year. Our swim window is between Thursday 16 July and Monday 20 July 2015. That’s a year of training. We’ll be going through a lot together, and we’ll certainly know each other better by the time we finish.

Yes it’s crazy, but it’ll be fun. Follow our progress via this blog. Sponsor us through justgiving (I’ll post the URL to our page as soon as it’s ready). We’re raising money for the school, aiming to kick-start funding for annual sports scholarships.