The "Earthquake Shake"

After this, a third of the A2A would be easily achievable before the end of May, still some 2 months before the big day. 

Just before the pain really started!!!

Karan Dreaves Foord

Lucy - 7th Overall Female

Tom was positive that the harbour wall would provide a little protection so we headed out of the bay.  The aim was to swim for 1hr.  Tom had told me that the choppy conditions were far worse than I would expect in August and with the water temperature at around 50 degrees and more importantly, the severe wind chill even colder, I would be doing well to complete the hour.  Eddie told me to swim towards the end of the harbour wall which would take about 30mins, then turn back against the chop and follow my tracks back.  As I jumped from the boat into the water I only thought one thing - thanks Dan!!  The water was considerably warmer than Swan Pool and with the tide behind me I quickly started breathing bi-laterally at a cadence of around 56 per minute.

Eddie Ette and Tom Watch preparing the boat

A quick glance at my watch (26mins) and I had reached the end of the harbour wall.  I spotted Eddie through the spray waving his arms frantically which I interpreted as, "Now swim back again!!".  This was were the fun began.  Imagine somebody holding a large shoe and every time you breathed to the side, the person would slap you as hard as they could on the top of the head.  Well this is exactly what the waves were doing.  The real bitch was when I sighted to the front, the big shoe would end up right in the smacker!!!!

I quickly had to learn to breathe behind me to find air!!

Both Eddie and Tom were chuffed with my swim so I sat there smugly trying to drink my flask of tea while throwing the contents of the flask across the boat due to uncontrollable shivering. We then headed back to Tom's place for a much needed mug of soup and we discussed future training.  During the conversation I let it slip that in my mind I was preparing for a 2 hour swim.   "Well then" said Eddie, "You are obviously capable of swimming for 2 hours in those temperatures, so let's make your next swim 3hrs".  Haywood - that's another fine mess you have got me into!!!

Come and get in here if you think you're hard enough!!!

I plan to go down again on the weekend of the 14th / 15th April.  Before hand, I will plan 2 x 2hr swims.  One at the outside swimming pool at the Esporta Gym in Lichfield and the other at Swan Pool, possible the week before I go down to Weymouth.  I found out after the swim that the swollen lips were body's reaction to both salt water and the effects of hyperthermia.


 

The white cliffs of Dover look a stone's throw away from the French Coast.......  Read on!!!  The English Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with approximately 600 vessels moving up and down them every day, plus the ferries , seacats and jetfoils crossing between England and France at very regular intervals.

Channel swims differ from other swims of this distance by their complexity and the local environment. This is why it is one of the ultimate challenges. I will be swimming in cold water, 15°C to 18°C (hypothermia is a major consideration and cold water training is important) for between 10 to 20 hours.

The Channel has quite a lot of hazards such as seaweed and flotsam and jetsam (rubbish and timbers, etc.). It usually has a swell and when the wind is in the opposite direction to the tide it can turn quite choppy. The weather is always uncertain and local conditions can change in a very short time (30 minutes). The swim is every bit a mental swim as well as a very physical one, and the swimmer must be both mentally and physically attuned. There is an element of luck involved in getting everything to fall right on the day. The only real way to achieve success is to start with the idea that nothing else matters except arriving on the other side. Start with the intention of finishing, no matter what, then play the day as it comes. Success is sweet, but as is often said on the beach while training - NO PAIN - NO GAIN


 

	A strong 2-hour (5K interval session) swim last night confirmed I was at a stage to take on the cold as well as the distance.  Before the A2A, I have at least 2 x 4hr, 2 x 6hr, 1 x 8hr and 1 x 10hr swims planned.  Dan Earthquake is organising a 6-hour swim at Swan Pool on June 3rd and I want to be able to take this one on along the way "just for training".
Weymouth Bay - 20 degrees warmer than it will be on Sunday!!!

It feels like everything's is happening very fast after a long winter.  But I feel fit and everything has gone exactly to plan so far.


 

During a conversation with another professional coach last night, we talked about why coaches coach.  We both came up with the same answer.  We are never going to be millionaires, it doesn't even pay the bills, and it consumes most of our lives.  We both came up with the same answer - because we love watching & experiencing our athletes improve because of the knowledge that we have passed on to them.  If the truth be known, I do coach athletes for free, for this very reason.

I have seen over the past few months, various coaches getting slated by members of numerous website forums. I read one thread last night on one of the more poplar triathlon forums that really got my back up.  Fortunately, I haven't had a mention yet, but I feel very annoyed that these coaches get judged by athletes who are all looking for the "magic pill" - the coach that will take them from the also ran, to the Olympic Champion.  Sometimes, people need a reality check.  This is only a sport.

With waters at around 40 degrees on Sunday, Dan proves that not only is he underdressed, but he can also lift a tenth of his body weight above his head!!!

You are only going to reach your potential - whatever that may be.  If it is lower than you expected - enjoy the moment.  Your coach wants to help you to improve and not to "take your business from you". If it doesn't work with your coach, try another one or just accept who you are and take a reality check.  My colleague took on another athlete this week who is now on her 5th coach because she keeps getting injured.  I will leave it to you to decide for yourself where the real problem lies.



 

Draycote Water 35 mile run:  Did things go to plan?  Well -  yes and no.  I wanted to extend my endurance threshold and find out what happened.  I wanted to know all the bits that hurt so that I can plan for it on D-Day.  Unfortunately, I could not run at the pace I wanted to (ATAP), as the run would take too long, so I decided to run at 9min mile pace.  20mins into the run I found myself running with a jolly nice chap called Mike.  Mike provided endless trivia to help speed up time over the 7 and "a bit" laps of Draycote Reservoir. I looked down at the Garmin and noticed that we were averaging just over 8min miles. I ran for 4hrs a couple of weeks ago and needed to be out for over 5 hours so I slowed the pace down after about 20 miles to about 8:50min miles.

There were certain questions that needed answering at the end of the 35 miles - here they are with the answers:

Did I respect the distance? - Just
Could I have kept the same pace for 87 miles? - Definitely not.
Did I take the dog out for a walk the next day? - Yes
Was the outing a success? - Yes
Did it hurt during the run? - Not really
Did it hurt after the run? - Like a bitch!!
Did I learn anything? - Loads
Did I sleep well after the run? - No
Could I have swam several hours after the run - Yes
Do I consider myself to be injured after the run? - Yes -  but manageable
Would this injury affect my swimming? - No
Could I have cycled several hours after the run? - No way
Could I have ran several hours after the run - Bugger Off!!
What was I looking forward to the most after the run? - Swimming
Is this thing going to be harder than I thought? - Definitely yes.
Am I more confident than I was before the run - Yes.

I was expecting my quads to tighten up after about 30miles and I had concerns for my back and Achilles (the weak links in the machine).  To my surprise, everything held up pretty damn good.  It wasn't until I fell out of my car when I arrived home that I found my left knee to be in considerable pain.  Since I started running aged 11 my knees have always been strong.  So at least I know now what to expect when D-Day arrives and I can start making plans for it now.






Mike told me all about a website at www.pimpthatsnack.com where people try and make the biggest treat in the world to dunk in your cup of tea.  My vote goes for the Waggon Wheel!!!



 

"ASPIRE creates opportunity, choice and independence for spinally injured people. Its' work includes purchasing equipment for individuals through the Human Needs Fund, promoting integration between disabled and non-disabled people at The ASPIRE National Training Centre, funding research into the effects of long-term wheelchair use on shoulder joints and research into reducing the risk of pressure sores at the ASPIRE Centre for Disability Sciences and finally providing temporary interim housing for spinally injured people who are ready to leave hospital but cannot yet return home through the ASPIRE Housing & Independent Living programme"



 

The results showed that at the current time, she is capable of riding 57mins for an Olympic Bike Split and a sub 3hr 30min marathon at the end of an Ironman.  This was extremely positive as in order to qualify for Hawaii as a Pro in Germany this July, she will have to run around 3:30 for the marathon split.  If she is capable of achieving this now, then things are looking good.  Around 3 months ago we performed several field tests to analyse her training zones.  Her anaerobic threshold was around 165bpm on the bike and the test today confirmed this almost beat for beat so at least we knew that all of Lucy's training early winter were performed at the right intensities.  What was really surprising and encouraging was the huge improvement in her aerobic maximum from 155bpm to 167bpm.

I can fully recommend these excellent facilities at Birmingham Uni and the very professional and friendly staff.  For more details visit their website or give them a call on 0121 414 3344.


 

Have you every heard the expression, "It's never as bad the second time around"? I was hoping that this statement was correct when I launched myself for the second time into Swan Pool for my cold water acclimatisation.  The water temperature had dropped to 39 degrees F.  The night before the swim I was reading a book written by the worlds greatest ever cold water swimmer Lynn Cox.  I was horrified to read that there is a nerve at the end of your nose called the "Vagus Nerve", that if suddenly exposed to extreme temperatures of below 45 degrees, it could should down the heart resulting in a heart attack.  I wished I had known about it last week before I dived in head-first into the lake to join the West Bromwich alligators.  As I stood on the side, I questioned Dan about the Vagus Nerve.  Dan had already began swimming. "B@#*@+$", said Dan, "Get your ar$e in here!!!"

This was the coldest water I had ever swum in.  You know the feeling you get when a cold bit of ice cream hits your teeth??  Well I had this feeling every time I took a breath allowing the lake water into my mouth.  Your orientation seriously deteriorates.  I tried to practice my sighting drills by choosing an electricity pylon on the horizon only to find that it had disappeared on my next look forward.  I was swimming in the right direction, I just couldn't see it.  The blood was stating to pool around my vital organs to provide heat.  The result was that my small motor skills were almost non-effective and vision was seriously impaired.   My hands were like blocks of ice.  They didn't even feel like my own hands.  It was a case of just hauling lead weights up my side and over my head into the water in front of me.
Dan was swimming with me all the way.  Just as I felt like the King of the Antarctic dressed from head to toe in swimmer's rubber, I looked over and saw Dan, braving the same water in only his Speedo's and swim cap.  So no, things aren't always better second time around, but one thing is for sure:  It wont be that cold in the channel, and every day I spend in waters of around 40 degrees will make life just that much more bearable on the big day.

My training objectives were to swim colder, run tougher and bike faster than the A2A.  Things are well on track.

           
         


 

Apart from overlooking the £100 crossing fee, £100 admin fee and the £20 joining fee that were added last minute, I finally received confirmation from the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation that I was booked onto the neap tide of August 19th-26th 2007 as swimmer number 1 (Total £2070).  There will be 5 or 6 swimmers also booked with the same pilot for this tide.  After swimmer number 1 crosses the channel the pilot will return to Blighty and collect swimmer number 2.  As swimmer number 1, I will start my swim at high-tide on the 19th August.  If the weather prevents a start on the 19th then I will be number 1 swimmer on the 20th and so on.  This is great for me as I have the whole week to wait for a break in the weather if it is that bad.  But this format is not so good for swimmer number 6 who would miss his/her opportunity to swim if the bad weather lasts all week.

My new pilot is Eddie Spelling who will be sailing the Anastasia.  It may seem irrelevant to you but if I have to stare at the same boat for 14 hours then I would pick the Anastasia rather than the Pathfinder any day. (Pictured on Log 16-01-07 - the boat I was going to use with the CCA).  It looks more like a cocktail party boat than a channel swimming vessel!! 

Swimmer 2007/16S is my slot reference number.  All I have to do now is train, train and train some more.


                                                                                 The Anastasia


 

At about 10am this morning I leapt into Swan Pool. I dived in a man and came up to the surface a shadow of my former self.  In more ways that one!!!  Luckily, I had the best man for the job with me - Dan Earthquake.  Pictured left is Dan claiming the title of Old King Cold New Years Eve, 2004 at Swan Pool. Water Temperature 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Now Dan is a lunatic and if you don't believe me, go check out his website at www.danearthquake.com.  I am member of Sandwell Life Saving and Channel Crossing Swimming Club and luckily for me, they were practicing their life-saving when I decided to dive in.  I would be lying, if I said that it wasn't bloody freezing, but after the initial two minutes it really wasn't that bad.  Ok... so I did have slightly more covering than dan with a neoprene wetsuit, gloves, socks and hat but I do have far less natural insulation (quite a lot actually - sorry Dan :) )  and I was surprised to find the 15minutes I spent with the swans very manageable.  The water temperature was also 40 degrees which is 15 to 20 degrees colder than I would expect the channel to be during the month of August.

So all in all - a good day in the office.  Same time same place next Sunday.  If I'm feeling brave, I may even swim an 800m lap of the pool you see behind Dan's head.  Apparently, the water will continue to get colder until early March.  Rats!!!