How NOT to do Open Water swimming!

This is not going to be an easy Blog to write. I have always tried to keep my posts positive and inspiring, dealing with successes and how I go about getting there. Sadly, after 5 years of Open water endurance swimming I have found a way "not to do it right!" In the interests of presenting an unbiased view of this game that I play, I think it is only right I have to show the ugly side as well. Am at a bit of a loss of how to tackle my biggest fears. Although I am NOT entirely blameless in this sub-standard performance, there was a few things beyound my control and some major curve balls been thrown in from outfield.

At the beginning of the week, After failing to reach the deadline to book onto this Champion of Champion Swim., there followed a plethora of emails and phonecalls between me and the organiser and I managed to secure a space on the swim.

Friday night arrived and the demons started to play games, I busied myself with household chores, catching up with friends, who have been absolutely awesome at offering up support and good tidings. Trying to keep the demons at bay is a constant battle but tonight I was winning. I did spend a fair amount of time mentally impressing my game plan in my head,I had it all sorted ---So I thought!! I was going to succeed. 

- 5 miles first challenge. Not un-attainable by any means. I had absolutely breezed through 6 miles       10 days previously although there were a few problems at the start. 

- The cold, Again, 6 miles 10 days earlier and 4 miles 2 days before in similar 12 dgree water - No       problems.

- Salt water, although I do not like it, Something I CAN deal with

- Waves, I knew how to deal with swiming in a washing machine.

- The rest, recouperation, feeding and subsequent getting back in was a bit bigger to deal with, but   I     had a plan for that.

- The three mile- again not a train smash.

- Rest and feed. Easy now I had done it once

- 1 mile a breeze.

All in all it looked great I was physically capable of the distance and the cold, Mentally capable of the distance and looking forward to a fun day.

Some very positive affirmations from some friends and comforting that I was going to be fine. Oddly after all this coaxing, I did manage to drift into the land of nod at about 2 in the morning. Had a good 4 hours of solid sleep before waking up and going through my days preparation.

A friend joined Rachelle and I, I went to the bathroom to get something just as we were leaving and realised I had not shaved so had to do this, believeme when I say, you do not want to gouge out holes in your shoulders whilst breathing, I have made that school boy error before, not pretty and not fun. Shaun, Rish and I were off to Dover for the day, the weather forcast was looking good, albeit a bit windy, gusting up to about 45 Mph. Day trip here we come.

We arrived at about 8.30am. I headed to registration to book in and get ready for the pre-race briefing. Got changed and lubed up and then it was hurry up and wait.

that guy in the background right. He is far better eqipped for the task at hand.

Rish an Shaun

The briefing was postponed a bit as the course was not laid properly. It was then stipulated by the organisers that instead of a 1 mile loop, of which we would have to do 5 laps, it would be a shorter, half mile loop.with swimmers having to to 10 of them. Not a terrible thing but when I saw where the bouys were and knowing the harbour, the comments were abuzz, "there is no way that course is half a mile!!"  From here on, the goal posts were changing pretty regularly whilst the organisers tried to secure the Bouys correctly.

Another stipulation was when we are in the Northwest corner of the course, we had to shout out our numbers to officials who were then going to log our laps. Problem here is we are in the water, they are on a pier about 20m above us and, a howling Wind!!

Further delays as they struggled to get the bouys set, plans then changed back to 5 - 1 mile laps then back to 10 - half mile laps, then miss out the one bouy altogether and swim round a boat that is moored, start and finish points changing. my game plan was fast becoming very opaque. Fall back to plan B. Start at the back and just follow.

Forty five minutes after the prescribed start time we were, in some way, ready to start,  A water based start.Swimmers started entering the water and this was a bit of a problem for me, and most of us. when you jump into 12 degree water with nothing but a pair of Budgie smugglers, a cap and goggles, the first thing on your mind is SWIM!! and pretty hard. I NEED TO START GENERATING BODY HEAT, AND FAST. The last thing you want to do, is mill around in that water waiting for the start, every second your core temp dropping. All this time, the plans still changing. Plan B firmly now fixed in my mind. Start at the back and see what happens. last minute final plan change and then we're off. I was near the back and starting to work my way through the swimmers, By the first Bouy, I could see that I was about 6th or 7th with three people out ahead in a group and then the next 4 of us single file.

We rounded this bouy onto a course which took us directly across the the prevailing wind. It was not very long before I had my first lungful of salt water. I breathed to my right just as a wave hit me face on and a gust of windsprayed fruther water into my mouth. Memories of swimming for hours in this same harbour flooded back and they were comforting memories. My brain automatically switched into rough sea swimming mode, Rolling a lot further over to get my mouth higher out the water to get as much clean breath as possible. often you had to change your game plane, lifting your head up for a breath and see the conditions, you had to make a split second decision NOT to breathe-until the next opportunity. One good thing is that I was breathing on both sides. My legs were working fine, I had got into a decent stroke - for the conditions. One problem was sighting the next bouy, having to get your head pretty high out the water by arching your back.

by the next bouy I had passed two more people so I think I was in about 5th place. I was happy with this and pressed on. I was counting my laps - albeit I am not very good at it. Round the third bouy you have to stop and shout up your number at the officials, straight into an ever stiffening breeze.

Lap 1----lap 2---- lap 3---- lap 4---- I kept going challenges so far realised and dealt with. It was on about Lap 5 that we started to lap the tail enders of the race,This now mad it difficult to ascertain where i was in the pack. So still thinking I was in about 5th place and quite comfortable I just got on with it. An hour past, then the next hour. This was the "best case scenario" time for this distance of swim that I was doing. I got to about lap 8/9 in my mind. I figured okay, the conditions have been pretty tough so that is probably about correct so I tried to ask how many laps I had done and was told by a kayaker that they would find out for me next time round. Off I went. Cold now starting to get to me, I was now at the limit I know I can comfortably do without any feeding but figured, you probably got one more lap so all good.

I got back to the officials and stopped at the kayaker and asked and she now informed me I had another three laps to go. My Heart absolutely sank - lower than it had ever sunk before. Thank good Dover harbour is not that deep. I tried to argue the toss but it ws futile. My brain then had to engage Plan C ----- oh hang on, I didn't have a plan C!!!!!  I now had to make one up. I new I was at my absolute maximum with regards to how long I could go in 12 degree water without an energy boost. My core temp was dropping, My legs were seizing up, my groin was killing me, as was my back,I now had another problem to deal with, My Ribsand side of my body. Beacuase of the rough water I had had to over rotate for most of my breathing. This was putting strain on muscles that were not used to being over extended. I had no way of getting pain killers.I figured that with my current lap times that would be another hour of swimming - AT LEAST. Taking me to nearly 3 hours 10 min - best case scenario, which I could not hope to achieve in my current state, I was now running very far into the empty category of my physical reserves and my mental reserves were running low.

It was now into survival mode, My arms were all I had to rely on now as my legs were seizing up, the feeling had gone from my feet and lower legs. Shorten my stroke, conserve as much energy as possible. I pressed on my brain complete mush my emotions running very high, thoughts of failure permeating my being.

1 more lap, 2 more then onto my third. I was passed by a channel swimmer and struggeled to respond, try as I might. She is due to do her channel swim in a little under two weeks so just had to let them go.  we got to the end and both started heading to the beach and were chased down by a kayaker informing us we still had another lap.I was now livid, heart could not sink any lower. it was now just "suck it and see territory" I was now at 3 hours 8 min. well beyond what I thought to be my limit. Body now freezing, Legs---what are they?? Groin, back and now ribs in absolute agony, and getting worse from all the sighting and over rotation that I had to do.


So 1 more lap it was then!! Off we went, this current channel swimmer and a relic like me. I had no fight left in me, alarm bells were ringing loud and clear. I finally got to the end. Stumbled up the beach and promptly tripped, on the beach and collapsed and that is where I just broke down, lay there completley broken, Shivering started, My body had long since lost its humanly glow and had started to take ona lovely shade of purpleish  blue. My wife was there to watch it all, but there was nothing she could do to console me.St Johns ambulance came to see if I was alright. It seemed like eternity that I lay there in a foetal position shivering, but I was soon able to compose myself enough to at least stand up and walk on my own up the beach - without slops, Couldn't feel anything below my knees anyway so I did not really care.

About half an hour later, I was dry and slowly warming up. I headed to the change rooms to get warm clothes on. The site which greeted me were SHOWERS!!!  I did not want to get in but could not resist. I was still shivering. My body, although a lovely shade of blue, was very slowly getting its humanly hue back. I stood shivering under a hot shower for about 30 min. Until Shaun, a friend, came to check on me.

Now marginally warmer and fed, I turned to what I dreaded most, Should I go back in for another bashing. After very careful consideration, with still no feeling in my feet and my groin still in agony, my ribs still in a fair bit of pain.I Figured if I go back in all I have to rely on is my arms as I figured my legs would be pretty useless. As for mentally. I had pushed and very nearly broken myself once today, there was not a lot left.

I went and sat on my own for a while to contemplate this. I then heard that we had not actually swum 5 miles in that first race but much closer to 8.5 miles. I had figured this a long time ago but it did not help me right now. As it was a great day and I had a few friends down I finally came to a decision based on the following

1 - I had come to do 9 miles in 3 stages and had just done about 8.5 of those in one hit
2 - My body was broken, over an hour after the event I was still shivering and a bit blue
3 - I had just way surpassed - pretty spectacularly -what I thought I was  physically capable of -  8.5       miles (13.6km) on just a plate of serial and a banana
4 - The above had seriously taken its toll on me, both physically and mentally
5 - It was a great day and I had Great people down to see me for the day. A walk on the cliffs was in     order
6 - If I did go back in - it was decided - by the organisers -that we were going to do 4 more laps and        then a final 1 lap.

Upon reflection, I decided that it was not in my interest to get back in unless I could give it a really good shot. In my current state I would be in survival mode for pretty much all of it. Only doing further damage, compounding what I had already done

I went up and retired. After this, I bumped into my old Friend and English Channel training partner. Gregg Wood.Over the years we have done battle in open water occasionally and the score is 1 all so I am currently trying to set up a grudge match between us, He is marginally faster at 10 km than I am and I am marginally faster across the English Channel so I see it only fitting that we go head to head again. Rules and regs still to be deiced but I relish the thought of getting back in the water with this awesome guy. He is faster than me but I may just have it over him if we decide to go with no rubber.

The day was then finished with a lovely walk on the cliffs and Dinner at theWhite Horse, where a task was set for Shaun and Audra, To find my name in that history of channel swimming. Ome peoples' powers of observation is pretty terrible!! It is a cute pub where nearly every wall and ceiling is adorned with names of past channel swimmers. Very moving to see all that history in one place.

Was My day a failure?

If you take it down to the raw meaning of "Failure" yes it was, totally and utterly. Did I Fail? Well I think it is a matter of perspective. I set out to do something and did not. I did however learn a load about myself and where my shortcomings may lie.

The Cold is still a big problem whenever I get into the water, Was 5 years ago and still is now., bearing in mind I am 20Kg (3.1Stone) lighter in the last 6 months making me VERY ACCUTELY conscious of the fact that I lack the wherewithall to handle cold water. like I used to
Getting out after something like that, and then have to face getting back in. Well that is still a problem that I will have to learn. Luckily for me My big goal this season does not entail  me doing this.

Things I learnt about myself.
 I can push myself way beyond the mental and physical limits that I had imposed upon myself. I  DO NOT aim on making it a regular occurance. This comes down to the "6 P's"

Perfect Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

When all your plans are reduced to a pile of rubbish, you can still make another one.

Know when your limits are reached. If it is absolutely necessary to push further then go ahead and try, you will amaze yourself, but if the necessity is not there don't do it!!

I need to try and focus on getting my cold water acclimatisation up.

When you are down and out, surround yourself with people who believe in you and can pick you up, go for a walk and enjoy the lighter things in life. Do not Knock yourself directly after an event that you have not succeeded at. Give it time to sink in then do a post mortem.

WHAT'S IN THE PAST YOU CANNOT CHANGE, BUT YOU CAN START MOULDING YOUR NEW FUTURE. STARTING NOW!

Fund-Raising

Trickling in slower than I would like but every pound helps. So please, click on the link below and help the old age pensioners. they need it more than anthing.

Zimhippo Fund raising

So where to now?

Moving forward, I do not have a huge amount of big swims planned, but am looking at a few. In the next couple of weeks I have to do a 10.5 mile ratifying swim o will hope to do that in mid to end July.In the meantime I will be pushing my distances up to hopefully get to about15km swims in one swim. I think my next swim race will be on 21st July, still need to look into it, it may be a classic time to settle my score with Gregg.

I hope this has been an interesting read and Please leave a comment either here aof on Facebook.

"If you are willing to do only what's easy, 

life will be hard. 

But if you are willing to do what's hard, 

life will be easy."

T. Harv Eker

 

 

Another Weekend, Another swim.

Time is marching on and another weekend is nearly upon us. With time goals are getting bigger. Yes, another weekend is nearly upon us and another swim. HOPEFULLY. I was a bit silly and did not book onto it before the cutoff date - which I did look for last week and could not see one. Anyway a plethora of emails and phonecalls and I am pretty certain that I will be able to be part of the starting line up. Procrastination, one of my better qualities. Pushing the boat ut a bit on this one. total distance to be done this weekend is 9 miles (14.5Km). This swim will be a bit different to my 10K a week and half ago. Yip, off to the ocean this time.Bblllaagghhh - memories of salt water come rushing back from the depths of my memory. I hate the taste of salt water, even more so that I hate cold water. Cue, a bottle of listerine.

 

On Saturday 15th of June, I will be leaving home at about 7 in the morning to head down to my old stomping ground - Dover Harbour - Many happy memories, some very emotional, were made here, and it is time to make a few more. Challenges will also be very different from my last recent swims. Salt Water, again BBllaagghhh!!! Could be very windy = waves. again memories of getting rolled over by them. I will float a lot better in Salt water, even with my reduced frame size. The cold will always be at the back of my mind and will have to stay there for the whole day, lets hope that it remains in its place. The biggest Challenge will be the staggered Races. I really do hope that the demons in my head will not destroy any thoughts of sleep on Friday Night.

My first Race will kick off at 9.15am and this will be a 5 mile (8Km) swim and I am expecting this will take me about 2 and a quarter hours. Then it will be out for a while, raid the local Macdonalds, then ready for the next 3 mile (4.8km) race at 1.30pm. This I expect to finish in about 1 hour 10 minutes. Then out again for more Macdonalds. Back in again 4.30pm for a final 1 mile (1.6km) to hopefully finish at 4.55pm. If all goes according to plan, I will become a Champion of Champions. whatever that means. I think the biggest issue with this kind of race will be the stopping and starting aspect. Breaking your stroke and then getting back into it could be challenging. But hey ho, who said Life was ever easy.

For those who want to come down and watch, the swim area is overlooked by a very nice Restaurant Hythe bay Fish Restaurant This has a lovely balcony overlooking the harbour, where, if you throw enough money at it, you can wyle away the day drinking wine and eating lots of food, and where we will be swimming. There is also a nice pier and promenade to go strolling along and for those a bit more adventurous. there is always a lovely walk along the cliffs to be enjoyed and then join me after the last swim. I am hoping that the Lovely british summer will come out to play and if it does then there is always the option for a picnic of the cliffs.

Training since last swim.

 

To be honest, not a hell of a lot. only having clocked up about 15km since my last 10km swim 10 days ago. So "suck it and see"  I have had other things to occupy my mind and time and also a  stint of babysitting my nephews for the weekend. I will manage it, as I usually do, I seem to be able to get by with very little training. Story of my life really, do just enough to get through. one thing I need to change moving forward. I am glad to report that there are no gripes with my body right now, shoulders in good order, hips good and all that remains is to "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

Fund-Raising

Been a very lean month and I do hope that people will take the time to click on the link below and makes sombodies life a lot happier. Any thing large or small makes a huge difference so Please take this opportunity to click below.

Zimhippos Charity page

COMMITMENT to start, 

DISCIPLINE to continue, and 

DETERMINATION to finish. 

They are the 3 prerequisites to 

achieving your goals

An interesting and successful weekend.

Morning all on this fabulous Monday morning, sun out, coming off the back of a very good weekend, where I learnt a lot about myself and How truly blessed I am. Words cannot describe how much but  will endavour to do just that, THIS POST WILL BE QUITE PERSONAL. People think I do these swims for fun, and they are - after the event but, if what I go through in the lead up is FUN then you can bloody well have it.

This weekend I was signed up for the first substantial swim of my swim season and the emotions, the highs and lows that I went through were immense. The swim was due to be on Sunday morning and it was a 10Km river swim. Nothing too odd there then. I spent Saturday doing a small 1.5km with a waterpolo friend of mine. In my experience, waterpolo players eat us endurance swimmers for breakfast when it comes to speed. He is a veteran swimmer so a fair bit older than me but total respect to him. he really keeps me on my toes. But I also know if I want to give him a run for his money, just throw a few 500m sets in then he is finished.

The rest of the day spent at home not doing a hell of a lot, just chores around the house and watching a bit of  French Open tennis. In the evening I got all my stuff for the following day ready, went to bed at my usual time and this is where my demons came out to play. I so hate this about myself but do it over and over again.Every time I sign up for a swim, no matter how large or small, the same thoughts haunt me. I don't think I slept at all the whole night.

My mind going over the swim again and again and what could go wrong, 

- Whether I had done enough preparation? Have not done nearly as much training as I should have.

- Am I wrong not worrying about a feeding plan on a 10Km swim?

- Will my shoulder pack in half way through? Have had a few problems with it recently.

- Should I take pain killers?

- Will the cold get the better of me? considering my weight loss over the last 5 months

- Will I pick up a stomach bug in the river? After last years Thames race that I did this was a big       

   concern, with over 35% of the people geting serious stomach infections.

It was utterly infuriating. I KNOW I CAN DO 10KM IN MY SLEEP. even if I  HAVE TO slow my pace right down to protect my body, and just cruise it very slowly it is easily possible for me. This rubbish above really gets me down. I have it before every event, no matter what distance. this then puts me on a huge downer as I then get out of the bed with the thoughts that I have not had enough sleep and this now hijacks my mind and tries to bring me even further down.

Well, I got up out of bed ("woke up" would imply I actually slept). Furious with myself that I get like this EVERY TIME. My mind still overwhelmed by all the questions I had the night before. Got all my bits together for the day, got my wife out of bed, then headed to pick up few friends and head to the race start. Well, in this case finish. It was a point to point race so we parked at the finish and caught a bus to the start.

The Race.

Arrived at the race registration, registered for the event then headed to the Bus to get to the start. had some of my best and most die hard supporters with me. Got changed, had a photo opportunity with my supporters then headed to the pre race briefing. Me and 2 others in our budgie smugglers and enough rubber to float an aircraft carrier of the bottom of the ocean. We had the briefing and this swim is quite unique in that there are 4 stages and at the end of each stage you have to get out of the river and walk around wiers in the river. Organisers are not keen for us to body surf down the weirs to the lower level of the river. SPOILSPORTS!! Health and safety is a bugger in this place.

Then all the rubberised humans headed into the water whilst the three non rubberised swimmers waited till the end, no need getting in and cold whilst waiting for the start. There was a lot of comments of "respect", "nutters", "wow", even a bit of hand clapping  as we finally entered Then we were off.

Try as I might, to get rid of ALL the negative thoughts that permeated my mind, I could not! My stroke was laboured, clumsy, sighting way to often, breathing far to regularly - every stroke - and too high, trying to keep in clear water, Nothing was going right. My mental fight to calm down, slow my pace, focus was being lost and there was nothing I could do to stop it. One small, but very welcome consolation, was that I was leading the 2nd group of swimmers. Even the odd glimpse of my supporters was not comforting me. I was upset with myself, no - cursing myself, for being such an idiot.

Well, 26 minutes (1.9km) later my stroke was no more fluid than when I started, I got out at the first weir, had a 4 -5 minute walk around to the next section of the river chatting to Audra and Robin, My back ached, my groin was killing me. The one thing that was surprising was my shoulders were holding up.

Then I was back in,now there were about 4 rubberised humans and me that got back in together. Struggling with a multitude of negative thoughts and emotions. I thankfully managed to start putting all my doubts and fears to one side. slowed my pace down, started to lengthen my stroke, started breathing bi-laterally every 5 strokes. I stopped sighting every 3 -5 breaths and now began sighting every 20 -25. this did wanders for my back and groin, I was not now arching my back and stretching my groin every 3 -5 strokes. My head went down in the water - hence lifitng my bum and legs higher in the water. I became more streamlined and my pace increased.

This second leg was 3.5 km and I settled into a very good rhythmn, holding my own against the rubberised humans floating next to me, catching the group in front, This stretch just flew by and I was out again about 8 minutes ahead of what I suspected I would do it in. 

More supporters had arrived and it was so great to see them. On the 5 min walk to the next section, had a lovely albeit brief chat with some of them, I quaffed down half a banana and some flat coke.

Third leg now. 2.6km. Got straight back into my stride. with some more slight alteration on my stroke and breathing. This stretch of the river was noticeably more agricultural (smelt and sometimes tasted worse than the upper section) Thoughts about stomach bugs and focus on not swallowing water flooding to the fore of my mind. Still my stroke was good, underwater pull was powerful and legs kicking nicely. I  kept to the minimal sighting. My stroke now felt comfortable and much stonger.

This stretch was done again in a faster time than I had set for myself.

OUT again. Stock up on banana and coke. More supporters had now appeared and I strolled down the river with them to the start of the next leg. 1.5km to go. There were about 6 of us who got in and one of them was a relay swimmer - so just starting his swim. He was quick and started to pull away from me a bit. I was now well into my rhythmn, getting stonger and faster the further I went. - maybe it was the thought of food and beer at the pub which was drawing me on. I stopped briefly to wave at some new supporters that had arrived, my entourage was growing. After about 700m into this stretch I passed my relay buddy that left me at the start of this leg and was soon passing other swimmers that had been in front of me the whole way. Some who had started an hour earlier.

In just over 23 minutes I was at the end. I could have gone on for another 10km. Assited out by marshalls and having to scramble up a steep muddy bank I got to the top to be greeted by about 18 people who had given up a perfectly good day to come and watch me, I was speechless, which was a bit of a problem as I was very swiftly handed a phone by my brother. My parents were phoning from Africa to see how I had done. I was now surrounded by the most amazing group of friends anyone would ever want for.

I stood, or rather knelt down on the grass, my nephews hugging me. trying not to pass out, with my flat coke and bananas to revive me. I as completely overwhelmed  on so many levels and glad that I had done it and my overall time was 2 hrs 27min, a full 18 minutes faster than  my predicted time. This was a bit of an issue as some supporters were still arriving to watch me finish, only to see me out of the water already.  A lot of rubberised humans were coming up to congratulate me on an amazing swim. In my screwed up mind it was just another swim that I had completed and nothing amazing about it. I was just glad it was over.

Final details on my time and position are

My time 2 hrs 27 min 37 seconds
Winning time 2 Hrs 13 min 31 seconds
My position Overall, 10th out of 139 entries including relays
My category position 6th
I think I was the fastest non wetsuit
Down side I got beaten by 3 chicks and 1 relay team

After giving my medals to my nephews I headed for the showers on my own. I soon had to sit in the car park and cry my eyes out. Still completely overwhelmed and now, totally overcome with emotion (Dad, I blame you for this part of my personality) by what I had just done, but mostly by the amount of support that I have, believing in me when I so doubt my own abilities. Took a few minutes to compose myself enough to go and have a shower and get my stiff body off to the pub for a well deserved meal with my amazing friends. You all mean so much to me, words will never be able to convey this.

Monday morning now upon us, lactic acid subsided out my system, shoulders now only very slightly sore, back is in good shape, groin has no issues and gladly I have gotten away, again, with no stomach problems after a river swim

So what is Next?

I now need to start focusing on my next swim in two weeks. First thing I probably need to do is register for it. The champion of champions. Down in my old stomping ground - Dover harbour. A sea swim and total distance of 9 miles (14.8Km) split into 3 swims of 5 miles, 3 miles and 1 mile. I will be doing all of them so if you free on 15th June pop down to Dover and give us some support.

Sorry about how personal this blog is but it is the trials and tribulations of what I go through. I cannot vouch that it is the same for all endurance athletes. I may come across as confident and a very accomplished swimmer but the doubts I have are very real and play havoc with my mind.

Fund Raising still goes on and I have hit a bit of a lull so hopefully By people seeing what I go through to raise these funds might help them loosen their grasps on their purse strings.My Charity and their beneficiaries will be most appreciative.

Happy reading and I do so hope that you find this both entertaining and insiteful. Please comment and pass it around.

A quote to end as usual

I don't believe you have to

 be better than everybody else.

 I believe you have to be better than

 you ever thought you could be.

Ken Venturi