andy’s english channel swim: august 2007


May 19, 2007

2007 05 20

Filed under: swimming training — andy @ 9:16 am
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Consistency improving – after 5 months of working on my stroke, I am definitely travelling more easily. I am maintaining speed with less effort, and have moved on from the brute force & ignorance of last season.

The test will be to maintain frequency & quality over the next two months – if I manage that without interruptions thhen I will arrive in Dover feeling very  confident. 

In the meanwhile, my business partner Renault & I are off to London & Geneva for a week for business – I’m relying on Lewis Pugh to find me a pool in London. 

May 4, 2007

Month ending 2007 04 30

Filed under: swimming training — andy @ 6:26 pm
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So much for the consistency; April really turned out to be a foolish month – no consistency of training, no real quality, nothing useful to report apart from a PB Robben Island time of 2 hours 14 mins in very cold water (started at 14 degrees & finished in 10 degrees). Milage is down on this time last year – refer to the charts above. I will simply have to knuckle down & slog through the hard yards over the next 4 months if I expect to put this thing to bed. 

 

Launching, Chris enjoying the ride out, and Ryan glad to get going.

Pic 4:Swimming with Erica, who swam the Channel last year just after I left Pic 5:Chris & Ryan on Blaauwberg beach Pic 6:Sunshine on my back after 10 degree water! 

 

Pic 7 Chris really felt the cold! Pic 8:Under way with the ever-present Tucker at the helm Pic 9: Erica warm & happy again  

Oh – words of encouragement: Roland Schoeman wished me well for the swim, with the parting commment "Rather you than me!" My response was the quote on the wall of the White Horse pub in Dover "When the going gets tough, the sprinters get out." I used to be a sprinter 20 years ago and I got out last year, so those words are still haunting me.