Dover Training Camp, 2

Dover Castle from the Marina Office area

Sunny Dover Harbour

Just a short update from the Dover Marina Office public computer. Photos will hopefully be added soon, in the meantime some Dover photos from a couple of weeks ago: Album DoverJuly482008FirstChannelTraining

53 swimmers and relays (at least) have been successful so far in 2008! For details click: http://www.dover.uk.com/channelswimming/swims/

The week continued

Wednesday I felt very tired and only did three hours in choppy water, in bright sunshine, then Thursday four hours, Friday only 2 again in very lumpy water - on Cliff's advice, otherwise would have felt like a whimp, but I do have to allow for regeneration - we are no longer in our twenties, he wisely pointed out. Saturday red cap (for long swim) and 3 hours given by Freda in windy and sunless conditions (and a long run from Varne Ridge back to Dover over the cliffs in evening sunshine - yes the sun did come out at the end of the day!) and today, Sunday only yellow cap by Freda, i.e. serious tapering, only a short swim of 2 hours in very choppy water again. Tomorrow will be off, then only one or two hours, maximum another 3 hour swim.



View from Varne Ridge where we will be staying from the 7th to Folkestone

During the week which was mainly sunny and warm (up to 27C) there were only a handfull of other Channel aspirants on the beach. We heard that some swimmers hadn't made it on Tuesday, a perfect swim day, due to hypothermia and other reasons.

I met up with Rashmi Sharma, a 18 year old Indian girl from Calcutta, with her mother Kiran coaching and feeding her and watching our things and her 6-year old cute brother Adri. Rashi has done the Channel already twice, in 2006 and 2007 (at the age of 16 and 17, and in 2007 even got half way back on the second leg of a double attempt!) and is training again for a successful double crossing now, very serious, very determined and disciplined. She looks strong and happy and confident, and I have a good feeling that she will make it, weather permitting. Her mother is praying for her. While she did her 5 and 6 hours I did 3 and 4 - it is always nice to know someone else in the water, even if they swim at a different speed. Friday and Saturday Cliff came to help his girlfriend Laura and helped feed and advise the rest of us. He knows almost everyone on the beach and has done the Channel twice - although he looks and maybe feels more like a runner.



Rashmi (18) and Adri (6) Sharma from Calcutta, Rashmi is on my tide, attempting a double crossing after two solos in 2006 and 2007

The weekend - 2nd/3rd of August

Big weather change. Saturday and Sunday was the 10th anniversary of the Dover Regatta with lots of things going on in the Harbour area - entertainment, swimming, Newfoundland dogs rescueing show (I hoped to get pulled out by one of those huge cuddly black beasts but they did only what they were supposed to do), boat races, English and French shopping stalls, yacht parade etc. But it rained a lot of the time and cooled down quite a bit! The sun had moved to the Zurich lake swim it seemed, where a bunch of about 40 Brits including Nick Adams had gone to swim the 26 km the length of the lake solo or in relays.

We only had a very small part of the harbour to ourselves, marked by bouys that were difficult to see in the huge waves, and about 40 channel aspirants swam for 1 to 5 hours, according to the proximity of their swim tides, in the eastern part of the Harbour which is the most choppiest when the wind is blowing - and it was about windforce 5 (all the private yachts are stuck in the harbour right now)! Great training not only for the arms and shoulders, but for the whole body, but with the tide starting on the 7th and a first swimming possibility on the 9th, I have to be careful! And Freda knew that, of course.

Feeding break with Nicola Millichip, who swam today (Aug. 6) on the sping tide - and made it!

The good thing is the water temperature has gone up, Sandette light ship between Dover and Calais has already shown over 64 degree Fahrenheit (18 Celcius), but went down a slight bit again. Saturday felt quite warm, but today it felt again much colder in the harbour, maybe also due to the weather. With my triathlon I am trying not to put on more weight (it goes mainly only to the wrong places that are heavily insulated already anway and would slow down my running even more...), and I have seen a number of much skinnier girls here who seem to have no problem after some acclimatisation. Actually I start feeling very comfortable with the water, the waves and the temperature, the longer I stay in. Swim day will be lesser waves and better weather anyway.

Met again a number of Channel swimmers (e.g. Hoffy who is doing Jersey to France soon, Damian Westray with lots of juicy Channel stories about Alison Streeter and others, Kevin Murphy (59) who is third place after me on Alison's boat for his 35th crossing (!), Chris did another successful long swim) and had many nice talks. Good advice for upset or funny stomach in the water (apart from Sea-leg pills for seasickness and coke): peppermint tea! From a Michelle from Dover who made it in 15+ hours on Sunday. Got more supplies like light sticks for the night, Maxim electrolyte, a good cap and a swimmers' check list and feeding list from Freda Streeter (mainly maltodextrin and fruit sugar with tea or water every hour, later every half hour, plus some electrolyte every third hour after at the half hour mark). A check list can be quite helpful - I heard that a well-known channel swimmer found she had forgotten her bathing suit when she wanted to start one of her swims from France, and a TV crew was there to film!

Thanks to Freda and the Beach Team with their fitting "open water junkies" caps again for their invaluable dedicated service!

Freda Streeter watching over her swimmers

Morning power

Evening peace

When?

Getting more and more focused on the Big Day and the question "When will it be?" - checking the internet regularly for the wind forecasts, but it is hard to tell so many days in advance. Right now the 9th and 10th looks fine, but things are changing constantly (e.g. for this weekend there had been sun predicted only a two or three days before) and I am only second swimmer - unless someone changes their mind. Relays may even go out earlier on the spring tide.

Slight bike problem: Might have to get a new bike here last minute because the gears of my old one broke down and cannot get fixed and a replacement bike seems problematic. But I am confident that everything will work out fine.

"My", i.e. Alison's boat Roco, very spacious, but under repair right now with the old gears being replaced with new, smooth ones!

Charities and International Friendship

It has become very popular among Channel swimmers to swim to raise money for a charity, and there are many great causes supported by them. It can give inspiration and a deeper motivation to the swimmer to know he or she is not just doing it for him- or herself but for a greater cause. It can help to endure physical and mental pain, suffering or hardship thinking to be able to serve fellow human beings far worse off and doing the swim and training in a spirit of self-giving.

If anyone reading this blog is inspired to support a cause - please feel free to support any of the charities in the linked blogs.

I just want to dedicate my Channel triathlon to the cause of World Harmony and international friendship and understanding, which is so much needed to solve many serious world problems, and the Channel swimmer community is a great example of this spirit, even if also here there can be encountered some instances of human ego-problems and divided opinions. That's the world, we are the world, and we can be a part of the solution!

Never underestimate the impact of a positive attitude or positive changes in consiousness. Even for the Channel it is said: 80 % is mental. To which I only would like to add: not just mental, but deeper - you not only need the mind, but your heart and soul to reach your goal! Good luck to everyone!