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!

Dover, finally! 8 hours in choppy water (in 3 days, though...)

When I arrived in Dover in the late afternoon of Friday, July 4th, for a 3 day training visit, it felt like coming back to meet an old friend. I hadn't had this feeling on the few other occasions I had come through Dover since 1985.

I had taken the train from Heidelberg and the ferry from Calais to Dover, just to get a real feeling of the Channel and the distance. And I felt it embraced me like a friend. The sun was out all the way, also next day, the water was not too choppy during the crossing (windforce 1-2?), it looked clear and beautifully turquoise or greenish, only the huge patches of seawead or grass didn't look so inviting - but good to know they can be there in order to try to avoid them, e.g. with the help of infos on the white board by the crew.



The famous White Cliffs

The White Cliffs of Dover were already very visible from Calais - as the French coast would be clearly visible from Dover harbour beach in the evening. Very encouraging again! Of course I am very much aware that what looks so close is not necessarily easily accessible - not only the extremely busy shipping lanes present a challenge (how on earth do the pilots manage to get the swimmers safely past these huge tankers and container ships that are continuously travelling the shipping lanes, I was asking myself) - but especially the currents off the French coast past the 10th hour into the swim can turn the last few hundred meters into half an eternity. And often the weather is changing, with the wind picking up!

After I had checked into Westbank Guest House, a very cosy and friendly bed & breakfast in Folkestone Road with a nice terrace, I went down to the harbour full of anticipation. I didn't dare to get in at that time of the day all by myself, so I just walked around in the shallow cold water for quite some time, thinking "this is bearable". Then I sat down quietly on the beach to absorb the atmosphere and to let everything sink in a bit. France was clearly visible in the distance - I couldn't believe it! I also met a few swimmers from India who were training for a relay - they immediately recognised my t-shirt from the Lake Zurich marathon swim. "We have been there!"

Saturday, July 5th

Next morning I arrived shortly after 9 o'clock at swimmers beach, while about 30 or so swimmers from all around the world were getting ready to get into the water. Divided into short distances (yellow cap, mostly relay team members) and long distances (red cap, 4-6 hours or so). After saying "hi" to a few swimmers I knew and briefly chatting with Alison, my pilot, I introduced myself to Freda. Since it was my first visit to Dover I was free to do what I wanted. My only goal was to see how long I could stay in the cold water. So I got a yellow cap and in I went, to the left against the wind.



Meeting Alison Streeter, my pilot, and "Queen of the Channel" with 43 crossings! She knows many of our swimmers from the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and was honoured by Sri Chinmoy personally with the "Lifting up the World"-Award for her inspiration a few years ago



Walking to France?

The water was biting my face, but this feeling soon disappeared. I felt happy and comfortable in the choppy water, the sun was out most of the time. I remembered my successful 7 hour swim of 1985 in a rainy and choppy harbour - only I was 10 lbs heavier then. When I arrived at the PofW pier, my fingers had gone numb and were kind of fluttering in the water, creating a funny sensation, so I thought I should better get out and warm up a bit, even though the body still felt fine.

So after the first lap I got out, changed into a dry bathing suit and jogged up and down the harbour in the sun, taking pictures and chatting with Margit Bohnhoff (swam in 2007) and Miyuki from Japan after they finished their two hour swim. Both looked absolutely frozen - and Miyuki is due this tide! And has already 5 successful crossings to her credit!



Miyuki from Tokyo (5 crossings!) and Margit from Berlin before their 2 hour swim
Margit only came to Dover to meet Miyuki, who she had become friends with last year - Channel swimming creates friendships around the world!



Margit and Vasanti after their "dip"



Water in India is much warmer!

Back in for another lap, same story as above. When my fingers got numb towards the end, I got out again to warm up and get changed - I thought it better to acclimatise slowly. After some more chatting and taking pictures I turned to Freda and jokingly said: "I am a whimp!" Her very stern answer: "You have ten minutes to get back in and do another lap." (Before everybody else would be finished.) 5 minutes later I was back in the water, enjoying again the roughness, and the fact I had no pressure whatsover. Freda's goodbye words: "Tomorrow at 9 o'clock on the beach!"



Shakespeare Beach - where most of the Channel swims start (France is visible in the distance!)

After the swimming, some socialising, food shopping (btw great discovery: Heinz Weight Watchers canned spaghetti - really spicy! (I am not sponsored by WW, unfortunately)), shower and meal, I went on a two hour hike around Dover and over to Shakespeare Beach - where most of the swims start - and later up the cliff. Sat down on the beach for some silent moments, again the French coast visible in the distance, as well as an endless line of huge ships, visualising reaching the coast. Back via a trail through green pastures, with the sun out until past 9:30!

Sunday morning



Freda (the "General") and another seasoned and selfless helper ("There is no bad weather, only inadequate clothing," my father likes to say.)

Rain and wind. Down to the beach again. Freda asks me what my goal is for today. I just say: stay in as long as I can, that is until my fingers go numb. She says: everybody's fingers go numb. Red or yellow cap? Red! But I "warn" her that I may come in after an hour for a feed. Off again against the wind to the left, only today we are not allowed to swim all the way to the Docks - too choppy. So short circuit, but stronger effort. Punching the waves feels great again, I only come in for a feed after two hours. Bit of warm maxim and off again. I am amazed that I hardly meet any swimmers with so many people out there, but the waves are quite high and you don't see far. Suddenly I get a punch into my face from the right, right on the goggles - that hurts! Someone is crossing my way diagonally, swimming up from behind. He barely apologizes and just swims on. At the PofW pier some swimmers are swimming/sprinting along the pier. Otherwise I am by myself.

Feed 3 is warm maxim and a chocolate bar - and back in again. My fingers, which had started to get numb after the first hour like yesterday, are less numb now - progress! Only, at the end of the 4th hour, coming in for the next feed, my body starts feeling cold - probably also due to too few carbohydrates for a non-acclimatised warm water swimmer. The feeding helper asks me suggestively: "Coming in?" And I offer no resistance. In my mind I am telling myself: just to change into a dry suit, warm up again and go back in for 2 more hours. But! When I get out, it starts raining, wind picks up to gale force - and nobody is pushing me to get back in. So there I am - dry suit, cuddled up in warm clothes. Success or failure? Happy or not? 4 hours compared to yesterday is good - compared to 1985, well.... I know I would have been much more satisfied with 5 our 6 hours, but I had no set goal. I might have lasted for 6 hours, but then I would have needed more fuel.

What I also missed was someone to swim along with - in 1985 I had enjoyed it a lot to swim together with others.

To compensate for only four hours of cold water training and to give the poor lady in this horrible weather some business, I got some ice cream - and later went for a one hour jog again to the beach and lighthouse.



Braving the rain and the cold

Monday



Choppy water!

I had hoped to make some progress over Sunday today and had hoped for some sun, but the weather was horrible and rainy again. Maybe even windier. We wanted to meet with Margit, Miyuki and Ichi, her coach, as usual around 9 for a 2 hour swim, but they were late and not inclined to go in or stay longer. One brave Australien did a short lap supervised by his wife or girlfriend, otherwise no souls around. We agreed to meet again at 3 p.m., since the forecast was for sun in the afternoon.

Time went fast with eating, resting and some shopping (the famous 3 triathlon disciplines: eat, train, sleep). By mistake I went back to the harbour, not aware I was 1 hour early (German time on my watch), and sat there, watching the waves breaking more and more powerful on the beach with the incoming tide. When my three new friends finally arrived, I managed to convince Miyuki it would be good for her to get in at least for half an hour. The sun had actually come out, but the wind remained. As soon as we were in the water, we really enjoyed it. We were about the same speed, swimming alongside or close to each other, which gave a nice sense of confidence and security. We swam three short laps to the PofW pier, the safer side, but after 45 minutes it seemed the wind was picking up even more and the waves were breaking higher, so I felt it was better to get out. The two sailing boats that are usually anchored in the harbour, had already been taken out for safety reasons. We left the water at the boats' house, where the waves were breaking less fiercely. Miyuki was nicely dumped into the pebbles by a huge wave anyway. I was grateful to have swum - but somehow felt I could have done more, had I dared to get in in the morning.

Later I took the bus to Folkestone and got off at Varne Ridge Holiday Park, where we would stay with my helpers from the 7th until my swim. The view from the cliffs up there was simply breathtakingly beautiful. I was already so much looking forward to coming back in 2 weeks. I jogged back to Dover on the biking trail in the evening sun, and when I reached my B&B, it just started raining again. Next morning, on the ferry, a sunny goodbye, but huge waves - the Channel had shown me all his faces!



All in all it was a great and valuable, worthwhile trip. True, I did not get overtrained, but I "touched base" and got the confidence that I am on the right track.

This weekend hopefully again two longer back to back swims in the lake, next weekend long swim and long bike, and then it's Dover again, this time very seriously - 7 and 6 hours back to back and then getting ready for the big day.



"Ecstasy-Bird..." (from a song dedicated to Channel swimming)

Here are more photos from this trip:

Dover July 4-8 2008, first Channel training

June 7th - 6 Hour Swim and Thunderstorm

June 7th was supposed to be a 7 hour swim - with 7 weeks of training to go (and one week serious tapering).

Maybe I was a bit too easy-going. Having overslept I only took the train at 8 p.m. to arrive at the lake in Roxheim at 9:30. Time enough for 7 hours of swimming, I thought. Rain was forecast for 11 and 5 p.m., but that doesn't matter much to a swimmer.

Again, no human soul around. This time I was greeted by a swan and 3 families of black necked geese, which at first were dispersed on the lake, but then strangely enough paddled to the shore within 50 meters of where I was sitting, one family following the other with altogether 10 little ducklings of visibly different age, soon grazing happily in the nearby grass.

Just before 10 a.m. I made it into the water - cool but not cold. Again sets of 2 laps, great feeling, "breakfast" after the 2nd hour, egg-waffles, plenty. I thought of the swimmers in Dover, who would have started around the same time, memories came up from my training there 23 years ago. My first swim in Dover harbour was a 7 hour test swim middle of July - and my training had started at the end of April! I remembered how much I enjoyed that swim - punching the waves in really bad weather and feeling good after 7 hours (with a few days of rest and a few good massages before). After lap 3 I was looking forward to complete the 4th hour - then it would be downhill. During the 4th hour, when my ellbow started to hurt and my arms started to feel a bit lame, I had to smile thinking of Freda, the "General" standing on the shore of Dover harbour with just one firm message: "head down" (great Channel swimmer mantra: "head down - until France") . So I put my head down - no thinking, no feeling, just swimming - and smiling!

Today I swam a great deal with memories, or visulisations, picturing myself in the Channel. My goal today was to do 6 hours plus one. 6 hours as equivalent to reaching the middle of the Channel where I could see both coasts in 1985, the White Cliffs of Dover and the French coast, which was a completely exhilarating experience. At that time I knew I would make it. The only thing was, it then took me 11 more hours from the "middle" of the Channel to France! The seventh hour today was supposed to be visualising reaching the French coast - like in this inspiring video taken from You Tube.

Video
The video below is of Hugh completing his English Channel Swim on 7/8/2004.

After 4 hours again some food - more egg wafers, 2 bananas and some oats with maltodextrine and some sports drink (which didn't go too well with the food), back for lap 5 und 6. At times I was thinking of Lake Zurich or of long training swims in the waves of Jones Beach on Long Island.

6 hours completed. Great! One more than last week. And one to go. My shoulder muscles feel a little sore, my elbow hurts a little, but I can put my head down again. As I step out of the water for a short drink break, I realise the black cloud on the horizon is growing and coming closer. The 11 a.m. rain never happened, so this one is almost on time. Before heading back into the water, I feel an urge to ask the life guards if a thunderstorm has been forecast or just rain. "Thunderstorsm", they say. "Didn't you see the lightning over there? And hear the thunder?" Still hoping it would pass in the distance I went back into the water to swim back and forth close to the shore as long as possible, but the lightning was closing in from 2 sides on the lake. No choice. The wind picked up, the clouds opened - I was one of the last people to leave the beach

So, only 6 hours for today. Come back tomorrow and cancel my long bike ride, because swimming seems more important now? Or be patient, get a good cardio and leg-workout on Sunday and do more 2 hour swims during the week and a 7 hour swim next Saturday and a real long swim of 8 hours the week after? One thing is to have goals, the other to stay flexible.

One poem-song came to my mind (again on Sunday), which can be helpful if you feel disappointed because something did not work out the way you wanted it:

Do the best you can
Cheerfully.
Accept the worst
Calmly....

(Sri Chinmoy)

By the way, when I came home, I found my official Channel Swim number in the mail - registration completed and confirmed! Ready to go!