My first taste of the channel

Hi all
Well this weekend was my first taste of the channel - we went to Dover on friday until the monday and stayed in Little Satmar Holiday Park in our motorhome which was lovely.
On saturday we turned up to the beach front and met up with Freda Streeter who organises the swims as a matter of safety. Everyone is given numbered and coloured hats - red for solo and yellow for relay swimmers. She then gives a brief of where to swim and for what length of time! I was number 12 and we had 3 hours to swim with a feed on the shore at 1 1/5hrs. The water was 12C and the sun was out so it was loveley swimming! John plodded up and down in his kayak keeping a watchful eye on me and the other swimmers. I managed 8500m in the 3 hours. Sunday was pretty much the same except we were given 4 hours this time - feed after 2 hrs, 3 hrs then swim 1 more hour if you could! The sun was shining but it was really windy so there was a big chop in the water especially swimming to the eastern side! I managed the 4 hrs!
Big thanks to Freda, Nick and John! 7 hours sea swimming was difficult but good fun!

My lovely support team!

This is my lovely support team - all 3 will be on the boat coordinating my swim and feeds. They are (from left to right) - Laura, John and Carol.

Lake Coniston Again!

John and I went back to Lake Coniston last weekend (16 - 17th May) and stayed in a really good campsite called Park Coppice (Caravan Club) in our motorhome. It was quite blustery and raining for most of the weekend. The water temp was 10.5C which was freezing and instantly my hands and feet froze again! I put my head down and started swimming however the wind was making the water choppy and difficult to swim in! I managed 2hrs and 7mins before my entire body froze and decided it was time to get out. I struggled to stand due to my feet being numb but John helped me out! The shivers came quickly and it took me a while to thaw!! I did love it though!! Thanks to John for keeping an eye on me in his inflatable kayak even though he struggled to keep going in the wind!

Swim Trek Gozo

Just thought I would show you some photos from my swimtrek holiday / training in Gozo, Malta. It was really hard work and very demanding and I learned a lot about my stroke and how to make it more efficient. I hope I have improved since then - I think so!

The water was very clear but very cold - myself and 4 others still managed our 6 hour qualifying swim for the channel which was brilliant! (I can't say it was easy though!)

Maxim (with a twist!)

This is Johns idea of taking in Maxim!

Lake Coniston

Last bank hols we ventured to the lakes to see what it was like to swim in Lake Coniston. It wasn't disappointing! We loved it even though it was 11C so my hands and feet froze instantly. It is a beautiful lake surrounded by the mountians. John whizzed up and down in his kayak, happy as Larry!
We are off to the lake again on the weekend of the 16th / 17th so hopefully the water will have swarmed up by then!