The English Channel swim is fast approaching. I've been doing 30-35 miles per week and working on getting used to the cold water. Mike and I have been swimming 2-3 times per week and have had temperatures between 49 and 58. I found out that a one degree change in water temperature is significant. If the English Channel is 59-60 degrees it will be like bathwater!
The memorial day weekend was a real blast. Boris and Ramses came up from Florida to do their six hour qualifying swim. Both Boris and Ramses are going to swim the channel in late June to early July. Ramses and Boris took 1st and 2nd place in the Whiskey Joes 24 mile Tampa Bay swim. Both are exceptional athletes and no doubt will cross the channel.
Being from Miami the water temperature in the ocean is already in the 70's. So they came up for four days of cold water training and the six hour qualifying swim. The weather conditions were less than favorable. The water temp was 54-56 and the waves were pushing 2-5 feet. Air temp was around 60. Boris was able to make the swim but Ramses was not feeling well. You can see actual footage of the beginning and end of the swim by going to you tube and typing in Cuban swimmers.
Elias came with them. He is their good friend who will also be the support person on the boat when each of them do their solo English Channel swim. We had a blast and a strong bond of friendship was developed with them and my family.
The great news is they are returning this coming Friday, June 5th so Ramses can do his 6 hour qualifying swim. Boris will be doing another 6 hour swim as will Mike. I will be doing an 8 hour and this will be the peak of my training. This week, the first of June will be my highest mileage week. I plan on doing 50 miles. Then I will begin to bring the mileage down as my target date of July 9th approaches.
One note, Ramses family is coming with him so this weekend will be a great time!! I know with Ramses wife here he will no doubt do the swim!!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tampa 24 mile swim
The Tampa Bay 24 mile swim certainly lived up to its billing. The conditions were challenging to say the least. The first three to four miles were in a slight chop but on the whole not bad. The swimmers were expecting a tidal push north once we rounded the point. However, mother nature had a joke waiting for us.
We had 3-5 foot waves for the next 3-4 hours. I became sick at the three hour mark and with the conditions so poor I made a decision to slow my stroke count down from 55 per minute to 35. I figured with the waves knocking back some of my strokes I had to conserve energy and buy time for the conditions to improve. At the fourth hour I was quite sick and had the dry heaves. This was a real low point and I considered stopping. However, I knew that if I quit it would plant that seed in my mind that I may not be able to do the Channel. My Sister-in-Law Elizabeth was great. She kept a positive attitude and let me complain! Ironically, I had a craving for potato chips and I remembered she had a bag on the boat for her to eat during lunch. I ate some chips and it calmed my stomach. I actually ate chips on most of my breaks.
My diet on the channel will be Orange Gatorade, Water, Bananas, Fig Newtons and Chips! After the next 10 miles the waves began to decrease and when I turned the next bend I found the water in great shape. At this point I was actually able to swim at a decent pace. Getting through the first bridge was ok. It was the next three miles between the first and second bridge that I began to get tired. The waves really beat the heck out of me and I didn't really recover to well. Once I was able to get through the second bridge and was roughly two miles from the finish I knew I could make it.
The shoulder did well but a real pain had developed on my right forearm. It felt like the muscle was being riped of the bone on every stroke. It was like a bad shin splint. The last mile was extremely painful. I had hoped to do the swim in nine hours or better. Going 12 was a real test. No question this swim will gain in its status and is a must for serious long distance swimmers. If you plan on doing the English Channel then you need to do this swim first.
I met some great new friends and all of them had experience doing this type of swim. Their feedback and the support was really neat. Truly a great group of people in this sport. The best news of all is my training partner Mike Tschantzhahn made it as well. Both of us did this swim to test ourselves and see where we were in our preparation to swim the Channel in July. We agreed we left Tampa with many questions answered. The most important thing is we know we can do the Channel now. We just need to condition ourselves to the cold water. We will be in Lake Michigan very soon.
One last thing, we saw dolphins, stingrays and a lot of waves. No Bull Sharks. Only the picture of the one caught the week before at one of the bridges!
We had 3-5 foot waves for the next 3-4 hours. I became sick at the three hour mark and with the conditions so poor I made a decision to slow my stroke count down from 55 per minute to 35. I figured with the waves knocking back some of my strokes I had to conserve energy and buy time for the conditions to improve. At the fourth hour I was quite sick and had the dry heaves. This was a real low point and I considered stopping. However, I knew that if I quit it would plant that seed in my mind that I may not be able to do the Channel. My Sister-in-Law Elizabeth was great. She kept a positive attitude and let me complain! Ironically, I had a craving for potato chips and I remembered she had a bag on the boat for her to eat during lunch. I ate some chips and it calmed my stomach. I actually ate chips on most of my breaks.
My diet on the channel will be Orange Gatorade, Water, Bananas, Fig Newtons and Chips! After the next 10 miles the waves began to decrease and when I turned the next bend I found the water in great shape. At this point I was actually able to swim at a decent pace. Getting through the first bridge was ok. It was the next three miles between the first and second bridge that I began to get tired. The waves really beat the heck out of me and I didn't really recover to well. Once I was able to get through the second bridge and was roughly two miles from the finish I knew I could make it.
The shoulder did well but a real pain had developed on my right forearm. It felt like the muscle was being riped of the bone on every stroke. It was like a bad shin splint. The last mile was extremely painful. I had hoped to do the swim in nine hours or better. Going 12 was a real test. No question this swim will gain in its status and is a must for serious long distance swimmers. If you plan on doing the English Channel then you need to do this swim first.
I met some great new friends and all of them had experience doing this type of swim. Their feedback and the support was really neat. Truly a great group of people in this sport. The best news of all is my training partner Mike Tschantzhahn made it as well. Both of us did this swim to test ourselves and see where we were in our preparation to swim the Channel in July. We agreed we left Tampa with many questions answered. The most important thing is we know we can do the Channel now. We just need to condition ourselves to the cold water. We will be in Lake Michigan very soon.
One last thing, we saw dolphins, stingrays and a lot of waves. No Bull Sharks. Only the picture of the one caught the week before at one of the bridges!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Twelfth Annual 24 mile Tampa Bay Swim
Up until this point, the two tests I've had have been a seven hour English Channel qualifying swim and a straight five hour pool swim. The qualifying swim was this past October in Lake Michigan. The water temperature was 59 degrees. It was really the beginning of my training. The five hour pool swim was on April 4th and I held 4,700 yards for each hour.
My coach Marcia Cleveland has done an excellent job teaching me on how to train properly for the English Channel. The Tampa Bay race is going to be a real test. I hope to do it in nine hours or less. Obviously, the weather conditions will play a part in my goal time.
The race begins at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida. The finish line is located at Ben T. Davis beach on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The water temperature will be 70 degrees or higher so the water temperature won't be a factor. The hard part will be completing the 24 miles in my goal time. My boat Captain is John Rose and I'm looking forward to working with him.
Since I'm simulating the English Channel my Sister-in-Law Elizabeth will be on board taking notes and doing the feedings. I plan on taking a 60 second break for each of the first two hours and then 30 second breaks every half an hour.
My friend Mike Tschantzhahn is doing the race as well. He is doing the English Channel several weeks after me. We are training together and having a partner in Lake Michigan is a real advantage. I will post the results of the race and my goal is to have a strong swim.
My coach Marcia Cleveland has done an excellent job teaching me on how to train properly for the English Channel. The Tampa Bay race is going to be a real test. I hope to do it in nine hours or less. Obviously, the weather conditions will play a part in my goal time.
The race begins at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida. The finish line is located at Ben T. Davis beach on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The water temperature will be 70 degrees or higher so the water temperature won't be a factor. The hard part will be completing the 24 miles in my goal time. My boat Captain is John Rose and I'm looking forward to working with him.
Since I'm simulating the English Channel my Sister-in-Law Elizabeth will be on board taking notes and doing the feedings. I plan on taking a 60 second break for each of the first two hours and then 30 second breaks every half an hour.
My friend Mike Tschantzhahn is doing the race as well. He is doing the English Channel several weeks after me. We are training together and having a partner in Lake Michigan is a real advantage. I will post the results of the race and my goal is to have a strong swim.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Hello
Hello everyone! I've decided to start a blog so that I can keep my family and friends updated on my quest to swim The English Channel. If you do check my blog it will give you updates on my progress and a feel for what it takes to take on the Channel. For my swim team buddies I hope you will get a kick out of the types of practices I'm doing as well as additional situations that I'm experiencing throughout the training process.
As many of you know I swam Lake Erie two decades ago from Point Pelee, Canada to Cedar Point, Ohio, a distance of 36 miles. I always wanted to do the English Channel and have decided that I would exit retirement and jump back in the water. Although I've stayed close to my swimming roots over time, I've begun to realize how demanding a swim of this type entails. Hopefully you will be able to share through this blog the training process, mental preparation and above all the funny situations that occur.
My motto is: Don't take yourself to seriously!
John
As many of you know I swam Lake Erie two decades ago from Point Pelee, Canada to Cedar Point, Ohio, a distance of 36 miles. I always wanted to do the English Channel and have decided that I would exit retirement and jump back in the water. Although I've stayed close to my swimming roots over time, I've begun to realize how demanding a swim of this type entails. Hopefully you will be able to share through this blog the training process, mental preparation and above all the funny situations that occur.
My motto is: Don't take yourself to seriously!
John
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