10 September 2007

I had a great swim, cold but great.  I finished in the top third of competitors which was an additional bonus!  All the training paid dividends and fulfils a dream of mine to be considered a long distance swimmer.  Thank you for your sponsorship. Your support has been very welcome and appreciated. And now for the next challenge...

30 August 2007

I am ready to swim - best thing to be able to say at this point!  I'm driving to Lake District tomorrow and will swim on Saturday.

Thank you for enjoying this journey with me.  I will update you when I return from the Lakes.  Its time for me to enjoy my swim!

22 August 2007

Thank you for all your support, sponsorship and best wishes to date. 10 days to go!

I have started my tapering which is going well - 20 km this week and 15 km in the week leading up to my swim.  I am trying to replace my training time with increased carbohydrate intake. I am hoping to gain a few extra pounds, insulation and thereby warmth.  I'm going to need it with what seems like autumn already setting in.

We still have plenty of money to raise, so dig deep and sponsor me.  These disabled children will benefit directly from your support as will I whilst swimming the event.

Thanks

15 August 2007

On 1 September 2007 I will swim the 10.5 mile length of Windermere in the Lake District. The water will be about 15C and the weather (wind, rain or sun) will be yet another challenge to consider on the day.   I do have to ask myself how I thought to manage this swim when I battle with the cold (ask anyone that has seen me exit the water - I shiver uncontrollably for ages) and the longest swim I have ever attempted is a 1 mile race back in 1998! 

Motivation: I needed a challenge.  I have been a mum at home with 2 young boys (2 and 3 years old) and needed to do something for myself. I also wanted to appreciate more fully how fortunate I am to have 2 young children both very healthy - thus my choice of charity.  Helping to raise money so that children less unfortunate can enjoy some of the finer things in life is a pleasure!  Rayners Trust is wanting to expand their offering of music and drama which is such a great tool for disabled children to further learn and develop.

Training:  I have been training for the best part of a year. Currently I am swimming in excess of 30km per week, 10 hours in the water.  3 pool sessions with Linda, my training partner and 3 open water sessions, in a lake, with triathletes in wetsuits!  I also spend time preparing myself mentally for the event which will ultimately be 80% mental.

The rules of open water swimming only allow for a standard swimsuit, cap and goggles to be worn.  This adds to the challenge as I have to maintain a decent speed to generate enough warmth to ward off the cold. 

Obstacles: The distance - next time you drive in your car measure a 10.5 mile route...it is a long way.  The cold! - Windermere will probably be 15C and the last 3 miles of the race are colder because of the depth of the water. Energy - I will need to ensure that I take on enough carbohydrates to have the energy to complete the course. I have estimated that I will need about 4000cal (2 days normal calorie consumption) to endure the event. Isolation and boredom - I have an escort boat with my cousins on board ready to navigate and feed me. Hopefully this will alleviate some of the isolation and monotony of the swim. Some 25,000 strokes later I intend to have completed the event.

Thanks to: Malcolm Staight for all his coaching and encouragement. My training partner, Linda Brown, for swimming with me very early in the mornings and helping me to improve my speed and endurance.  Wycombe Leisure Ltd and Zoggs for sponsorship.  My family for enduring a year of me disappearing early in the morning and during the weekend to manage all the training. Graham and Mark for escorting me on the swim and to all of you for your encouragement, for reading my web page, sponsoring me and these wonderful disabled children and for forwarding on this webpage to others who can help us reach the fund raising target.