Good Morning Friends and I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Anyone who believes the ads on telly which tell you that all you need is a lemsip and you'll be able to fight back armies of bugs and difficult work colleagues and bing around with a spring in your step is sadly mistaken. All the lemsip did for me was to help me lie in bed without a generally sore body telling me I was lying on a bed of uncooked spuds!!
The cough I have had since Dec 11th seemed to get worse and a sneezy cheesy sleazy cold seemed to take over my eyes, nose and all other parts of me it could reach. I was in bed for most of Sunday all of Monday and most of Tuesday. Briefly got to work on Wednesday but didn't last long.
I seem to be on the mend now and got my appetite back just in time to manage Xmas dinner cooked by Elizabeth. Our relatives Elizabeth and Terry have been here since EB's 50th birthday on Friday and if it hadn't been for Elizabeth we proabably would have starved as neither of us have been well really. Thanks Elizabeth you're our Christmas Angel x
So, the best thing about being ill is feeling better, and today I finally woke up feeling really human again. I'm off for a walk to Lady Bay which I am excited about, and I may try the rower again later to at least try and attempt the concept 2 challenge for the month. This cough and cold is still hanging around so I know I need to watch it. The trouble is it feels like a different person who swam all that way in the summer, and now I really have built a mountain to climb.
I wake up in the night with a bit of a sweat on thinking that I've blown it and I'll never be able to do this challenge now!!! I feel like time is really running out. Come to think of it, maybe the sweat in the night is the other problem I have.....mmmm menopause and dodgy hormones which is the other thing...............
OK I'll spare you that one.
Friday, 26 December 2008
Monday, 15 December 2008
A cold dip!
I took the plunge on Sunday 7th December and threw myself in the sea for some acclimatisation training. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the dog walkers looked a bit astonished as they broke the ice on the puddles. I wore 2 hats and a wet suit with my skin suit underneath plus boots. I couldn't find my gloves though!
Suzanne, Greg, Josh and Sam looked on and took pix, so thanks to my support crew! We just managed this snap with the HSS at my shoulder before it disappeared. It was a short dip and I barely got wet really although I told the boys to say I'd been swimming for 20 minutes! Gosh I look gorgeous, this is such a glamorous sport. Meanwhile the training is going badly. I have been overnight in Dumfries with work last week and again this week and it eats into my routine. I know its an excuse but I do feel busy at the moment with everything. I also have a nasty chesty cough and I had a nose bleed yesterday which is very unlike me. I guess I need to watch it but I feel really unfit already as I hadn't been at all consistent leading up to this.
Met Harry today and he gave me a talking to. I need to register my Concept 2 challenge this month which is 5000 meters so I'm getting on the rower today to see if my breathing is ok with this cough.
I am so excited about the swim though and I know once Christmas is over I'll get back to it. The just giving button and other fundraising developments are just so inspiring. Cameron did a brilliant article this week in the Free Press. I'll try and find out how I can scan newspaper articles onto the blog so you can see them.
I was spotted this weekend dressed as the Snow Queen helping at the village lighting up ceremony with a couple of glasses of mulled wine. By the end of the night I was calling myself the So Squeen so I'll leave you to your own conclusion. I think its the stress of being the Chair of the Community Council as well....I'm about to stand down and let someone else organise village events because I must give up alcohol at some point so I don't see two Ailsa Craigs .........
I'll check in before Christmas, so take it easy friends and enjoy the festivities safely.
Fancy a dip on Christmas Day?
Santa Hats compulsory.
Friday, 5 December 2008
December 5th 08
I am feeling much better and I have some exciting news to share with you all. Suzanne and I have called a couple of committee meetings and we have renewed our confidence and enthusiasm for the fundraising aspect of our project. We are updating the website and we will be re launching this in the press for a wider audience. This Sunday I am hoping to take a chilly dip at Lady bay so we can get some photos for the press and for Alzheimer Scotland who want to do an article for their newsletter. I have also been contacted by The Solway Firth Partnership for an article in their magazine Tidelines.
We have also found some easy fundraising ideas. One is to register with the easyfundraising site (see shopping link) You just register as a user and the charity you sign up for is the Ailsa Craig Swim Challenge. Then when you shop, a donation is sent to us. Fab eh? We have also registered with a company who ask us to send them old mobile phone handsets and ink cartridges. We then send them to the recycling company free of charge and they send us a cheque....! Look out for bins at Sun St Offices and Dumfries Crichton Hall. If you're not local contact me and I'll tell you how to do it in your area. How easy is that? Much better than dragging round car boot sales I feel! I call it fundraising by sitting on your bum!
Meanwhile I am still doing the Concept 2 challenge Series and I stand at 38th out of 83 in my category which is the 40+ age group. I'm enjoying the challenge and the December challenge is 5000 metres. It does help my motivation. Check out the Concept 2 website to find out more.
Bye for now, and keep warm and happy
We have also found some easy fundraising ideas. One is to register with the easyfundraising site (see shopping link) You just register as a user and the charity you sign up for is the Ailsa Craig Swim Challenge. Then when you shop, a donation is sent to us. Fab eh? We have also registered with a company who ask us to send them old mobile phone handsets and ink cartridges. We then send them to the recycling company free of charge and they send us a cheque....! Look out for bins at Sun St Offices and Dumfries Crichton Hall. If you're not local contact me and I'll tell you how to do it in your area. How easy is that? Much better than dragging round car boot sales I feel! I call it fundraising by sitting on your bum!
Meanwhile I am still doing the Concept 2 challenge Series and I stand at 38th out of 83 in my category which is the 40+ age group. I'm enjoying the challenge and the December challenge is 5000 metres. It does help my motivation. Check out the Concept 2 website to find out more.
Bye for now, and keep warm and happy
Monday, 17 November 2008
November 17th
So friends, when does a lack of motivation become terminal? I have reflected on some issues regarding my own self perception recently. Am I a finely honed athlete who is strong and fit and can hold her own in a competitive field, or am I an overweight middle aged woman with no will power and no consistency regarding motivation? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle. I recognise some aspects in both these characters but I would like to find a place of comfort and balance. I have lost my motivation since the Luce Bay swim and have managed a couple of swims and the rower was gathering dust. This is not unusual and if you read the blogs of some other swimmers they talk about these things too.
The factors influencing me right now are
So I went to the pool on Thursday morning and thoroughly enjoyed the session with the Stingrays. I felt surprisingly strong which made me realise that I have not become a slob yet!
Then I pulled the rower into the lounge ( watch that back!) and had an excellent session while watching a film I had wanted to see for ages. I was easily able to monitor my pace and time. Such a simple piece of advice and so effective. I feel much better and I'm off to the pool tonight to see if I can keep up the pace a bit. I know that all the influential factors can become excuses but they also need acknowledging so I can tame them and not feel overwhelmed.
By the way, since EB has been away, the central heating broke down, the car broke down, there was a huge rat in the chicken coop, the lights in the chicken coop went out, Flo the cat went missing....she's back! and so I have had a great deal of stress........... Come back all is forgiven!
So, things are looking up and I will keep you posted. I understand some of you are reading this as I have had some complaints since I have stopped writing. Sorry!
I will write again and let you know some of my times as some of you seem interested in the technical side of things
Bye for now
The factors influencing me right now are
- Extra and unexpected pressure at work requiring lots of travel and longer hours
- EB has been away for 2 weeks
- Harry is also away for a length of time
- I have a sore back
- Its winter
- I love eating too much
- People keep inviting me out........
So I went to the pool on Thursday morning and thoroughly enjoyed the session with the Stingrays. I felt surprisingly strong which made me realise that I have not become a slob yet!
Then I pulled the rower into the lounge ( watch that back!) and had an excellent session while watching a film I had wanted to see for ages. I was easily able to monitor my pace and time. Such a simple piece of advice and so effective. I feel much better and I'm off to the pool tonight to see if I can keep up the pace a bit. I know that all the influential factors can become excuses but they also need acknowledging so I can tame them and not feel overwhelmed.
By the way, since EB has been away, the central heating broke down, the car broke down, there was a huge rat in the chicken coop, the lights in the chicken coop went out, Flo the cat went missing....she's back! and so I have had a great deal of stress........... Come back all is forgiven!
So, things are looking up and I will keep you posted. I understand some of you are reading this as I have had some complaints since I have stopped writing. Sorry!
I will write again and let you know some of my times as some of you seem interested in the technical side of things
Bye for now
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Back in the Pool. Concept 2 challenge
Saturday 4th October
Well after all the outdoor adventure its time to knuckle down and do indoor things. I must say that after all the excitement, my motivation dipped. I have reflected on the big swim and there are a couple of things I have pondered. One thing is that I am amazed at the power of the brain. My back troubled me throughout the swim but even if it hadn't I believe my experience would have been the same. One moment I would feel really strong and comfortable and at one with nature and literally the next second my body and soul would be screaming at me in complete panic! So from 'Yup I could do the channel if I wanted, probably both ways at this rate....' to 'I can't do this, I feel sick and I'm definitely going to faint!' Fighting the demons is surely the biggest challenge.
I also know that I just can't go any faster. I just get there in the end. I can't....I mean it. I'm still just a woman who is the wrong side of middle age and who has historically and hysterically battled with weight and whose motivation and willpower is about as consistant as the stock market. Give me a break I can't go any faster OK?
So back in the pool the consensus is that I need to concentrate on speed. Harry and Linda, the stoic coach of the Stingrays, stood above me on the poolside last Thursday morning chuntering about how I could go faster, I just don't know how.
So here's the plan. I will be doing speed sessions in the pool twice a week concentrating on 500 meter sets. I'll log my times at the risk of boring you senseless. Then a third session in the week will be slower stretchy distance work. I need to buy some new hand paddles which are a better deign than the ones I bought in 1982 apparently. All this will be supplemented with indoor rowing.
I have signed up to the Concept 2 challenge in order to increase my motivation on the rower. This is a series of challenges which you can sign up to on line. Septembers challenge was to row as fast as you can for 4 minutes, and you then log the distance you covered in that time. I managed 982 meters and came 49th out of 64 women in my age group which is the over 40's (just!) Octobers challenge is to row 2000 meters as quickly as possible. This morning I logged 8 minutes 57 seconds and then decided I could do better. So I tried again and did it in 8 minutes 46 seconds. I guess the challenge works then, as normally I would have done it once and then gone to lie down with some chocolate!
Take a look on www.concept2.co.uk/challengeseries
Can I keep this up as a winter plan? What do you think? I'll keep you posted.
By the way we are having a fundraising meeting on Wed 8th Oct at Bar 12 in Stranraer at 5.30pm. I'll do an update on how our summer went and then update plans for some events leading up to the big swim.
Well after all the outdoor adventure its time to knuckle down and do indoor things. I must say that after all the excitement, my motivation dipped. I have reflected on the big swim and there are a couple of things I have pondered. One thing is that I am amazed at the power of the brain. My back troubled me throughout the swim but even if it hadn't I believe my experience would have been the same. One moment I would feel really strong and comfortable and at one with nature and literally the next second my body and soul would be screaming at me in complete panic! So from 'Yup I could do the channel if I wanted, probably both ways at this rate....' to 'I can't do this, I feel sick and I'm definitely going to faint!' Fighting the demons is surely the biggest challenge.
I also know that I just can't go any faster. I just get there in the end. I can't....I mean it. I'm still just a woman who is the wrong side of middle age and who has historically and hysterically battled with weight and whose motivation and willpower is about as consistant as the stock market. Give me a break I can't go any faster OK?
So back in the pool the consensus is that I need to concentrate on speed. Harry and Linda, the stoic coach of the Stingrays, stood above me on the poolside last Thursday morning chuntering about how I could go faster, I just don't know how.
So here's the plan. I will be doing speed sessions in the pool twice a week concentrating on 500 meter sets. I'll log my times at the risk of boring you senseless. Then a third session in the week will be slower stretchy distance work. I need to buy some new hand paddles which are a better deign than the ones I bought in 1982 apparently. All this will be supplemented with indoor rowing.
I have signed up to the Concept 2 challenge in order to increase my motivation on the rower. This is a series of challenges which you can sign up to on line. Septembers challenge was to row as fast as you can for 4 minutes, and you then log the distance you covered in that time. I managed 982 meters and came 49th out of 64 women in my age group which is the over 40's (just!) Octobers challenge is to row 2000 meters as quickly as possible. This morning I logged 8 minutes 57 seconds and then decided I could do better. So I tried again and did it in 8 minutes 46 seconds. I guess the challenge works then, as normally I would have done it once and then gone to lie down with some chocolate!
Take a look on www.concept2.co.uk/challengeseries
Can I keep this up as a winter plan? What do you think? I'll keep you posted.
By the way we are having a fundraising meeting on Wed 8th Oct at Bar 12 in Stranraer at 5.30pm. I'll do an update on how our summer went and then update plans for some events leading up to the big swim.
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Stairhaven to Sandhead
Saturday 20th September
It was rough rough rough! and there were many debates about the route we would take. Should we go to the left of the platform or to the right? We ended up going to the right and then swimming past some amazing ruins of some chimneys which are something to do with the war. I'll find out more about them. The sun came out quite a lot which saved our bacon and boosted our morale.
We swam along the shore for a while and I could see people looking...they must have wondered. So, with Ian ahead I struggled onto the beach about 5hrs and 20 mins after we started. There is some dispute but we reckon it was about 10 1/2 miles!
Felt great after Loch Ryan. It boosted my confidence and I loved swimming with Scott on the boat. I swam with the Stingrays Tues and Thurs morning this week and we did sets of 5oo and 400. Thursdays session was really hard and I struggled to keep up and I think I found it really hard to be in the pool again. I just can't seem to go any faster although I know that is not my focus or who I am. I managed 400 in 7 mins 3 secs which is OK I think.
So after a few phone calls I found myself planning the big swim on Saturday. After talking about it for so long it seemed like a sudden and unexpected thing to happen. I felt extremely tired after Thursdays swim and a busy at work. I wondered if a big swim was wise....
I did not contact the Coast Guard as all I could find was the emergency number. I was also concerned that Luce Bay is labelled a bombing range so I tried to find the number for West Freugh. Couldn't find the number but did find out about the West Freugh Incident which happened in 1957! This involved a mysterious sighting of UFO's. Look it up it makes fascinating reading. I added to my Risk Assessment..'Risk of Alien Abduction' Action..'Make sure you sell your story!'
Anyway, we had a boat and Harry was all set with the Kayak and Ian was up for it, so it was all systems go!
When we got to Stairhaven, the wind was up more than we had expected. It was overcast but visibility was improving. There was tension in the air as some loyal spectators gathered on the beach and Harry was very keen to get going. Thanks to El, Elizabeth Carrie and her dogs, and Marlene for seeing us off. Bobbi and crew were a little late, so the tension increased. Finally all greased up and suitably nervous, Ian and I waded in. As we set off the cold gripped our bodies. It was rough almost immediately and the water was peaty and quite brackish. Soon Bobbi caught up with us and I realised I was swimming further than I ever had and with 5 men. Nadav and Harry in the Kayak and Bobbi and Robert in the boat. Ian set the pace and I knew I had to preserve energy rather than try and keep up.
It was rough rough rough! and there were many debates about the route we would take. Should we go to the left of the platform or to the right? We ended up going to the right and then swimming past some amazing ruins of some chimneys which are something to do with the war. I'll find out more about them. The sun came out quite a lot which saved our bacon and boosted our morale.Ian is a gent and waited for me but I was worried about that as I knew the cold would get him. I loved it when I saw Ian supping tea on the boat. I stopped one time and everyone asked me what was wrong. I told them I was having a wee and that they were not to look! (Bobbi rang me today and told me never to wee in front of him again as he was embarrassed) We plodded on mapping our progress with the platform and the chimneys. I had few songs in my head this time as I had to keep my wits about me.
We swam along the shore for a while and I could see people looking...they must have wondered. So, with Ian ahead I struggled onto the beach about 5hrs and 20 mins after we started. There is some dispute but we reckon it was about 10 1/2 miles! I knew we were going to make it and I feel it is an amazing acheivement. Thanks so much to Harry and Nadav who had a really rough ride battling those waves side on. I was worried when I saw a big breaker hit them side on! Also Bobbi and Robert who were great. Ian is a very modest man and a superb swimmer and I enjoyed his company. Thanks as ever to EB and the support crew on the beach. Terry and Elizabeth, and Scott and Margaret.
Oh by the way someone asked me the other day if we had any more eggs since our first excitement....er yup! Some people take them and give us a small donation for the swim so our clucky girls are contributing bless em
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Loch Ryan
Sunday 14th September
We had a wonderful break in Cornwall where very little swimming took place due somewhat to oppressive life guarding techniques, but also because I enjoyed walking and jogging on the cliff paths for a change.
It has been difficult to get going after the holiday, especially as work has been tricky on my return. My pal who lost his foot is doing really well and will be back at work next week which is a testimony to his courage and attitude. Unfortunately there are other problems now which means a few extra responsibilities which is stimulating but busy. So I struggled back to the pool last week and found sessions with the Stingrays very difficult.
However I worked through my usual doubts and connected with Harry again. He is away for a few days and encouraged me to try Loch Ryan in his absence. After some tooing and froing I contacted my buddy Scott who has a boat at Loch Ryan and after looking at conditions and tides we decided to swim from the Stranraer Marina to the boat slip at Kirkcolm. I wasn't sure at all as I had felt so unfit in the pool.
Ian decided to swim a short way with me, so we set off at 8.15am. We had the lovely Dawn on board who volunteered to be the lifeguard for the day, so our Risk Assessment was complete
I managed just under 4 miles in just over 2 hours. Scott was awesome and I trusted him implicitly. I loved the swim and I felt really strong. In fact, I have just spoken to Scott and I think we should have swum back again. I think I am up to it and we'll see if we can fit that in. The temperature was fine and I did not feel at all shivery. I wore my aqua skin because of the treat of jelly fish and guess what....yup, they sting through it. I only have one small sting though so I think it protects me a bit.
I'm thinking of my channel swimmer pals who I have been visiting on blogs, and it has been the worst season for 28 years. Maggie was defeated by appalling conditions and some never even got to start! Also the Windermere BLDSA event was aborted after only 20 minutes or so for the first time ever. I was hoping Maggie was going to join me yesterday but she couldn't make it. We will swim together in the next couple of weeks. The channel is awesome but we are surrounded by the most wonderful Scottish and Irish seas and yesterday I was reminded about how awesome it is to be out there in the beautiful ocean. There are adventures to be had! It was also the Great North Swim yesterday and it sounds like a magnificant event. Our great nephew Ryan Bishop swam it, and came first in his age group and 15th overall. He is only 15! Watch this one, he's good! Also Maggie told me that a woman from Dundee swam the Irish channel on Friday. Lookout guys, it's all happening.
Plans now are to have a meeting for fundraising soon, and at least two more sea swims if we can before we are defeated by cold.......
We had a wonderful break in Cornwall where very little swimming took place due somewhat to oppressive life guarding techniques, but also because I enjoyed walking and jogging on the cliff paths for a change.
It has been difficult to get going after the holiday, especially as work has been tricky on my return. My pal who lost his foot is doing really well and will be back at work next week which is a testimony to his courage and attitude. Unfortunately there are other problems now which means a few extra responsibilities which is stimulating but busy. So I struggled back to the pool last week and found sessions with the Stingrays very difficult.
However I worked through my usual doubts and connected with Harry again. He is away for a few days and encouraged me to try Loch Ryan in his absence. After some tooing and froing I contacted my buddy Scott who has a boat at Loch Ryan and after looking at conditions and tides we decided to swim from the Stranraer Marina to the boat slip at Kirkcolm. I wasn't sure at all as I had felt so unfit in the pool.
Ian decided to swim a short way with me, so we set off at 8.15am. We had the lovely Dawn on board who volunteered to be the lifeguard for the day, so our Risk Assessment was complete
I managed just under 4 miles in just over 2 hours. Scott was awesome and I trusted him implicitly. I loved the swim and I felt really strong. In fact, I have just spoken to Scott and I think we should have swum back again. I think I am up to it and we'll see if we can fit that in. The temperature was fine and I did not feel at all shivery. I wore my aqua skin because of the treat of jelly fish and guess what....yup, they sting through it. I only have one small sting though so I think it protects me a bit.
I'm thinking of my channel swimmer pals who I have been visiting on blogs, and it has been the worst season for 28 years. Maggie was defeated by appalling conditions and some never even got to start! Also the Windermere BLDSA event was aborted after only 20 minutes or so for the first time ever. I was hoping Maggie was going to join me yesterday but she couldn't make it. We will swim together in the next couple of weeks. The channel is awesome but we are surrounded by the most wonderful Scottish and Irish seas and yesterday I was reminded about how awesome it is to be out there in the beautiful ocean. There are adventures to be had! It was also the Great North Swim yesterday and it sounds like a magnificant event. Our great nephew Ryan Bishop swam it, and came first in his age group and 15th overall. He is only 15! Watch this one, he's good! Also Maggie told me that a woman from Dundee swam the Irish channel on Friday. Lookout guys, it's all happening.
Plans now are to have a meeting for fundraising soon, and at least two more sea swims if we can before we are defeated by cold.......
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Sorry friends I have been locked out of my blog for complicated reasons so here is what I have been up to. Photos will be added when I get back from a short break in Cornwall. I have lots of exciting plans to share with you soon..........
June 23rd 2008
Following my victory with the YeAbbas in Dundee I felt quite inspired and at first I got straight back into the pool. However life at home was very busy with weddings and community events so things went a bit hay wire after that........ It was easy to think that the swim had been a bit of a fluke and I started thinking to myself that it was tidal assisted so very difficult to measure my time and my ability in the water. Harry and I found it difficult to find time to get to the ocean, but one Friday when the weather was perfect I was able to escape and we had the moat wonderful swim at Sandhead heading towards Stairhaven for about an hour and a half. Harry H also managed to get there and it was funny seeing the boys having such a great time in the kayak while I puffed and spluttered along beside them. Thanks to Yonni and Marnie and Pauline and her Mum who came to cheer me on but soon got bored as I disappeared into the distance. When I landed....nobody in sight as they had retired to the pub. Oh well the thought was there.
Work was also busy as a dear colleague became seriously ill quite suddenly and had his foot amputated mid calf. Pressure and worry for my pal caused things to be challenging. I certainly haven’t been bored and I like challenge, and also the extra hours meant that at times I could escape for a quick dip!
July 7th 2008
We managed to get to Port Logan one Wednesday after work, and when I left Stranraer the weather was sunny and still. By the time I got to Port Logan, Ian was in the water and Harry and his grandson Nadav were in the Kayak. By the time I changed, the wind was howling and the rain had started. It was cold as I waded into the water to catch up with them. Ian had been in the water for at least half an hour and was feeling the cold. We set off towards to fish larder building across the bay and I saw a couple of jelly fish. After one round I had been in about 40 minutes and Ian got out. Harry also said he was cold but that Nadav was willing to do another circuit with me. As I swam round waiting for Nadav, I felt a slight sting on my arm. In preparation for Coniston Seniors I was only wearing my swim suit and hat and goggles. I seemed to be coping with the extreme cold, but the sting made me feel that we should give up for the day.
Three days later the stings came out fully and my left arm was stung badly. I also had been stung on my feet. I met with Harry and we discussed the jelly fish and realised that this is a major hazard. A fisherman I know said that the Jelly fish were really bad at this time of year. Harry and I began to discuss the possibility that I may do the swim in June 09 which is 3 months earlier than planned. This means I will have to get in the ocean in April to become acclimatised.
Harry and I went to Sandhead a few days later and I was taking no chances. I wore my aqua skin and tarbies on my feet. I must have swum through 60 jelly fish that day. They got my wrists but I coped and we had a long swim.
Sunday July 20th
The swim at Coniston Lake on July 19th had taken a lot of planning. Our friends Claire and Jacqui were coming up from Berkshire on their way to stay with us for a week. Also Ruth had come from Sheffield for the weekend. EB and I had booked into the Black Bull which was famous for its beer which with hindsight may not have been wise....
We arrived on Friday night and Saturday was spent walking around Coniston and checking out the lake. We spoke to the guy who was in charge of boats and he seemed a bit stressed by the whole thing. He confidently told us that the boat called ‘Pat’ was the easiest rowing boat to manoeuvre. He seemed to think that all the rowing boats were being towed to the start which was the other end of the lake in a private water park. It all seemed a bit confusing to us, and we also had fallen out of touch with our boatman Jim. We realised that Jim was probably not coming and so EB and Jacqui were the boat crew whether they liked it or not! It was great to see Ruth who said she was there to spread her wide knowledge of swimming technique having been practicing the Alexander technique on her living room floor....thanks mate, I couldn’t have done it without you.
Saturday morning brought a moment of magic as I forced down a heart attack breakfast while feeling the stirrings of serious nerves. I remembered a little ditty from Jonah -Man Jazz (Michael Hurd 1966) about a boatman. It starts ....’I need a boat man, that’ll carry me away, and how I hope, man she’s sailing today’ Ruth put in some impressive harmony, and Claire contributed percussion with her famous squishy hand technique. We thought it was magic, but the breakfast room seemed to empty quite quickly.
We gathered at the Bluebird Cafe and there were over 40 swimmers. The atmosphere was quite tense and I saw some very nervous looking people, especially EB and Jacqui. We gathered at 9.30am for all the briefing information and they emphasised that the water was cold today. Probably temperatures which I am used to but I have never swum these distances so this was going to be very challenging for me, and possibly beyond my reach.
We then drove to the start and stood on a rocky outcrop for what seemed like ages. The first thing we saw was ‘Pat’ being emptied of water as she seemed to have a hole......Finally the 15 minute warning went off and suddenly EB and Jacqui rushed off for a pee!! That minute it was announced that boats should be in the water!
When we set off there was a flurry of activity as everyone sorted themselves out. The water felt ok to me and eventually EB and Jacqui caught up with me. They were smiling broadly to the point where I thought they must be having a ball! The reality was that they couldn’t steer the boat at all due to a faulty oar, and she was seriously leaking. I thought I was winning as their faces and thumbs up were so enthusiastic.
The reality of the swim was very challenging and probably the most difficult things I have ever done. The water seemed heavy and dead compared to the ocean. There was the odd weed and rock, but it was dark and murky all the time. I couldn’t see anyone or anything most of the time, but soon I fixated in a couple of swimmers and I thought if I could keep up with them that would be good. I stopped a couple of times for a drink but this did not go at all well. The bottle didn’t have a good top and I had trouble getting any liquid at all and also I started getting cramp while treading water. It seemed to me that I was gradually over taking a couple of people but I was very unsure of where I was going and what would happen at the end. I wasn’t convinced that I would know when I got there! Sounds silly I know.
I reached the end after just over 3 hours and I had experienced a great deal of pain in my back and my shoulders. I felt very cold and I had been aware of cold about half way. I met a tall man when I landed who I remembered from the start and he was so warm and friendly and said I had swum a good race. This turned out to be Des Griffiths and there is more about him later. I also saw another man who made positive noises and he told me this was his 65th Coniston. I told him it was my first and he said I did well to finish. 6 swimmers did not complete due to the challenging conditions. He said the wind and weather made it a difficult year. Claire was there looking worried with my biggest fan, Dudley the border terrier and of course Ruth who greeted me with a very welcome flask of hot tea.
I was very concerned to see a man called John who I had bonded with at the beginning being taken into an ambulance. It turned out that he had completed the race but had suffered terribly from the cold and collapsed at the end. He recovered well and we had some contact afterwards which reassured me that he had made a full recovery.
I came in 26th and if you follow the link to the BLDSA website you can see the results on the swim reports link. This race was the Coniston Seniors
We went home almost immediately as we had a long drive and my core temperature rose hugely once we ate a curry on the way. It tasted great.
June 23rd 2008
Following my victory with the YeAbbas in Dundee I felt quite inspired and at first I got straight back into the pool. However life at home was very busy with weddings and community events so things went a bit hay wire after that........ It was easy to think that the swim had been a bit of a fluke and I started thinking to myself that it was tidal assisted so very difficult to measure my time and my ability in the water. Harry and I found it difficult to find time to get to the ocean, but one Friday when the weather was perfect I was able to escape and we had the moat wonderful swim at Sandhead heading towards Stairhaven for about an hour and a half. Harry H also managed to get there and it was funny seeing the boys having such a great time in the kayak while I puffed and spluttered along beside them. Thanks to Yonni and Marnie and Pauline and her Mum who came to cheer me on but soon got bored as I disappeared into the distance. When I landed....nobody in sight as they had retired to the pub. Oh well the thought was there.
Work was also busy as a dear colleague became seriously ill quite suddenly and had his foot amputated mid calf. Pressure and worry for my pal caused things to be challenging. I certainly haven’t been bored and I like challenge, and also the extra hours meant that at times I could escape for a quick dip!
July 7th 2008
We managed to get to Port Logan one Wednesday after work, and when I left Stranraer the weather was sunny and still. By the time I got to Port Logan, Ian was in the water and Harry and his grandson Nadav were in the Kayak. By the time I changed, the wind was howling and the rain had started. It was cold as I waded into the water to catch up with them. Ian had been in the water for at least half an hour and was feeling the cold. We set off towards to fish larder building across the bay and I saw a couple of jelly fish. After one round I had been in about 40 minutes and Ian got out. Harry also said he was cold but that Nadav was willing to do another circuit with me. As I swam round waiting for Nadav, I felt a slight sting on my arm. In preparation for Coniston Seniors I was only wearing my swim suit and hat and goggles. I seemed to be coping with the extreme cold, but the sting made me feel that we should give up for the day.
Three days later the stings came out fully and my left arm was stung badly. I also had been stung on my feet. I met with Harry and we discussed the jelly fish and realised that this is a major hazard. A fisherman I know said that the Jelly fish were really bad at this time of year. Harry and I began to discuss the possibility that I may do the swim in June 09 which is 3 months earlier than planned. This means I will have to get in the ocean in April to become acclimatised.
Harry and I went to Sandhead a few days later and I was taking no chances. I wore my aqua skin and tarbies on my feet. I must have swum through 60 jelly fish that day. They got my wrists but I coped and we had a long swim.
Sunday July 20thThe swim at Coniston Lake on July 19th had taken a lot of planning. Our friends Claire and Jacqui were coming up from Berkshire on their way to stay with us for a week. Also Ruth had come from Sheffield for the weekend. EB and I had booked into the Black Bull which was famous for its beer which with hindsight may not have been wise....
We arrived on Friday night and Saturday was spent walking around Coniston and checking out the lake. We spoke to the guy who was in charge of boats and he seemed a bit stressed by the whole thing. He confidently told us that the boat called ‘Pat’ was the easiest rowing boat to manoeuvre. He seemed to think that all the rowing boats were being towed to the start which was the other end of the lake in a private water park. It all seemed a bit confusing to us, and we also had fallen out of touch with our boatman Jim. We realised that Jim was probably not coming and so EB and Jacqui were the boat crew whether they liked it or not! It was great to see Ruth who said she was there to spread her wide knowledge of swimming technique having been practicing the Alexander technique on her living room floor....thanks mate, I couldn’t have done it without you.
Saturday morning brought a moment of magic as I forced down a heart attack breakfast while feeling the stirrings of serious nerves. I remembered a little ditty from Jonah -Man Jazz (Michael Hurd 1966) about a boatman. It starts ....’I need a boat man, that’ll carry me away, and how I hope, man she’s sailing today’ Ruth put in some impressive harmony, and Claire contributed percussion with her famous squishy hand technique. We thought it was magic, but the breakfast room seemed to empty quite quickly.
We gathered at the Bluebird Cafe and there were over 40 swimmers. The atmosphere was quite tense and I saw some very nervous looking people, especially EB and Jacqui. We gathered at 9.30am for all the briefing information and they emphasised that the water was cold today. Probably temperatures which I am used to but I have never swum these distances so this was going to be very challenging for me, and possibly beyond my reach.
We then drove to the start and stood on a rocky outcrop for what seemed like ages. The first thing we saw was ‘Pat’ being emptied of water as she seemed to have a hole......Finally the 15 minute warning went off and suddenly EB and Jacqui rushed off for a pee!! That minute it was announced that boats should be in the water!
When we set off there was a flurry of activity as everyone sorted themselves out. The water felt ok to me and eventually EB and Jacqui caught up with me. They were smiling broadly to the point where I thought they must be having a ball! The reality was that they couldn’t steer the boat at all due to a faulty oar, and she was seriously leaking. I thought I was winning as their faces and thumbs up were so enthusiastic.
The reality of the swim was very challenging and probably the most difficult things I have ever done. The water seemed heavy and dead compared to the ocean. There was the odd weed and rock, but it was dark and murky all the time. I couldn’t see anyone or anything most of the time, but soon I fixated in a couple of swimmers and I thought if I could keep up with them that would be good. I stopped a couple of times for a drink but this did not go at all well. The bottle didn’t have a good top and I had trouble getting any liquid at all and also I started getting cramp while treading water. It seemed to me that I was gradually over taking a couple of people but I was very unsure of where I was going and what would happen at the end. I wasn’t convinced that I would know when I got there! Sounds silly I know.I reached the end after just over 3 hours and I had experienced a great deal of pain in my back and my shoulders. I felt very cold and I had been aware of cold about half way. I met a tall man when I landed who I remembered from the start and he was so warm and friendly and said I had swum a good race. This turned out to be Des Griffiths and there is more about him later. I also saw another man who made positive noises and he told me this was his 65th Coniston. I told him it was my first and he said I did well to finish. 6 swimmers did not complete due to the challenging conditions. He said the wind and weather made it a difficult year. Claire was there looking worried with my biggest fan, Dudley the border terrier and of course Ruth who greeted me with a very welcome flask of hot tea.
I was very concerned to see a man called John who I had bonded with at the beginning being taken into an ambulance. It turned out that he had completed the race but had suffered terribly from the cold and collapsed at the end. He recovered well and we had some contact afterwards which reassured me that he had made a full recovery.
I came in 26th and if you follow the link to the BLDSA website you can see the results on the swim reports link. This race was the Coniston Seniors
We went home almost immediately as we had a long drive and my core temperature rose hugely once we ate a curry on the way. It tasted great.
Sunday August 4th
Funnily enough I felt very unsure of my capabilities following the Coniston Seniors race. I didn’t think I had done very well and I felt tired and that I had been pushed to my limit. It seemed like quite a costly and gruelling effort for all concerned and there was doubt in the camp as to the wisdom of repeating the exercise. I was due to swim in the Coniston Senior event on Aug 3rd and I had very mixed feelings about entering.
However on Wed 23rd July I had a day off and Jacqui and I decided to take her Kayak out with Harry. It was beautiful weather and we headed off to Sandhead. I was definitely taking no chances and Jacqui and Claire had bought me some superb swimming gloves. So this time I had my aqua suit, ankle boots and gloves so the little blighters had no chance of getting me this time. Ironically I only saw 4 jelly fish this time!!
Harry and Nadav were in his Kayak and Jacqui in hers and Harry said we would swim out towards a yellow satellite buoy. It was the most beautiful occasion and a huge seal came to join us. It took about an hour and a half to get to the buoy which is huge.
On the way back the tide turned and it became challenging to get back in. I was beginning to feel the effects of the cold and I was feeling tired. The beach just did not seem to getting any closer and suddenly my vision was totally obscured by what I took to be a large jelly fish. I yelled and tensed which caused my left leg to go into major cramp. Jacqui said that one moment she was enjoying the peace of being out in the ocean and listening to the soporific sploosh sploosh of the oars and my arms, when suddenly all hell broke loose! I was yelling ‘DO SOMETHING HARRY!!’ as I had never experienced pain like it. I hung on to the front of the kayak as Harry and Nadav paddled me ashore as quickly as possible. It took longer than I expected and I had a severe attack of the shivers. Probably my first real crisis and lessons learnt. Thanks to Marlene for persuading the local shop to open up so I could have emergency mars bars!
Aug 3rd
So, I entered the veterans Coniston on Aug 3rd and met up with some old friends. Des Griffiths was there with his partner Sharon and they greeted me like long lost friends. I really loved their enthusiasm and passion for swimming. They thought I had done really well at the Senior Coniston race as many gave up and struggled with the conditions.
Jim came up trumps this time and we made a fantastic team. Jim and Nicola welcomed me into their home and I enjoyed meeting their beautiful 3 month old son Jake.
I finished the race 3rd in the womens race and 7th overall out of about 26 swimmers (see website) Jim and I may have been blown slightly off course but we worked really well together and Jim was astonished to witness one of my famous tantrums 20 minutes into the race. ' Jim I'm last' ' No you're not' 'I know I am and I can't do it' With Jims encouragement and bemusement I carried on and thank goodness I did. My demons are really strong at times and I just can't fathom it at all. Harry and Marlene came too and we had a great weekend. Harry tried to emphasised that we were not in it to win it. This was a training swim........ok? But I think I have realised that I may be quite good at this, especially when I realised that I had beaten Sally the winner of the race at the Coniston seniors 2 weeks before....fancy that?!
Funnily enough I felt very unsure of my capabilities following the Coniston Seniors race. I didn’t think I had done very well and I felt tired and that I had been pushed to my limit. It seemed like quite a costly and gruelling effort for all concerned and there was doubt in the camp as to the wisdom of repeating the exercise. I was due to swim in the Coniston Senior event on Aug 3rd and I had very mixed feelings about entering.
However on Wed 23rd July I had a day off and Jacqui and I decided to take her Kayak out with Harry. It was beautiful weather and we headed off to Sandhead. I was definitely taking no chances and Jacqui and Claire had bought me some superb swimming gloves. So this time I had my aqua suit, ankle boots and gloves so the little blighters had no chance of getting me this time. Ironically I only saw 4 jelly fish this time!!
Harry and Nadav were in his Kayak and Jacqui in hers and Harry said we would swim out towards a yellow satellite buoy. It was the most beautiful occasion and a huge seal came to join us. It took about an hour and a half to get to the buoy which is huge.
On the way back the tide turned and it became challenging to get back in. I was beginning to feel the effects of the cold and I was feeling tired. The beach just did not seem to getting any closer and suddenly my vision was totally obscured by what I took to be a large jelly fish. I yelled and tensed which caused my left leg to go into major cramp. Jacqui said that one moment she was enjoying the peace of being out in the ocean and listening to the soporific sploosh sploosh of the oars and my arms, when suddenly all hell broke loose! I was yelling ‘DO SOMETHING HARRY!!’ as I had never experienced pain like it. I hung on to the front of the kayak as Harry and Nadav paddled me ashore as quickly as possible. It took longer than I expected and I had a severe attack of the shivers. Probably my first real crisis and lessons learnt. Thanks to Marlene for persuading the local shop to open up so I could have emergency mars bars!Aug 3rd
So, I entered the veterans Coniston on Aug 3rd and met up with some old friends. Des Griffiths was there with his partner Sharon and they greeted me like long lost friends. I really loved their enthusiasm and passion for swimming. They thought I had done really well at the Senior Coniston race as many gave up and struggled with the conditions.
Jim came up trumps this time and we made a fantastic team. Jim and Nicola welcomed me into their home and I enjoyed meeting their beautiful 3 month old son Jake.
I finished the race 3rd in the womens race and 7th overall out of about 26 swimmers (see website) Jim and I may have been blown slightly off course but we worked really well together and Jim was astonished to witness one of my famous tantrums 20 minutes into the race. ' Jim I'm last' ' No you're not' 'I know I am and I can't do it' With Jims encouragement and bemusement I carried on and thank goodness I did. My demons are really strong at times and I just can't fathom it at all. Harry and Marlene came too and we had a great weekend. Harry tried to emphasised that we were not in it to win it. This was a training swim........ok? But I think I have realised that I may be quite good at this, especially when I realised that I had beaten Sally the winner of the race at the Coniston seniors 2 weeks before....fancy that?!
Sunday, 22 June 2008
JUNE 22nd 2008
June 22nd 2008
Does this look like a river to you? No it doesn't to me either. However, this is the river Tay, and the starting point for the Woodhaven Swim organised by the YAABA swimming club in Dundee, which took place yesterday June 21st. The swim is 4.5 miles across the Tay under the bridge from Broughty Ferry to Woodhaven, and I was one of the 6 intrepid swimmers who had entered.
Does this look like a river to you? No it doesn't to me either. However, this is the river Tay, and the starting point for the Woodhaven Swim organised by the YAABA swimming club in Dundee, which took place yesterday June 21st. The swim is 4.5 miles across the Tay under the bridge from Broughty Ferry to Woodhaven, and I was one of the 6 intrepid swimmers who had entered.I drove from Stranraer and gave myself a ridiculously early start and stopped regularly for nervous loo visits and refreshments.
Once I got to Dundee I realised that I had no idea where the YAABA clubhouse was situated. So I walked into the lifeboat station and asked them. Once I found the right place I met Joyce who is the convener although her title is officially chief ancient.
The swimmers were friendly and delightfully mad, and I got a sense that everyone was out to have a good time and test their abilities. Once we got changed and stood on the dock the sun had gone and the wind was getting stronger, there was talk of strong currents, jelly fish and that this was a very challenging race. I wondered with growing anxiety if this was why there were only 6 of us. At this point I can only describe my feelings as utter terror. I was convinced that if the cold didn't defeat me, the distance would, and I couldn't imagine finishing in one piece. We were frozen as we descended the steep metal ladder in to the water. No place for wimps, we just had to throw ourselves in. I was pleasantly surprised that the water was considerably warmer than the Irish sea. I had managed a 30 minute swim at Lady Bay on Wednesday night with my lovely family watching from the beach in the pouring rain. It was breathtakingly freezing and I'm sure that had helped me to acclimatise.
The swimmers were friendly and delightfully mad, and I got a sense that everyone was out to have a good time and test their abilities. Once we got changed and stood on the dock the sun had gone and the wind was getting stronger, there was talk of strong currents, jelly fish and that this was a very challenging race. I wondered with growing anxiety if this was why there were only 6 of us. At this point I can only describe my feelings as utter terror. I was convinced that if the cold didn't defeat me, the distance would, and I couldn't imagine finishing in one piece. We were frozen as we descended the steep metal ladder in to the water. No place for wimps, we just had to throw ourselves in. I was pleasantly surprised that the water was considerably warmer than the Irish sea. I had managed a 30 minute swim at Lady Bay on Wednesday night with my lovely family watching from the beach in the pouring rain. It was breathtakingly freezing and I'm sure that had helped me to acclimatise.
Boosted by the temperature, I started swimming with my boat crew right beside me. I was impressed with the YAABA outfit who take safety seriously, and I felt completely at ease so I could concentrate totally on the swim. I got into my stride almost straight away.
Swimming under the Tay bridge was one of the highlights of my life. It was so beautiful and I wanted to stop. Alan the boatman and Graham the lifesaver were shouting at me to keep going as I was ahead of the others. I had overtaken one swimmer but I had no sense of where I was or where I was going. I allowed myself to believe I that I may be doing quite well. The final 1/2 mile was the most challenging and I could feel my pace dropping. There was a strong current pulling us, and I could see the young channel swimmer just ahead of me. I reached the end and I had come in third, 4 minutes behind the leader. However the swimmer just ahead of me had not registered, so I was officially 2nd. At the end
I was a little rubber legged and I staggered up to the clubhouse feeling dazed. Alan and Graham told me they thought I had achieved a remarkable swim and that I had picked up quite a pace at one point.
Swimming under the Tay bridge was one of the highlights of my life. It was so beautiful and I wanted to stop. Alan the boatman and Graham the lifesaver were shouting at me to keep going as I was ahead of the others. I had overtaken one swimmer but I had no sense of where I was or where I was going. I allowed myself to believe I that I may be doing quite well. The final 1/2 mile was the most challenging and I could feel my pace dropping. There was a strong current pulling us, and I could see the young channel swimmer just ahead of me. I reached the end and I had come in third, 4 minutes behind the leader. However the swimmer just ahead of me had not registered, so I was officially 2nd. At the endI was a little rubber legged and I staggered up to the clubhouse feeling dazed. Alan and Graham told me they thought I had achieved a remarkable swim and that I had picked up quite a pace at one point.
So, second place in a time of 1hr 20 mins and 57 seconds, not bad for my first experience of cold water long distance swimming, and I think to be so close to two very experienced channel swimmers is great. I have reached 48 and 3/4 and I have won my first ever medal!! Actually I think I got one in 1974 for diving in the Middlesex springboard championships. Quite a long wait really!
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Ailsa Craig and some nerves
Hello Friends
I have had a busy week and I have managed some long swims in the pool. Unfortunately for various complicated reasons I have not made it to the sea this week. I am nervous because I am swimming in a race next week and it is the longest swim I have ever done in cold water. I am also driving up to Dundee on my own and I am worried about the long drive in top of a strenuous swim. I am not worried about my fitness but my enemy will be the cold. I am gaining inspiration from reading the journeys of the channel swimmers Mark and Maggie who have battled so hard to swim the channel in August. Harry has also had some words of wisdom for me and has told me that I must remember this is a training swim for me, not a race and I need to make sure I enjoy it.
Today I went to see Ailsa Craig and I felt very small. Just looking at her was awesome but overall I just can't wait and I am determined to complete my challenge.
Sunday, 8 June 2008
June 8th 2008
Hello Friends
And finally, EB and I would like to announce the arrival of our first egg. We got 12 chickens on Wednesday and on Saturday 7th June at 3pm our first egg arrived. We are very excited and I know, I know....we need to get out more
As suspected I have a difficult month but seem to be settling now. We were away with family for 10 days and had an amazing time. We saw my auntie off with style in the form of a big party which was a celebration of her life.
Finally I got back in the water last Sunday with my friend Ian who is training for a triathlon.
It was a stunning beautiful morning at Sandhead as you can see, and Harry accompanied us on his canoe. Ian had to go in after about 40 minutes to honour other commitments, but I was pleased to be able to carry on and did an hour and a half with no shivering at all. I loved it so much and felt strong. Having said that I had a small tantrum minutes into the swim as I am slow and I was worried I was holding Ian up. I'm not used to swimming with people and I always feel inadequate....well actually I said I felt like a fat middle aged twat who was setting her sights too far. They soon put me right, and Harry said I may be a fat middle aged twat but I was perfectly capable of swimming the task in hand. I also had equipment problems and Ian ended up lending me his goggles bless him, so I managed. I think its a mixture of everything..........
However, I learned an important lesson that day. I knew I had a cold starting and I ignored it. By Sunday night I had a temperature and a heavy raging head cold. This turned into time off work and no swimming although I managed to row. A salutory lesson, as I still have a cough and therefore we had to cancel what was to be an amazing swim today. I will be back in the pool, but I feel quite down about everything and full of doubt. The lesson is that I should not have swum in the ocean last Sunday. Part of me sill thinks its best to swim through these things, and I would have become unwell anyway, but Harry said I am risk of damaging my health in the long term if I am not careful, and Harry should know.
On a cheery note though, we raised something in the range of £600 at the Elvis tribute night. It was great fun, and thanks to Suzanne for stepping in to save the day to organise it all. The committee are gradually re forming and there are plans afoot, so watch this space.
Many thanks to all involved including Bar 12 and Elvis of course
Suzanne in the pink wig, and myself (also in a wig!) getting into the spirit
And finally, EB and I would like to announce the arrival of our first egg. We got 12 chickens on Wednesday and on Saturday 7th June at 3pm our first egg arrived. We are very excited and I know, I know....we need to get out more
Sunday, 11 May 2008
May 11th 2008
Its been a terrible week. We are reeling from the news that my Auntie Val was killed in a car crash last Tuesday. It is even more unbelievable as her husband died a year ago from injuries he received when he was hit by a car. We will be heading to England soon for the funeral which is involving many complicated plans and a great deal of travelling. I come from a large and close family and we are all keeping in touch and trying to count our blessings.
On Wednesday I bravely (actually not at all bravely) underwent a necessary but traumatic procedure in day surgery which has taken me longer to recover from than I had thought it would.
Harry and I had managed a productive session in the pool on Monday night and I am pleased to report that I was back in the water yesterday for a long gentle swim which felt fantastic.
So friends, onward and upward, and an uncertain couple of weeks lie ahead.
On Wednesday I bravely (actually not at all bravely) underwent a necessary but traumatic procedure in day surgery which has taken me longer to recover from than I had thought it would.
Harry and I had managed a productive session in the pool on Monday night and I am pleased to report that I was back in the water yesterday for a long gentle swim which felt fantastic.
So friends, onward and upward, and an uncertain couple of weeks lie ahead.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
May 6th Shrinking and Growing
Harry and I at Sandhead Sept 2007
At last I have interesting things to report. I had my first dip in the ocean on Sunday which was the worst weather of the whole weekend. Harry and Iwere determined to brave the elements and feel the reality of the cold that I am up against and which I have to get used to. My brave buddies across the country got in weeks ago but I know they have to as they are competing this month in the champions of champions in Ireland. I think that is right and I'm sure they'll correct me if I'm wrong. I also swam with the stingrays last night and Harry put me through my paces. He told me the reality of the training schedule this summer and I need to get into the cold water twice a week. I am hoping to buddy up with a couple of local
swimmers and we will be swimming from Stairhaven to
Sandhead sometime in August. Swimming friends are welcome to join me on these training swim and events.
At last I have interesting things to report. I had my first dip in the ocean on Sunday which was the worst weather of the whole weekend. Harry and Iwere determined to brave the elements and feel the reality of the cold that I am up against and which I have to get used to. My brave buddies across the country got in weeks ago but I know they have to as they are competing this month in the champions of champions in Ireland. I think that is right and I'm sure they'll correct me if I'm wrong. I also swam with the stingrays last night and Harry put me through my paces. He told me the reality of the training schedule this summer and I need to get into the cold water twice a week. I am hoping to buddy up with a couple of local
swimmers and we will be swimming from Stairhaven to
Sandhead sometime in August. Swimming friends are welcome to join me on these training swim and events.
I have also joined the British Long Distance Swimming Association and I am entering some of their events this summer. I will post dates and times for all events and swims on this blog in due course.
Things feel really different and the pressure is mounting, and as you can see there have been a couple of changes since last year.
Now spot the difference!
A little rougher (the sea I mean!), a little leaner, a little colder!
I feel I am growing as a swimmer and becoming fitter and shrinking in size at the same time
Harry and I at Sandhead May 6th 2008
Wondering whether to get in ! May 6th 2008
Oh alright then!! Sunday, 27 April 2008
April 27th 2008
Hello Everyone
Once again time has lapsed and I have much news for all you swim nerds out there. Thanks to Harry, the ever supportive Mark and Gary for their comments and encouragement. As you can see I am slowly updating the site and soon some pictures will be added. Please visit the Diary of Events link which will be regularly updated as we are steadily raising money with various local events.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our local Landlord and lady Ian and Ruth for their support. They have arranged for Prize Bingo to happen at the Blue Peter Pub Kirkcolm every other Sunday to help with our fundraising efforts. This starts next Sunday May 4th at 5.30pm. We'll see how it goes. The amazing Eleanor will be the fabulous caller having had almost professional coaching from the lovely Cathey! Thanks for the loan of the bingo machine Cathey. I would rather put pins in my eyes than play Bingo but don't tell anyone.....
Which brings us on to other events. As you can see we have a regular slot at the millennium centre car boot sale in Stranraer on the last Sunday of every month. Ann and Mark are coordinating the 'staffing' of this and thanks to them.
Yes yes as you can see, Elvis has agreed to come back from the dead and play for us at Bar 12th on May 16th. We are really excited and the publicity is everywhere....at last
This brings me onto the news of our intrepid committee who have struggled recently. We lost our Karen who has selfishly moved back South, but is in touch all the time thank goodness. Then our new coordinator Pauline had an unexpected (and selfish) stay of nearly two weeks in hospital. She is out now and recovering slowly. GET WELL SOON PAULINE!!! Liz has a new job and is moving to the other side of the region. She will be helping the group over there organise their Sink or Swim Event, so she's not off the hook. So we were worried about how to organise details of the Elvis night and so on until the lovely and talented Suzanne stepped into the breach and showered Stranraer with posters. I'll get her picture soon don't you worry.
What swimming? Oh the swimming, yes I see that is what this is all about.....yes I've been doing some of that. Harry had been away for 6 weeks (selfishly)and is now back. I missed him and it is good to have his wise advice again. I have been swimming with the Stingrays all winter and there is no doubt that this has done me good. But now I am concentrating on sets of 500 meters with a minute rest in between. On Thurs night I easily did 3000 meters, and I feel ready to get in the sea. Yesterday Harry and I were the mystery guests at the Stingrays Club Gala and we ended up swimming through hoops and picking up bricks in an obstacle race. It was great fun, but there was a huge audience and I got very nervous. I just don't like competitive races and being watched. Interesting choice of sport then eh? Unfortunately we were supposed to swim at Sandhead beach today for our first ocean dip, but my health let me down at the last minute. Very disappointing. Next week we will be there and there will be pix to prove it. Talking of health...get well soon Maggie.
Thanks too to John who has been helping to educate me now I am chief website editor...a very patient man!
Once again time has lapsed and I have much news for all you swim nerds out there. Thanks to Harry, the ever supportive Mark and Gary for their comments and encouragement. As you can see I am slowly updating the site and soon some pictures will be added. Please visit the Diary of Events link which will be regularly updated as we are steadily raising money with various local events.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our local Landlord and lady Ian and Ruth for their support. They have arranged for Prize Bingo to happen at the Blue Peter Pub Kirkcolm every other Sunday to help with our fundraising efforts. This starts next Sunday May 4th at 5.30pm. We'll see how it goes. The amazing Eleanor will be the fabulous caller having had almost professional coaching from the lovely Cathey! Thanks for the loan of the bingo machine Cathey. I would rather put pins in my eyes than play Bingo but don't tell anyone.....
Which brings us on to other events. As you can see we have a regular slot at the millennium centre car boot sale in Stranraer on the last Sunday of every month. Ann and Mark are coordinating the 'staffing' of this and thanks to them.
Yes yes as you can see, Elvis has agreed to come back from the dead and play for us at Bar 12th on May 16th. We are really excited and the publicity is everywhere....at last
This brings me onto the news of our intrepid committee who have struggled recently. We lost our Karen who has selfishly moved back South, but is in touch all the time thank goodness. Then our new coordinator Pauline had an unexpected (and selfish) stay of nearly two weeks in hospital. She is out now and recovering slowly. GET WELL SOON PAULINE!!! Liz has a new job and is moving to the other side of the region. She will be helping the group over there organise their Sink or Swim Event, so she's not off the hook. So we were worried about how to organise details of the Elvis night and so on until the lovely and talented Suzanne stepped into the breach and showered Stranraer with posters. I'll get her picture soon don't you worry.
What swimming? Oh the swimming, yes I see that is what this is all about.....yes I've been doing some of that. Harry had been away for 6 weeks (selfishly)and is now back. I missed him and it is good to have his wise advice again. I have been swimming with the Stingrays all winter and there is no doubt that this has done me good. But now I am concentrating on sets of 500 meters with a minute rest in between. On Thurs night I easily did 3000 meters, and I feel ready to get in the sea. Yesterday Harry and I were the mystery guests at the Stingrays Club Gala and we ended up swimming through hoops and picking up bricks in an obstacle race. It was great fun, but there was a huge audience and I got very nervous. I just don't like competitive races and being watched. Interesting choice of sport then eh? Unfortunately we were supposed to swim at Sandhead beach today for our first ocean dip, but my health let me down at the last minute. Very disappointing. Next week we will be there and there will be pix to prove it. Talking of health...get well soon Maggie.
Thanks too to John who has been helping to educate me now I am chief website editor...a very patient man!
Sunday, 30 March 2008
March 30th 2008
Hi Everyone
Well I have been silent for nearly a month and I do apologise. Part of this is because sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself. I haven't had much feedback and nobody leaves comments. Either I am boring you to tears or nobody is visiting. IS ANYONE OUT THERE? I do agree that the website is dull and uninteresting and I promise we are about to rectify this.
I have some sad news. Karen O Pray has been our fearless coordinator since we started fundraising last year and sadly she is moving away. The call of the South has stolen her heart and she leaves us as the end of April. Thanks you for all your hard work Karen, you will be greatly missed. Here is an update of our achievements since Karen has been at the helm.
We received a generous donation from all at George St who collected donations instead of buying each other Christmas cards. Thanks to all my colleagues for this.
There have been two very successful handbag and jewellery swaps at Dunbae House.
We now have a regular spot at the car boot sale at the Millennium Centre in Stranraer on the last Sunday of each month. We have been there twice and I'd like to thank Karen and Paula for today....yes and you Pauline I'm coming to you later! and Mark, Ann and Matt for the February slot. There is a rota of people covering the sessions.
We are running a one off quiz night at Bar 12 in Stranraer on Wed night April 2nd. We have some fierce and competitive teams registered to play for an amazing prize......pst anyone know what the prize is?
Bar 12 are also putting on an event which involves Elvis sometime in May so watch this space cos I thought he was dead. Dates to be confirmed.
I was put in touch with a group of musicians from Combined Services in Dumfries who run a charity event every year and they had chosen Alzheimer's this year by chance. They were happy to channel the money through our fund and I attended the event which was a brilliant evening of live bands including a ceilidh. They have raised over £400 for us and I should receive a cheque soon. Thanks to Harry Thompson and Rory for this.
Thanks also to Clare Bannister who passed round a hat at an International Women's day event and gave us a donation of £25.
Meanwhile there is a lively group of Women who got together at the instigation of Val Williams to plan an event later in the year. It sounds like its going to be a hidden talent show called 'Sink or Swim' Just fabulous and thanks to all.
Other pending events include putting a couple of indoor rowing machines on the boat to Ireland, and rowing to Ireland in a relay while rattling buckets....great idea and thanks to Alan McCamon for this idea....we just need a date.
We also now have a logo which I intend to publish on here when I find out how to do it!!! Thanks to Ailsa for organising the logo and the artist who designed it...name to follow..
So, who on earth is going to pull all this together now we are losing the fair Karen? Well, by democratic vote, the lovely Pauline Baxter has agreed to take up this awesome role. Thanks so much Pauline!
So, in between all this I guess I need to be swimming to justify all this attention and effort.
I am managing three sessions a week with the Stingrays and on the whole I row on the other days. I must say my confidence is waning at times and I think I need to get in the ocean as soon as possible. I know I am getting stronger, but no faster which is OK.
I think that is enough for now.....watch this space and please don't give up on me now.
Well I have been silent for nearly a month and I do apologise. Part of this is because sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself. I haven't had much feedback and nobody leaves comments. Either I am boring you to tears or nobody is visiting. IS ANYONE OUT THERE? I do agree that the website is dull and uninteresting and I promise we are about to rectify this.
I have some sad news. Karen O Pray has been our fearless coordinator since we started fundraising last year and sadly she is moving away. The call of the South has stolen her heart and she leaves us as the end of April. Thanks you for all your hard work Karen, you will be greatly missed. Here is an update of our achievements since Karen has been at the helm.
We received a generous donation from all at George St who collected donations instead of buying each other Christmas cards. Thanks to all my colleagues for this.
There have been two very successful handbag and jewellery swaps at Dunbae House.
We now have a regular spot at the car boot sale at the Millennium Centre in Stranraer on the last Sunday of each month. We have been there twice and I'd like to thank Karen and Paula for today....yes and you Pauline I'm coming to you later! and Mark, Ann and Matt for the February slot. There is a rota of people covering the sessions.
We are running a one off quiz night at Bar 12 in Stranraer on Wed night April 2nd. We have some fierce and competitive teams registered to play for an amazing prize......pst anyone know what the prize is?
Bar 12 are also putting on an event which involves Elvis sometime in May so watch this space cos I thought he was dead. Dates to be confirmed.
I was put in touch with a group of musicians from Combined Services in Dumfries who run a charity event every year and they had chosen Alzheimer's this year by chance. They were happy to channel the money through our fund and I attended the event which was a brilliant evening of live bands including a ceilidh. They have raised over £400 for us and I should receive a cheque soon. Thanks to Harry Thompson and Rory for this.
Thanks also to Clare Bannister who passed round a hat at an International Women's day event and gave us a donation of £25.
Meanwhile there is a lively group of Women who got together at the instigation of Val Williams to plan an event later in the year. It sounds like its going to be a hidden talent show called 'Sink or Swim' Just fabulous and thanks to all.
Other pending events include putting a couple of indoor rowing machines on the boat to Ireland, and rowing to Ireland in a relay while rattling buckets....great idea and thanks to Alan McCamon for this idea....we just need a date.
We also now have a logo which I intend to publish on here when I find out how to do it!!! Thanks to Ailsa for organising the logo and the artist who designed it...name to follow..
So, who on earth is going to pull all this together now we are losing the fair Karen? Well, by democratic vote, the lovely Pauline Baxter has agreed to take up this awesome role. Thanks so much Pauline!
So, in between all this I guess I need to be swimming to justify all this attention and effort.
I am managing three sessions a week with the Stingrays and on the whole I row on the other days. I must say my confidence is waning at times and I think I need to get in the ocean as soon as possible. I know I am getting stronger, but no faster which is OK.
I think that is enough for now.....watch this space and please don't give up on me now.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
March 1st 08
As I have already said February was a very busy month which we were prepared for but it has been wild. On reflection the Guernsey trip was very interesting and I can't say I was at home there. I was concerned about the fact that the States of Guernsey do not adhere to UK legislation and I thought they were vulnerable as workers and users of the service. I met some good people there but when events began to unfold in Jersey I felt a chill to say the least. I realise that Guernsey is separate to Jersey but there is a sense of familiarity when I hear about their independence and leaving themselves vulnerable to mistakes and secrets. All we can to is commit ourselves to helping where we can and improving standards for everyone.
I was only back for a week which was chaos at work and then we were away again up to Dryman to celebrate Betty's (gorgeous mother in law) 80th birthday. All inclusive, we felt obliged to drink as much as we could.......
So, training has suffered hugely and I am now struggling back to form. We got back from Dryman on Thursday and I was in the pool every day until Sunday when I rowed. Phew....
I feel I am catching up again but diet and weight loss have been on hold
I won't give up.........no way.
I was only back for a week which was chaos at work and then we were away again up to Dryman to celebrate Betty's (gorgeous mother in law) 80th birthday. All inclusive, we felt obliged to drink as much as we could.......
So, training has suffered hugely and I am now struggling back to form. We got back from Dryman on Thursday and I was in the pool every day until Sunday when I rowed. Phew....
I feel I am catching up again but diet and weight loss have been on hold
I won't give up.........no way.
Saturday, 16 February 2008
February 16th
Guernsey was very very busy and I met some great new friends. It's an interesting place and I learnt a huge amount from the survey itself and the practice I witnessed as well as from the team I worked with. You get close to people quickly when you are working so closely in a team. Talk about bonding!!
This week I have called my 'sandwich' week. This is becasue I was away in Guernsey last week, and next week we are celebrating Bettys 80th birthday in an all inclusive hotel near to Loch Lomond. Are you keeping up?Peachy!
The sandwich week was predictably chaotic and I have been in Dumfries most of the week. For many reasons I have only managed one swim and it was a corker! I have been rowing, but I feel that my diet and fitness have suffered for work. I knew it would and I am trying to stay calm because I know I can get back on track and I have made choices along the way.
I am looking forward to swimming with Harry on Friday evening. Its ages since we have swum together and I hope I don't sink after my party week with Betty and co.........ha!
This week I have called my 'sandwich' week. This is becasue I was away in Guernsey last week, and next week we are celebrating Bettys 80th birthday in an all inclusive hotel near to Loch Lomond. Are you keeping up?Peachy!
The sandwich week was predictably chaotic and I have been in Dumfries most of the week. For many reasons I have only managed one swim and it was a corker! I have been rowing, but I feel that my diet and fitness have suffered for work. I knew it would and I am trying to stay calm because I know I can get back on track and I have made choices along the way.
I am looking forward to swimming with Harry on Friday evening. Its ages since we have swum together and I hope I don't sink after my party week with Betty and co.........ha!
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Feb 3rd
Hi Everyone
We went to see KD Lang on Tuesday night at Glasgow Concert Hall. It was an amazing concert and her voice just gets better and better. She sang all our favorites, and the atmosphere was brilliant. She makes you feel like she is singing to you and creates a rapport with a large audience.
I swam with the Stingrays a couple of times this week and one session was very creative. We swam 25 meters at a time and got out to do various exercises like using weights and doing The Plank which is a difficult strength exercise. I enjoyed it and can feel it in my muscles....... The kids really enjoyed it and it breaks the monotony of endless lengths.
I'm off to Guernsey today for an intense week of work. I've never been there so it'll be interesting. Not sure how the training will go this week so we'll watch this space.
We went to see KD Lang on Tuesday night at Glasgow Concert Hall. It was an amazing concert and her voice just gets better and better. She sang all our favorites, and the atmosphere was brilliant. She makes you feel like she is singing to you and creates a rapport with a large audience.
I swam with the Stingrays a couple of times this week and one session was very creative. We swam 25 meters at a time and got out to do various exercises like using weights and doing The Plank which is a difficult strength exercise. I enjoyed it and can feel it in my muscles....... The kids really enjoyed it and it breaks the monotony of endless lengths.
I'm off to Guernsey today for an intense week of work. I've never been there so it'll be interesting. Not sure how the training will go this week so we'll watch this space.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Jan 26th
I haven't written for a couple of weeks so here is an update. The week beginning Jan 14th was busy from a training perspective and I acheived two significant things. I feel I am beginning to keep up with the young Stingrays although this could be a feeling rather than a reality! However, for the first time I managed to do the hypoxic breathing exercise. This is a series of lengths of the pool (25 meters) with increasing and decreasing breath patterns like this;
All Freestyle
Two lengths breathing every 3 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 5 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 7 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 9 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 7 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 5 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 3 strokes...
Finish
Looks easier than it is believe me.... but I would be interested to see how you get on if you want to give it a go. I had to build it up amd I know the exercise has improved my swimming and my overall fitness.
The second thing I achieved was in the rowing. Harry asked me to do 2000 meters in splits of 500 keeping the average time for 500m at 2 mins 20 secs. Then the last 500 meters to push it to under 2 mins. I managed to do this and got the time to under 2 mins by pushing really hard for a few seconds...... I could hear Harry's voice in my head shouting 'PULL Ros!!!!' Scary now I'm hearing voices.
This last week has been challenging as work has been in the way. I haven't been in the pool since Friday night (18th) and I have been to Edinburgh since Tuesday night at a huge conference run by an organisation called PEPE. (Practical Experiences in Professional Education) The conference was fabulous and will definately influence the way I work so I am excited about that. There were people there who had written Social Work books that I have had on my shelf for years, and I found out they are just people after all........
I did really well with my diet in spite of being surrounded by temptation and I made up for lack of exercise on Thurs night when they laid on a big dinner dance and I danced for 3 hours....feeling fit and well, I saw off people half my age. It was strange doing the dozey-doh with some of the authors I have admired for years. That's what its all about.
Since I got home I have been on the Rowing machine and it feels great. Must go.......
All Freestyle
Two lengths breathing every 3 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 5 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 7 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 9 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 7 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 5 strokes
One length breathing every 3 strokes and one length breathing every 3 strokes...
Finish
Looks easier than it is believe me.... but I would be interested to see how you get on if you want to give it a go. I had to build it up amd I know the exercise has improved my swimming and my overall fitness.
The second thing I achieved was in the rowing. Harry asked me to do 2000 meters in splits of 500 keeping the average time for 500m at 2 mins 20 secs. Then the last 500 meters to push it to under 2 mins. I managed to do this and got the time to under 2 mins by pushing really hard for a few seconds...... I could hear Harry's voice in my head shouting 'PULL Ros!!!!' Scary now I'm hearing voices.
This last week has been challenging as work has been in the way. I haven't been in the pool since Friday night (18th) and I have been to Edinburgh since Tuesday night at a huge conference run by an organisation called PEPE. (Practical Experiences in Professional Education) The conference was fabulous and will definately influence the way I work so I am excited about that. There were people there who had written Social Work books that I have had on my shelf for years, and I found out they are just people after all........
I did really well with my diet in spite of being surrounded by temptation and I made up for lack of exercise on Thurs night when they laid on a big dinner dance and I danced for 3 hours....feeling fit and well, I saw off people half my age. It was strange doing the dozey-doh with some of the authors I have admired for years. That's what its all about.
Since I got home I have been on the Rowing machine and it feels great. Must go.......
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Jan 12th 08
This week has been challenging as I am back at work full time and my training has been more difficult. I swam with the Stingrays on Monday night. They were doing some long distance which is great for me, although 500m in 8 mins is too fast for me. I ended up swimming for an hour and a half fairly constantly, and my arms are feeling it. In a way I seemed to get stronger the longer I swam which is a good feeling, and I guess is what I am aiming for. I swam again on Thursday morning and got very tired and hungry. Harry thinks I am doing too much and I have to watch it. He said if I don't eat after a session, and push too hard it can negatively effect the immune system. The last thing I need is a cold! So, we are now looking at 2 heavy sessions a week, either on the rower or in the pool and two days rest in between. I also need to make sure I don't get hungry.
While I was swimming this week I pondered on my past swimming experience. The ocean swimming in Hawaii began purely because of one woman.....Lenore Rick. She is an amazing runner and swimmer who loves taking part in events. She is inspirational and positive about saying yes to adventures. I am forever grateful to her and I have wonderful memories of swimming the Maui Channel and other open water events with her. We also visited the under water world together, scuba diving with our friends and partners. What a life eh?
While I was swimming this week I pondered on my past swimming experience. The ocean swimming in Hawaii began purely because of one woman.....Lenore Rick. She is an amazing runner and swimmer who loves taking part in events. She is inspirational and positive about saying yes to adventures. I am forever grateful to her and I have wonderful memories of swimming the Maui Channel and other open water events with her. We also visited the under water world together, scuba diving with our friends and partners. What a life eh?
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Jan 5th 2008
Jan 5th 08
Harry put me through my paces yesterday. I visited his shed which looks quite ordinary but in fact contains instruments of torture! We talked about our plans for the year as we up the pace, and my general fitness needs to improve. He is pleased with my progress so far but I am so aware that I have a lot more work to do to get in shape and get tough enough to cope with this challenge.
Rowing
I used Harry's concept 2 and now I really know how to row. It made my previous attempts to row look inadequate but Harry explained that this new technique is competitive and there is a place for a slightly gentle technique as well. The key to the new approach is to reach forward so you virtually touch the front of the rower. Then lean right back and pull hard at the last minute. So I am working on long consistent strokes. We did two sets of 10 minutes with a stretch and then 10 more minutes. Then we did 2000 meters in 500 meter splits with varied pace. I will also be entering some open water events this year, and I will confirm these with you shortly. There is a possibility that I will be taking part in some indoor rowing events also.
Harry and I discussed putting my training schedule on the blog including my observation dairy. The diary includes daily blood pressure, pulse and temp as well as mood. This helps us to understand the natural pattern of my body so we can assess when it is best for me to tackle the swim. It isn't just the tides, currents and jelly fish we need to monitor!! We will add it to the links and it will be called Training and Fitness.
Organisation
I met up with Karen (coordinator) and Pauline (publicity) for a last minute spontaneous coffee and we looked at the blog and discussed plans for the year. We are woefully inadequate with the technology of this site but we know we will get better, so watch this space.
We also discussed the importance of regular meetings and more help regarding ongoing fundraising and event coordination.
More later
Cheers
Ros
Harry put me through my paces yesterday. I visited his shed which looks quite ordinary but in fact contains instruments of torture! We talked about our plans for the year as we up the pace, and my general fitness needs to improve. He is pleased with my progress so far but I am so aware that I have a lot more work to do to get in shape and get tough enough to cope with this challenge.
Rowing
I used Harry's concept 2 and now I really know how to row. It made my previous attempts to row look inadequate but Harry explained that this new technique is competitive and there is a place for a slightly gentle technique as well. The key to the new approach is to reach forward so you virtually touch the front of the rower. Then lean right back and pull hard at the last minute. So I am working on long consistent strokes. We did two sets of 10 minutes with a stretch and then 10 more minutes. Then we did 2000 meters in 500 meter splits with varied pace. I will also be entering some open water events this year, and I will confirm these with you shortly. There is a possibility that I will be taking part in some indoor rowing events also.
Harry and I discussed putting my training schedule on the blog including my observation dairy. The diary includes daily blood pressure, pulse and temp as well as mood. This helps us to understand the natural pattern of my body so we can assess when it is best for me to tackle the swim. It isn't just the tides, currents and jelly fish we need to monitor!! We will add it to the links and it will be called Training and Fitness.
Organisation
I met up with Karen (coordinator) and Pauline (publicity) for a last minute spontaneous coffee and we looked at the blog and discussed plans for the year. We are woefully inadequate with the technology of this site but we know we will get better, so watch this space.
We also discussed the importance of regular meetings and more help regarding ongoing fundraising and event coordination.
More later
Cheers
Ros
Friday, 4 January 2008
History of the Swim Challenge and a summery for 2007
A Brief History
I thought it may be helpful to outline how this idea of a marathon swim in the cold Irish Sea came about. My partner was diagnosed with a form of dementia in 2004. It is difficult to diagnose and there were a number of extensive tests and procedures to go through before the difficulties were given a possible name. It was obviously devastating news for a person at the peak of their career who was only 45 years old. We have had difficulties coping and receiving appropriate services due to our young age and our needs are clearly different. Now unable to work, my partner keeps busy by being involved in the local community and is now helping with our fundraising effort.
As a carer I realised I needed to stay well and strong and I have always enjoyed swimming. So, when we moved to Scotland in 2004 I started training again. In the pool I was lucky enough to meet Harry Waugh who is a veteran fundraiser and a superb athlete. Harry has organised many marathon events (you can find Harry on Google as he has a habit of going from John O Groats to Lands end!) and he suggested that I swim from Ailsa Craig to Girvan beach. Little did he know that ever since I saw the gorgeous Ailsa Craig, I wanted to swim there.
2007
This was the year that things really started to get going and I upped my swimming experience and training. I have some experience of Open Water Swimming but only in warm waters. In 1992 and 1993 I had taken part in the Maui Channel Swim with the legendary Swimmin Wimmin. We were awarded the honour of the longest ever recorded time in the 21 year history of the swim in 1992 with a stunning time of 9hrs 30 minutes. The winners who were the male Olympic team from Australia completed the swim in 3 hrs. However, the following year we shaved 3hrs 30 minutes from our record breaking time and still came last, but only just this time! We got press attention and many accolades for our bravery and endurance which was very exciting, and we held up the flag for amateur swimmers and especially women who can! While I was in Hawaii I also swam the Waikiki rough water swim 3 times and various local open water events. You may have gathered that I am not heading for any speed records!
So 2007 saw me entering the cold waters for the first time. I loved it and Harry accompanied me to the beach at Sandhead for several training swims. I also had a small group of cheerleaders depending on the weather and they included Eleanor, Marlene, Pauline, her lovely springer spaniel Susie, and David and Maureen. I was also watched over by a beautiful seal on most occasions. Thanks guys.
A New Friend
2007 also saw me link up with the accomplished and amazing channel swimmer Margaret Hodgart. She first swam the channel when she was 17, and she is training for another channel swim in August 2008. We will post her web site and blog on our web page soon. We will be swimming together in 2008 and I am intending to enter some open water events this year, which I hope she will also take part in. I have some trepidation about these events as my track record isn't great!! (see comments regarding Maui Channel!)
Swimtrek
I also had the holiday of a lifetime in August with the amazing SWIMTREK organisation. I swam between the islands of the Inner Hebrides with 10 swimmers and 2 experienced swim guides for 5 days. One of the swims included the CorryVrecken Whirlpool. We camped out on the uninhabited island of Scarba. This holiday really tested my stamina, and my mental capacity to cope with very cold rough inhospitable water. I managed well and the photos on this blog are from that adventure.
Stingrays
I have been adopted by the local swimming club the Stingrays who train at the Ryan Centre Leisure Centre who have also been very supportive. The swimmers in the club range from about 6 or 7 years old to 16 and they are superb in the water. I am honoured that they let me plod along beside them and I have no hope at all of keeping up. Linda and Euan are fantastic coaches and have given me a huge amount of encouragement. Harry will be coming on the pool side as well while we wait for Spring so I should be put through my paces ..... Come Spring I will be back in the Open Water.
Committee and fundraising
Following these experiences which tested my stamina and determination, Harry and I realised I was ready to commit to the swim in 2009 but we realised we needed some extra help. So we now have an active committee headed by our amazing coordinator Karen O Pray. We have already started raising funds and we are beginning to get some publicity from the Free Press newspaper.
2008
This is my first official entry for 2008 and I am just off to the pool. I am intending to swim 2 - 3 times a week in the pool and I row on the indoor rower 2 - 3 times a week also. I am so lucky that I have been lent a Concept 2 indoor rower for 2 years and I love it....Thanks to the lovely William MacKinnon for this loan and you are now one of my official sponsors!!
I'll write again soon now you are all up to date, and I look forward to some exciting events in 2008.
My moto? Lose more weight in 2008 ...... and stop being late!
Cheers everyone
Ros
I thought it may be helpful to outline how this idea of a marathon swim in the cold Irish Sea came about. My partner was diagnosed with a form of dementia in 2004. It is difficult to diagnose and there were a number of extensive tests and procedures to go through before the difficulties were given a possible name. It was obviously devastating news for a person at the peak of their career who was only 45 years old. We have had difficulties coping and receiving appropriate services due to our young age and our needs are clearly different. Now unable to work, my partner keeps busy by being involved in the local community and is now helping with our fundraising effort.
As a carer I realised I needed to stay well and strong and I have always enjoyed swimming. So, when we moved to Scotland in 2004 I started training again. In the pool I was lucky enough to meet Harry Waugh who is a veteran fundraiser and a superb athlete. Harry has organised many marathon events (you can find Harry on Google as he has a habit of going from John O Groats to Lands end!) and he suggested that I swim from Ailsa Craig to Girvan beach. Little did he know that ever since I saw the gorgeous Ailsa Craig, I wanted to swim there.
2007
This was the year that things really started to get going and I upped my swimming experience and training. I have some experience of Open Water Swimming but only in warm waters. In 1992 and 1993 I had taken part in the Maui Channel Swim with the legendary Swimmin Wimmin. We were awarded the honour of the longest ever recorded time in the 21 year history of the swim in 1992 with a stunning time of 9hrs 30 minutes. The winners who were the male Olympic team from Australia completed the swim in 3 hrs. However, the following year we shaved 3hrs 30 minutes from our record breaking time and still came last, but only just this time! We got press attention and many accolades for our bravery and endurance which was very exciting, and we held up the flag for amateur swimmers and especially women who can! While I was in Hawaii I also swam the Waikiki rough water swim 3 times and various local open water events. You may have gathered that I am not heading for any speed records!
So 2007 saw me entering the cold waters for the first time. I loved it and Harry accompanied me to the beach at Sandhead for several training swims. I also had a small group of cheerleaders depending on the weather and they included Eleanor, Marlene, Pauline, her lovely springer spaniel Susie, and David and Maureen. I was also watched over by a beautiful seal on most occasions. Thanks guys.
A New Friend
2007 also saw me link up with the accomplished and amazing channel swimmer Margaret Hodgart. She first swam the channel when she was 17, and she is training for another channel swim in August 2008. We will post her web site and blog on our web page soon. We will be swimming together in 2008 and I am intending to enter some open water events this year, which I hope she will also take part in. I have some trepidation about these events as my track record isn't great!! (see comments regarding Maui Channel!)
Swimtrek
I also had the holiday of a lifetime in August with the amazing SWIMTREK organisation. I swam between the islands of the Inner Hebrides with 10 swimmers and 2 experienced swim guides for 5 days. One of the swims included the CorryVrecken Whirlpool. We camped out on the uninhabited island of Scarba. This holiday really tested my stamina, and my mental capacity to cope with very cold rough inhospitable water. I managed well and the photos on this blog are from that adventure.
Stingrays
I have been adopted by the local swimming club the Stingrays who train at the Ryan Centre Leisure Centre who have also been very supportive. The swimmers in the club range from about 6 or 7 years old to 16 and they are superb in the water. I am honoured that they let me plod along beside them and I have no hope at all of keeping up. Linda and Euan are fantastic coaches and have given me a huge amount of encouragement. Harry will be coming on the pool side as well while we wait for Spring so I should be put through my paces ..... Come Spring I will be back in the Open Water.
Committee and fundraising
Following these experiences which tested my stamina and determination, Harry and I realised I was ready to commit to the swim in 2009 but we realised we needed some extra help. So we now have an active committee headed by our amazing coordinator Karen O Pray. We have already started raising funds and we are beginning to get some publicity from the Free Press newspaper.
2008
This is my first official entry for 2008 and I am just off to the pool. I am intending to swim 2 - 3 times a week in the pool and I row on the indoor rower 2 - 3 times a week also. I am so lucky that I have been lent a Concept 2 indoor rower for 2 years and I love it....Thanks to the lovely William MacKinnon for this loan and you are now one of my official sponsors!!
I'll write again soon now you are all up to date, and I look forward to some exciting events in 2008.
My moto? Lose more weight in 2008 ...... and stop being late!
Cheers everyone
Ros
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