Testing the water...

I have been swimming at the lake twice a week for the last couple of weeks with three days of masters training.  The last week or so it has gotten a blistering 16C/60F and is almost blistering in a weird way.  So I needed a reality check so I went out Saturday morning for a channel swim w/ one of my relay partners down at Eastbourne.

This winter was the coldest and longest in the last 30 years making the water temperature the lowest in that time as well.  On the charts the water temp should be nearing 14C/57F which is much more tolerable...   At this point there is nothing I can do but just get on with it!   I was quickly brought back to reality, the water was a 12C/55F. 

Notice the CAP, it was for ENG VS USA!

Since our relay is the first out with a tentative date of this Saturday, I was really getting worried about the water temp!   To be honest I have been having some sleepless nights and been very worried about it.  All and all I survived an hour with no signs of hypothermia at all.  I do this all the time and I have no clue why I do it...

Janina and I taking the plunge!

Soreness and Swimming

Everything is going as planned in regards to the last post.

- Laid on 6 kilos from Auz.  Turning a lot of it into muscle with going to the gym three days a week and doing a full body routine on the weights.
- My pool team has helped me out with new kicking tips.  I have put them into practice and it is really made a difference.  All though I am having to breathe more as the legs take up a tremendous amount of O2!  That will come in time...
- Cold water training is going very well.  Thursday hit 4k in 15c.  I was in the water for an 1 hour and 10 minutes that includes acclimatisation.  Yesterday was in the water and only got 49 minutes with 2.7k.  This was effected by the weight training and the massive distance sets we did at the pool on Friday Night.  My arms were like lead weights!
- My bi-lateral breathing is coming along well, not great.  I try to only breathe on my weak side during warm ups and drill work.  During the strenuous sets I only breathe on my strong side but trying hard to hit bi's on those as that will get me used too it...  So this is the only thing that is really on my plate.

So what have I learned, sore arms and cold water training can cause you to drown, ha...

At It Again!

So I took off from training for a month with the exception of a couple of masters practices to stay tuned.  However it was nice to get some rest time and get some weight on for the channel. Well anyway, that is what I kept telling myself to make me feel better about my laziness.

The plan for the next couple of weeks. 

• Put more muscle with weight training
• Work on kick by running and biking more
• Priority - COLD WATER TRAINING for channel relay
• Bi-lateral breathing by ONLY breathing LEFT

So that is my goals for the next upcoming weeks...

Coming down to the wire - 30 days till rotto

I got 30 days till the big Rotto swim.  Have two support boats, 2 jet ski's and one and a half paddlers on the 'yak.  Got some great tips this morning on navigation, just did not anticipate a massive current!

Training is going well!  Running 3 days a week, weights 3 days, and swimming 6 days a week.  The masters at the Sharks is getting pretty intense on the long distance.  Coming home shattered almost every time with them.  It is a little under 4k but at crazy fast paces in the endurance sets.  Tonight, I wanted to quit to get a couple of breaths but thought about the sharks chasing me at old Rotto!

Can't even think about the channel or the Lake Zurich training.  Both are going to be grueling as well.  EC will be cold water training as well as getting over sea sickness!  Zurich is going to be getting thru a lake w/o salt water buoyancy!

First Case of Hypothermia

Swam on Saturday morning at 6C/42F. 

Did 1.4k of the perimeter of the lake and 550m of the buoys with a wetsuit!  Can not tell you how cold my hands and feet after this swim.  They throbbed at first and quickly after that there was absolutely NO FEELING AT ALL!

I wanted to get  a quick dip in without a wetsuit just so I can acclimate to the cold.  I went to do a 100m but as always in this situation I want to push myself to the limit.  I was able to get a 550m and about 100m.  I was fine getting out but 15 minutes later, I was shaking uncontrollable, slurring, and talking gibberish.  Took me about 45 minutes to warm up.

Next time I am going to do a before and after temperture of my core body to actually see how much my core body temp dropped.

Chillin in training.

Saturday 21-11

Water Temp was between 7/8 C around 45F, was cold stuff! We did 2.5k w/ wetsuits in great conditions. Hands, feet and face could have fallen off and I would not have even known. I really like going for a long swim and than taking off that wetsuit! I really don't like the wetsuit at all but I really need some distance and to make it worth while I put it on to get that mileage in. So did about 750m w/o a wetsuit and really went off w/o a hitch except for hitting something while swimming. Scared this shit out of me, I am convinced it was one of those monstrous carps from the deep that did not see me coming!