We did it!

We swam across the English Channel today in 10 hours and 43 minutes--witnessed by the dolphins that escorted us part of the way back to Dover. It was magical for all of us. I say "we" crossed the channel because it was the support of friends, family, colleagues, boat crew, the Channel Swimming Association, and good weather conditions that enabled me to achieve my dream of swimming the channel. I will never forget this experience!

I am very tired now. I will post a log of today's experience in the days to come. Thank you for your love and support. I shall have a heavenly slumber tonight.

Brent

Not to be taken lightly

I have the green light to swim tomorrow morning, weather permitting. The water temperature is 17'C, ambient air temperature between 21-26'C on the coast, wave height is 3-5 feet in the middle of the channel; beaufort (i.e. wind speed rating) of 2-3 along the coast and 4-5 in the middle. A beaufort reading of 5-6 is indicative of a "small craft warning;" greater than 7 is a full gale!


I have been training in Dover for 5 days now. This is hallowed ground. Swimmers from all over the world converge here in an attempt to swim the channel. In other words, I am not the only "freak" swimming in the ocean without a wetsuit! There is a team of sponsored athletes from India. Two of these swimmers are teenagers with disabilities. One of them has left me with an unforgetable image of determination. This particular athlete is a paraplegic. His coach wheels him to the upper beach. From here, the swimmer makes his own way to the ocean--using only his arms to make his way over coarse rocks to water's edge. There is no stopping this swimmer once he is in the water. He swims unencumbered for upwards of 4-5 hours/day. He will be attempting his swim towards the end of August. Other swimmers I have met include a Japanese woman who successfully crossed the channel this week on a spring tide! Spring tides are associated with very strong currents. Most swims are planned around neap tides (i.e. when there is less current). This was her 5th channel crossing and she did it in a very respectable time of 14 hours. She was on the beach swimming the very next day! Other countries that are represented here include Iceland, Germany, Egypt, Brazil, Venezuala, USA, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and the UK., just to name a few.


I have also met my pilot, Andy King. He took me and an American swimmer (Rendy from La Jolla, California) for a test swim in force 5 waters (severe small craft warning). Rendy is a very ambitious swimmer. She is set to complete the "triple crown" of open water swimming. This includes the Catalina Channel in California, English Channel and Manhattan Island swim in less than 6 weeks! She won the prestigious Manhattan Island Marathon swim last year. Rendey and I are very evenly matched.....going head to head in a training session between the walls of Dover Harbour. It is an honor to swim with her. She is swimming in the tide before mine (today) and I would expect her to make the crossing in less than 10 hrs (9 hrs if conditions are favorable). Rendey and I are very impressed with Andy. Andy is very adept at manoevering his boat a safe distance from us, and just ahead so that he guides us to France, not the other way around. He also makes it a point to maintain eye contact with us every time we turn our heads toward the ship's bridge for a breath. He will also position the boat to ensure that we are swimming on the leeward (less windy) side of the boat. Andy is also a character who makes us laugh. For example, his second mate is a Shrek doll mounted to the boat's mast! He is also known for using colorful language to spur his swimmers. We have been forewarned to expect words of encouragement such as...."swim you crazy BAST@$^!" Furthermore, if we see him donning cap and goggles, then we are in real trouble. For you see, Andy is a "salty sea fisherman," and he does not exactly have the physique of a swimmer. Seriously though, for Andy to take the time to escort us for a sea trial, speaks volumes for his professionalism. He also makes us laugh which puts us at ease; and in so doing, also reminds us to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously!
The photo up top, from left to right (Christian and Jonathan from New York, Mike from Seattle and yours truly; Nuala from London stands in the front row). Nuala had a successful crossing yesterday in 12 hours. Unfortunately, Mike and Christian did not make it. Both were pulled 10 hours into their swims due to severe hypothermia. Both of them were within a few kilometers for France. I am relieved that Mike and Christian have made a full recovery. I cannot help but feel for them as this was their 2nd attempt at the channel. By no means is this a failure....both trained hard and gave it 110%. This serves as a reminder that this swim is NOT to be taken lightly. Consequently, I am having some fleeting moments of self-doubt......Do I have what it takes? The answer of course is yes, but this experience serves as a reminder to:
1) Respect the ocean
2) Stay determined and focussed on the goal--those sands of France.
3) There is no looking back to the White Cliffs of Dover.
4) Visualize success and put one arm in front of the other until I reach Cap Griz Nez.

I will be departing at 0600. You can track my progress at www.shipais.com/currentmap.php?map=folkstone. Look for the boat called Louise Jane. We will be dodging all the other ships you see on the map.

Powered by the Orcas of Haro Strait and Ogopogo,
Brent

Tea and a swim in Hyde Park

July 22nd
Since our arrival, Joanne and I have been treated like royalty in London. It helps when a true Londoner (apparently that is someone who dines regularly at Sea Shell's Fish and Chips in the Maryleborne District) takes the time to showcase his city to complete strangers from another country. On this note, we had the good fortune of being introduced to Nick through a colleague of mine. Special thanks to Colin for introducing us to cousin Nick! Imagine trying to find your way in a city of 10 million people when you are from a community with a population of 100,000...a daunting experience to say the least. However, thanks to Nick, we were made to feel right at home. Nick gave us a thorough orientation to London's public transportation system--including two multi-transit passes to get around town. He also provided us with a general overview of London's communities, points of interest, and he made himself available to answer any of our questions, such as..."Can I swim in the Thames?"

Day 1

• take in the street markets of Notting Hill
• enjoy the best fish and chips London has to offer (Sea Shells Fish and Chips)--reference the cabs queued up down the street
• enjoy a splendid evening with Nick, his partner Tony, and his nephew's young family

Day 2

• see London by bicycle. Nick took us for a bicycle ride through Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Westminster and Trafalgar Square. People may think that I am crazy for swimming the "dangerous" Channel...not in comparison to riding a bicycle on the "wrong side of the road" between the buses and taxis weaving in and out of traffic through this busy thoroughfare! Seriously though, cycling is a great way to see London up close and personal. It is also affordable, healthy and you look cool doing it.
• kudos to the City of London for creating a thriving commuter cycling network, for opening up select streets to pedestrians on weekends, and for enticing the public to leave their cars at home...something that North American cities should aspire to
• later, we enjoyed live jazz at world famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.

Day 3

• we ate breakfast in Hyde Park...at Princess Dianna's Memorial to be precise. We could have spent all day there. The park is a wonderful sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of London city life. A little later, Joanne went for a run while I swam 6 KM in the Hyde Park Lido--an outdoor 100m swim lane in the middle of the park. My shoulder is feeling very good after that workout.
• a tour of the Tower of London and a musical in London's West End followed

Bon Voyage

For many years I have dreamed of swimming across the English Channel. I am so close now that I can taste it. Not surprisingly, I am being swept up in waves of emotion. All the hours I have spent training in the pool, lake and ocean; all of the research I have read on marathon swimming; the personal sacrifices I have made to get to this point; and all of the visualizing I have done in reaching out and touching the "sands of France"...all of this activity reflects who I am and the passion I have for the life aquatic. It is an emotional time. To add to this, the emails, cards and words of encouragement I am receiving from friends, family and colleagues is overwhelming! I have reconnected with friends I grew up with in this sport over 20 years ago and I have connected with some of the incredible athletes who inspired me on this journey. What is so reassuring about the messages I am receiving is that my friends' only expectation is that I try my best. No one will think less of me if I do not reach France. There are no guarantees ...Neptune will factor a big role in the outcome. Success is ultimately achieved by trying. To top things off, friends from the Okanagan Masters Swim Club threw a going away party for me (see picture above). Thanks to Coach Rob and Carmelle Swan for organizing a great party on a glorious Okanagan summer's day. I felt so supported!! To send me on my way, they presented me with a Canadian towel, a book on How to Swim Through a Mid-Life Crisis, and Channel training food in the form of chocolate to fatten me up and a six-pack of French Bier (Kronenberg circa 1875--the year Mathew Webb accomplished the first Channel crossing).

London calling..........

Maintenance Training

July 12th 2008
I have just completed my last week of "maintenance" swimming (i.e. to maintain long-distance conditioning). Last week I logged 25 km--including a 3 hr (10 km) swim. This week, I swam 29 KM--including a 4 hr. (14 km) swim. And now I can finally TAPER and gain a few pounds...what a hardship!

Summary of training experiences over the last two weeks:

1. July 5th (Saturday morning brunch series at our house)

• Every summer, the Okanagan Masters Swim Club hosts a series of Saturday morning training swims in the lake. This is followed by a hearty brunch and social time with my fellow swimmers. When it comes to the workout component, no-one is much interested in swimming for 3 hrs straight. Thankfully Mike Stamhuis (AKA the "old man") joined me for 2.5 hrs. Mike is an amazing swimmer. He is in his late 50s and consistently breaks Canadian Records in long distance freestyle and backstroke events. He recently finished 2nd overall at the World Open Water Masters Swimming Championships in Perth. Although he is dubbed the "old man," truth is, he is faster than most competitive swimmers half his age. I am very thankful to have the opportunity to train with Mike. He is a fierce competitor and raises the bar everytime we work out. In other words, Mike keeps us humble by kicking our assess on a consistent basis. Mike has swum at least 50 KM with me in the lake over the last year.
• This particular brunch swim was 10 km in length. I am amazed that I was able to swim this distance so soon after my Bowen Island swim. This just goes to show how training and preparation can assist the body to adapt to such physical stresses. Last year at this time, it took me over a week to recover from a 6 hr. training swim.

2. July 10th

• I happen to be in Cranbrook for work-related meetings. Following which, I asked my colleagues where I could 'jump into a lake?" I get the typical response....."Are you kidding?" "We were happy with your input....Don't feel like you have to jump into a lake..." To which a replied...."I was happy with our productivity too....it's just that I am training for this little swim and I need a cold lake to swim in." Fortunately, Cranbrook is situated in the Rocky Mountain trench in South Eastern BC. It is a beautiful place with pristine, and yes, cold lakes. I travelled 15 min. west to Moyie Lake for an epic swim.
• When I arrived, campers were scurrying for cover. The skies opened up with buckets of rain, and the wind was blowing on shore at 20-25 knots. Perfect conditions for a Channel training session. Donning my Speedo, I calmly walked to the lake--much to the surprise of onlookers--and swam head-on into the swell. Being a lake, the swell is of short duration (2-3 second intervals). It makes for very "choppy' conditions or what meteorologists would call a "small craft warning." This means that the conditions are unsafe for small boats...But for Channel swimmers...?
• The trick to swimming in these conditions is to find a rhythm in sync with the waves. To this effect, I time my breaths before the wave crests and burry my head under the wave in an effort to propel me out the other side. This action is what surfers call the "duck dive." It is how surfers paddle out beyond huge breaking waves. The other technical thing I do in these conditions is straighten my front crawl arm recovery. This enables me to reach past cresting waves. Conversely, if I recover with a bent arm, I risk my stroke being interrupted in mid-stream by a breaking wave.
• Once I was in the middle of the lake, I took a few minutes to take in the sights while floating on my back. There was a deluge of rain from above; and yet again, I was surrounded by towering mountains. It was a "Zen" moment....very peaceful, relaxing and invigorating.
• The temperature was around 17'C which was very pleasant. From here I returned to shore....this time with the swell at my back. If only I could be so lucky to have these conditions swimming into France (highly unlikely). The trick to swimming "with" the swell is to maintain a low centre of gravity in the water...just like surfers do when catching waves. If my timing is right, I can "body surf" the swell to my advantage. Besides getting you to your end-point faster, it is a lot of fun. There is no sense training for the Channel if I am not going to have fun doing it.

3. July 13th

• My last big swim (4 hrs in Kalamalka Lake in Vernon)
• Kalamalka Lake is a beautiful turquoise-colored lake surrounded by the Monashee Mountains to the east and desert Okanagan hillside to the west. This was the second swim in our club's brunch series. I started (this time by myself) at 0520 just as the sun was rising. It was another idyllic setting: As the sun was rising over the Monashees, there were 3 Bald Eagles circling overhead--hopefully not eyeing me for breakfast! I felt very strong and my shoulder passed the test. Kevin Boss (my physiotherapist at Sun City Physiotherapy) has created a shoulder-strengthening program for me (i.e. low resistance stretches using surgical tubing). It seems to be doing the trick.
• Similar to last week, I was joined by other members of the Masters Club for the last 4 km. We had a blast. We came up with an obstacle course on the west side of the lake. We had to swim to a succession of rafts; and at each one, we had to climb out, run across, and dive back in. From there, we swam to the raft with the giant water-slide and slid down it in style! We were kids out there.....having fun and getting some exercise.
• A scrumptious brunch followed at Mike & Trish Stamhuis' place. Being Dutch, Mike cooked up some very tasty pannekoeks. After that hearty meal, I relished in the fact that my distance training has come to a close. Now I can rest and taper for the big swim.

Taper Bound

July 4th 2008
How do I top my Bowen Island swim? Do I need to exceed that mileage (33 KM) before the main event? I am still 3 weeks away from my Channel attempt and it is too early to taper. In the swimming world, tapering refers to diminishing the amount of distance training. When tapering, the focus is on high quality sets with lots of rest and fine-tuning the technical aspects of my swimming in preparation for racing. This is also the time to work on psychological preparation. Speaking of which, there is that inner voice that says..."you have to keep up the distance...swimming more is better..." that needs to be put to rest. This is where professional coaching comes in handy. A good coach can evaluate your progress along a continuum and put your training into perspective. Rob Swan from Critical Speed has been very helpful in this regard. Rob understands competitive swimming; but more importantly, he understands ultra long distance racing---whatever the sport. Rob has suggested that I back off the distance this week (post Bowen Island swim) and build up next week. He reassured me that swimming more is not better at this stage of the game. "Why do you need to swim more?....You have already proven that you can do the distance...Your conditioning is there." Now the focus is to maintain my conditioning and think positively about my preparations. This is also the time to let my injuries heal. My 9.5 hr. Bowen Island swim has exacerbated the tendonitis in my right shoulder. This is another good reason Not to push the distance. I must also make an appointment with Kevin Boss at Sun City Physiotherapy. He will probably give my s*&% if I increase the mileage...another good reason to back off.

Bowen or Bust

June 28th 2008

I am 3-4 weeks away from my Channel attempt. Today marks the culmination of my endurance training...a 33 KM swim around Bowen Island. If I can accomplish this feat, I am ready for the Channel.

Bowen Island is situated in Howe Sound between West Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast. It is easily accessible via 20 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay. Shane Collins (1st British Columbian to swim the Channel) recommended Bowen for its similarities to the waters between Dover and Calais. The water temperature and distance is comparable; there are strong tidal currents; and rough water conditions prevail on the Georgia Strait side of the island. I also have fond memories of Bowen dating back to the 90's when I served the community as an ambulance paramedic. A swim around Bowen Island seemed perfect. In many respects, it was a "home-coming."

Joining me for this trip was my support crew for England--wife Joanne and my brother-in-law (Mark Stahl). Swimming with me for 1/2 the distance was Rod "the Rocket" Craig from the GooeyTube Masters Swim Club. Escorting us for the entire journey was a new face that none of us had met until this day--Mike Lightbody. Mike's mother (Marietta) is a neighbour of ours in Kelowna. When she heard I was attempting to swim around Bowen, she immediately connected me with her son who lives on the island. Mike is an avid seafarer who has competed internationally as a wind-surfer and studied oceanography. We couldn't have been in better hands. More important than that, we made a new friend. It is the people that you meet along the way that makes this journey so special.

This swim was more than a training session: It was a transcendental experience in an idyllic setting. This was easily the most enjoyable swim of my life! I departed Snug Cove under clear skies and calm seas. Just as I departed, the sun was rising over the Coastal Mountain range to the east. Veering south with the ebb tide, I swam towards Georgia Strait. Turning my head to the left, I could make out the City of Vancouver in the distance; turning to the right, I took in the vast coniferous forest of Bowen. Rounding the south-west tip of the island (Cowan Point) locals who came out to cheer us on. Thanks to Mike for arranging the cheering section! Now we were swimming west toward Cape Roger Curtis on the Georgia Strait side of Bowen. From this vantage point, I could make out Vancouver Island. Looking more closely, I could even make out the Olympic Mountain range in Washington State! This was the roughest section of the swim. Cape Roger Curtis dished out wind waves and a "confused" sea state created when the ebb current from Howe Sound met the flood current of Georgia Strait. Turning north-west from the Cape, there were yet more mountains to take in--the Coastal Range that towers above the Sunshine Coast. Up to this point, I had been swimming for 3 hours. Honestly, it felt more like 30 minutes. Given these idyllic conditions, I had no problem occupying my mind for the 9.5 hr. swim. It was also at this point that my crew informed me that I was "not alone"...there were a few Harbour Seals swimming with us. There was also a large Bald Eagle who had swooped down for a fish right in front of us. I was stoked! Only a pod of Killer Whales swimming by could have topped this! After a couple more hours swimming north with the flood tide, we predicted that I would be done in about 7 hours. As it turned out, this was too good to be true. Our ETA changed drastically after we rounding the north-west corner of the island and began swimming east toward Hood Point. This is where I met the flood tide head-on from the other diretion. I was literally swimming upstream against a current. Up to this point, I had covered over 2/3rds of the island in 6 hrs. It took me another 2 hrs just to swim a 4 KM stretch toward Hood Point. If this is what the current is like off of the French coast, I can totally appreciate how some swimmers get swept back into the Channel. This was great experience. Finally at 9 hrs and 26 minutes, I was back in Snug Cove. Perfect strangers assisted me out of the water and wished me good luck with the Channel! Got to love Bowen Islanders!! Following the swim, we treated Mike to a delicious pasta sea food meal at one of the great restaurants in Snug Cove. Following that, I fell into a heavenly slumber in the comfort of being satisfied with today's accomplishment. I ready for the Channel.

Technical notes:

• my stroke rate was consistent throughout the entire swim (50-56 for the 1st 3 hrs; and 60-62 for the remainder)
• my nutrition was bang on--no cramping and complete satiation. I kept to q 30 minute feeds throughout
• I did not feel cold for the entire duration--no evidence of even mild hypothermia
• My only concern is the tendonitis in my right shoulder. This didn't affect me until hour 6. My taper and physio treatments should bring this discomfort under control.