#Repeatoffender - 2nd Channel swim - 2nd September 2015

On Wednesday 2nd September 2015 I set off at 2am from Samphire Hoe on a 7.2m Spring tide with Channel Escort Neil Streeter & Crew on Suva for my 2nd Channel swim in consecutive years. (I cannot recommend the Suva team highly enough to you btw)

I thought I would write a short blog outlining what I learnt that I didn't get on the first swim which you will find written up on this blog: 1st Channel swim 2014

Hope you get something out of it that might prevent you from making some of my errors!

1. Jumping in the water at Samphire Hoe is a great deal warmer (I would consider tropical) in September than at the beginning of July. If I do this swim again, the first week of September would be my choice. I won't worry again whether it is a neap or a spring as only swum on springs!
2. The first 4 hours in the dark were VERY tough mentally (I had been up since 5am the previous day & had a full day of work in the city). This bit was mentally far tougher than the first swim and certainly opened up the doubt devil in my mind & could have opened the door of failure. (Some warned me that the 2nd swim is harder). I took a great pride in not complaining to the crew but Ade said I looked completely miserable during this time! I would beg to differ - I had just not reached my full potential.
3. I used a clear pair of goggles (for night swimming) that I wasn't 100% sure that were leak-proof. In reality they weren't and my eyes were agony - couldn't see much of the boat and should have known better. This made some of the swim quite miserable which should have been entirely avoidable. I was desperate for daylight to switch the goggles over which made life become gradually better!
4. Everything got easier by the margin as it got lighter and more progress was made closer to France
5. The last swim was a 6.8m tide and this being a 7.2m didn't phase me - my overall time was 1 hour faster (13hrs 32mins). I swam a total of 64.8km including tide and even moved 500m in under 3 minutes being hurled round the cap! That's a record for me!
6. Funnily enough, it took me quite a while to remember why I really wanted to be there (!) for motivation (I need something more profound than 'because it's there'!). As soon as I uncovered/unlocked that motive, the whole escapade became more focussed - the aim I began to realise was to put my name amongst the ca. 180 who could boast a 2-time Channel - so wanted to be a member of that exclusive club versus the 1600 who had only done a single solo. Glad I eventually worked that out!
7a. I was glad to only have 2 crew (other than the Suva boat crew) to help with feeds. 4 crew-members seems too many last time and meant more people (AND kit) to worry about. 2 is ideal and aided by the fact that Suva has superstar crew ace Sam Jones up their sleeve. Ade (Adrian Rotchell) was on the rail the whole time (got no sleep) and Richard (my brother) was called at 2 hours notice to take a day's leave > both guys are incredible with their generosity & kindness.
7b. Adrian is a whizz with technology and logged into my Facebook page (using his phone with free roaming!) so could keep the whole world illuminated on proceedings. He also had his garmin on the whole time si i got a full de-brief of stats whether I wanted them or not! The only thing I wished I'd have remembered from the 1st swim was my digital camera (ran out of time after being summoned!)
8. I only fed 1x per hour and the crew ensured that got faster and faster.  I had no time to dwell on trying to chew a jelly baby and observe my progress - I had to chew these things whilst moving! It wasn't a rest, it was a feed - I was grateful for that the other side when the tide turned. They just passed me a single plastic cup which I drank in 10 secs then threw back on the boat. Again, I barely wanted any solids as felt like I wouldn't stomach them given all the salt water being consumed whilst swimming. The odd banana, jelly baby or bit of milky way was all I managed.
8. I still like my maxim mixture with summer fruits and fruit sugar. Some of them were double x double strength (you read that right). Every 5th feed was black tea with fruit sugar. That was a winner and I should have done that the 1st swim. Ade swears by just having warm water during his long swims > I'll leave that feeding plan with him!
9. Didn't panic when in the separation zone and had to swim through mountain of jellyfish. I got stung umpteen times including on the tip of the left rotator cuff which was really miserable but the best cure for that was obviously cold salty water!
10. France never gets closer. Remembered to block out of mind and look at the boat & swim feed to feed. Didn't wear watch & tried to avoid looking at France so that saved a double-rollocking off Neil!
11. After 10 hours of swimming I was urged by the pilot to sprint for 1 hour - I didn't swear at him other than in my head! Glad I had something left in the tank to do that. After 12 hours of swimming, they asked for another burst. Amazing what you can achieve when the prize is there for the taking.
12. The tides round the cap are breathtaking on a spring but nothing to fear once you get into the eddy the other side. I remember before attempting Loch Lomond, my mate Gez Lyon said to me - 'If you can put one arm in front of the other, you can keep going'. I said that to myself over 1000 times and you  get there eventually if you can stop the wheels from coming off! You can also wee whilst swimming if you go slower and don't kick your legs.
13. Walking up the beach to finish in France was just as triumphant and heavenly the 2nd time as walking up the steps in Wissant the first time (although a bit more inconvenient for a limping gimp). I had been practising my only-fools-and-horses-learnt French so could pronounce the name of Plage de Chatelet where I knew I had landed as been there with the girls swimming last autumn. Lovely beach that only locals frequent. #Fate
14. I still enjoy 2 cans of full-fat tango on the boat on the way back and I didn't get sick!
15. I was thankful for doing so much technique work - especially working on putting some power into the back of my stroke all the way past the thigh. Mark and Lucinda Bayliss had picked up on that in my stroke in April in our training in Lanzarote. I was also thankful of all the interval work in the pool during the winter with the Nemes Nutters.
16. Doing SCAR in May was excellent for a confidence booster ahead of the swim. I love Arizona in May....(Blog below)
17. When you finish the swim and open up social media, you realise the whole world has been going mental trying to urge you on! Including ca. 100 work colleagues who watched the tracker all day! You then indulge in what I would term 'social-media-heroin' for a while which is quite a buzz.
18a. You can get on the early train back to work the next day (5.49am!) as you are still on cloud nine and ready to bask in the glory. Some of your colleagues will be very willing to take you out to a slap-up lunch!
18b.  Ben & Jerry's Fish Food Ice Cream still wins hands-down for easing salt-water mouth and re-addresses calorie shortfall quickly.
19.  Your colleagues still like to be appreciated with Lola's Cupcakes!
20. Getting out of a deep bath with a sore body & little use of left leg is a real bugger! Having no radox bath salt is also a massive let-down!

Some Pics (Again thanks to Adrian Rotchell and Sam Jones)

Arizona SCAR Swim 2015 - 41 miles - 2015

'Make no mistake - this is no vehicle or destination to another swim, this is a huge event in its own right.' (Helen Conway, Jude's Diner at Globe > the day after completing SCAR 2015 from Sydney, Australia)

Wow. I feel so eternally grateful to have got into this sport, for the people I have met on the journey plus the complete bonus of the places I have been unswervingly drawn to. Without open water marathon swimming and seeing a good coach for an effortless stroke coupled with knowing (who I consider to be) the best British Long Distance Kayaker , Pete Fellows, I would never have been in Arizona. This blog feels slightly redundant I am afraid as sadly the photos plus my rhetoric REALLY CANNOT do the whole experience justice. I will endeavour to try and enlighten though.

One year in the planning > 4 days in the execution!!

This event was in the planning for well over 12 months and already had 1 week with family in the Tonto National Park area to understand what I was letting myself in for in April 2014 whilst training for my successful  English Channel July 2014 attempt. The application process opened around the 1st November 2014 and closed in a short 36 hours (thank god I bothered to wrestle with the wifi in the Holiday Inn in Le Touquet when I was showing the girls where I landed my channel swim). You do not register, you apply....there is a difference!

SCAR....what is it? 4 letters that conveniently represent the first letter of each lake swum in order. Saguaro, Canyon, Apache and Roosevelt. Billed at 9.5 miles, 9 miles, 17 miles then 6 miles.  Swimming from buoy line dam to dam on the Salt River system which represents 41 miles of open water swimming in what could easily be considered as some of the greatest views and fresh water on earth. Simples then? Cue the Meerkat? Err No. Only 27 people out of 47 (57%) evidently completed the entire event from beginning of S to end of R. 

Everything kicked off on Tues 5th May in the evening for a dinner at the tranquil sun-drenched terraces of Mesa Country Club overlooking the golf course. How civilised and lush....The calm before the storm perhaps...There was a banquet of scrumptious Mexican buffet-style meal which certainly facilitated introductions, much chatting about mutual friends (Kelly who had been working in Croatia with my mate Sian Williams) and catching up with swimmers met before (Helen from Oz who I met at 1WW in 2014 and Matthew Hills from the UK only 30mins down the road) and everyone was required to stand up to flag/brag about their forthcoming next challenge ahead. I bored people senseless about forthcoming EC and Catalina Channel. We were sitting next to Cole and his friendly parents from Texas - Cole was set to absolutely blow the rest of the field away BLDSA Tom Robbo style over the next 4 days!! The scene was superbly relaxed where some live music set the tone with great music from Chad Gregory (that man can play n' sing) and an introduction from Kent Nicholas (organiser and mastermind). There were some seriously tasty swimmers here (most faster than yours truly) but you could sense an underlying nervousness talking about and committing to forthcoming challenges with SCAR (all 41 miles of it) still on the table!

If you think below is some reasonably extreme mileage then spare a awe-inducing thought for the incredible Liz Fry who did double each lake!! Yes 82 miles in 4 days training towards a triple channel. Huge respect and congratulations on her achievement. She got a small American flag to fix onto her car as a prize - priceless!

Saguaro Lake - 9.5 miles - Day 1

Just remember being nervous as hell. We made our way via two boat shuttles to the buoy line near  Canyon Dam where the Saguaro swim was due to start. I felt like I had suddenly sunk inside myself and my quiet mental space had been invaded by some aliens > I had 41 miles ahead of me, to put all that relentless distance into the shoulders, concerns about the pain and whether my training had been enough. Would my shoulders hold up? Would the pain level off? Would I fall over and hurt myself?  I had been in this space before but that doesn't make it easy. The hardest thing in England was finding warm enough water to train in over the Winter which meant utilising Charlton Lido with Ade, Mikey, Graeme, Sam, Vicky, G and the Charlton Lido Nutters helping us to get through 6km sets every Saturday. That felt tough but 6km weekly preparation for a 41 mile 4 days? Boy, that seemed wholly inadequate! 

We were told to jump off the pontoon boat and make our way to the buoy line and raise one arm showing we were ready. Kent dropped a pink bag and we were off. I had been put in Wave 2 of 3 waves (wave one being the expected slowest). Everyone else left me at the back on my own and I had been put with a bunch of utter whippets! Some coming all the way from Hawaii! The water felt warm, way too warm. It then decided to get even warmer as we rounded a bend. It must have been over 70 degrees! I must have been overheating. The week before Ade, Tegs, Lucy and I had been jumping off the Nemes Nutters platform in Holborough Lakes in 11 degrees celsius! LOL....

Thank god we had put loads of ice in the cooler and each feed (on the hour) was met with some relief. The views were simply spectacular (canyons, cacti and various forms of wildlife) and I found a sensible rhythm but was excited and wanted to give it some beans. We gradually overtook 2 of the other wave 2 swimmers and some of the wave 1 swimmers who were set off before us which lifted the spirits materially but of course this wasn't billed as a race per se. Pete saw a bald eagle swoop down and catch a fish outta the water and head back to its nest. WOW MOMENT. He was blown away to witness something hardly seen by even the oldest of the Tonto National Park Rangers. He grinned from ear-to-ear the whole way like he was paddling through kayaker-paradise which also lifted me materially. We passed the iconic Ships rock rounded a bend and then could see the end of the lake with boats. 

Reminded me of the BLDSA Lake Bala in Wales event with an end that never comes any closer. We ploughed on, I got my head down and eventually (another 2 miles later) rounded the final bend into the buoy-line which I had to touch to finish.

Bingo. 4 hours14 mins for ca. 9.5 miles done. Chuffed but hurt after giving it too much in the excitement and felt wobbly when back in a vertical position....

Canyon Lake - 9 miles

Heavily-anticipated as the prettiest lake. Seems like all the swimmers and crew concurred 100% afterwards. Same rig - in Wave 2 (out of 3), started at the buoy line and was left at the rear (again)!!!! I hurt my neck during the course of the swim just looking up at the canyon walls, the sheer breathtaking beauty counterbalancing the neck agony for the rest of the swim! This is one of my favourite photos from the whole trip.

Pete saw a Big-Horn Sheep which I missed but silhouetted beautifully at the top of a cliff.

The plan was to take it very smoothly as we knew full well we wanted to ensure we would make the start line in reasonable form for the 17 mile Apache lake the next day. I cruised into the finish line in 4hours 22 which wasn't rapid but didn't feel as wasted as the day before in Saguaro. 

The group all then seemed to start to bond more as we all drove to Apache lake via the Apache Trail (which is long dirt road with NO tarmac) & Tortilla Flat restaurant and checked into the Apache Lake Resort. I had booked us a suite way in advance and was expecting something reasonably plush (with a view) but what we found was something where time stood still in about 1960 (but still had a nice view of what lay ahead for the next day). 

It gave me a perfect juncture to rib Pete about his double bed that looked like it had been used for major gymnastics in a recent honeymoon (the least said about the sheets the better!) - we had a right old giggle about that which took the edge off any worry about the next day so we slept well and both must have snored the roof off....talk about sounds of the Serengeti!

Apache Lake - 17 miles

The logistics on this lake must have made this a nightmare for Kent and the superstar boat crews. Our boat on the way to the staging beach lost its prop to the bottom of the lake, another boat ran out of fuel...murphy's law was working good and proper it appeared. I managed to get Pete a good kayak with a black back support and he was happy as Larry given the potential for ca. 10 hours ahead needing to be comfortable as possible. The swimmers boated to the start-line and it was 9am. I knew that to get this done without getting pulled I would have to pull my speedo's up and get to the other end in 10 hours as it would be getting dark. The first 3-4 miles were a complete breeze swimming in turquoise water past a little island, a beach and 3-mile wash where we had hung out a few days previously. 

Then we turned a corner and Windermere-esque the main middle third of the lake opened up in front of us. We could see for miles. I deliberately looked only to the side breathing & at Pete or the scenery & got my head down to graft. Gradually Mark 'one-speed' Sheridan picked off a few swimmers who had gone off in the earlier wave or were entirely unfamiliar in the distance. 

The wind started to pick up to 15mph and it was becoming slightly uncomfortable. We gradually inched our way until the Apache Resort was in sight where we were told we would be 60% done. The wind was now 20mph as we passed the Apache Marina which I knew we would be able to see for hours to come as it looks up most of the final reach. We 'hugged' the cliffs on the north side which made the swim very special as some of the overhangs looked like faces. 

Swimming under the rocks with some fault-lines visible also gave Pete a cause for concern (would they give way?) but for me the water was so pure & clear with huge boulders underneath me which reminded me of Wastwater (my favourite place to swim in the UK). We rounded the corner into the final 30% and the wind was now absolutely FULL ON, well over 25mph & gusting way more being funnelled by the canyon. We later learned that loads of swimmers and kayakers had retired in this very spot as they dared to peer round the corner. I joked to Pete that we were lucky that it at least wasn't windy and he responded 'Shezza's here for Apache' and he was obviously relishing the challenge of having to paddle hard for once rather than being on the Arizona SCAR lakes & Tonto National Park sightseeing tour with a slow limping gimp for company.

We crossed over the lake into the teeth of this wind and at the time it felt like I was in a proper all-out war - I was secretly glad that this lake was going to be no 'gimmie'. A couple of waves hit my shoulders so hard it ripped my arm from taking any stroke and hurt like hell. I shouted into the water to keep the pain to myself and not to worry my kayaker. However, in this funnelled cauldron of wind was actually some of the most beautiful part of the lake with what Pete knew as the painted cliffs and a really cool single rock sticking up and showing the way like a lighthouse. It was dramatic stuff.

We turned half left round a corner and I then got told I had just over 1.3 miles to go. Where did that suddenly come from? We had a pact that I would never ask how much further to go and Pete maintained he wouldn't tell me anyway. I knew I would get it done in daylight and broken the back of the whole SCAR event. 

The feeling of achievement was heavenly. We got closer to the dam and I thought it looked like something off the WW2 dam-buster films in the darker light.  

The feeling of elation touching the buoy line after 9hours 32 mins and 17 miles of swimming evidenced a feeling of united strength between kayaker and swimmer like few other swims I've been on. I smacked the water for 30 seconds like I did at 2swim4life 2 years previously.

It was an absolute godsend to get onto superstar Danny's speedboat back to the Resort & I recall being in the back with Kelly pretty euphoric & all too aware of what we had just accomplished. The bark from that boat's exhaust is something I will never forget whilst smiling from ear to ear! We made it back to base in a matter of minutes.....
We later found out that fewer than a 1/3 of the original kayakers actually made it all the way to the end. Felt entirely vindicated in my preparations twisting Pete's arm to travel all that way with me. 

Back to the Apache resort for a meal where the vibe was immense with everyone a story to tell about the day's challenges. 

Roosevelt Lake - 6 miles

On the way to the start line I recalled how tough a 10km swim was in 2011 when I took up this sport training for 1 way 10.5 mile Windermere. Now here I was not even 4 years further down the track knocking out a 10km at the end of 35 miles & 3 other days of swimming!!! Mind-blowing really and amazing what cumulative training & events can do for you....

We were told the course and everyone checked LED lights and clear goggles as the finish was to be in darkness. Rounded Windy Hill which was obviously given that name for a reason as once the main body of water opened up it was choppy again. We were swimming towards the 4 peaks and the Roosevelt dam under an Arizona sunset in warm water. Where else would you possibly want to be??! (You can just about make out the swimmer right of centre in pic below)

The bridge near the finish could be seen for miles out but tried to avoid thinking about that as it wasn't coming closer. We passed the marina which went on for ages and I was shocked to learn I still had 1.6 miles to go in the complete darkness with no moon. There were stars everywhere for the kayakers to mostly enjoy. To avoid over-stressing about the finish I remember the Lynne Cox trick of counting in my head. I thought that if I could count to 1000 with each count representing an arm stroke of ca. 1 meter then I would almost be there. That 1000 count got me to the bridge. Pete and I stopped and said 'Wow' to each other for yet another time this trip just to try and take it all in. We then swam to the finish buoy line where we finished at the same time as Colleen from Scotland. We had both done it. Shaking of hands all-round and light applause from the boats. 

I think I yelled out 'yeah' a few times or something else completely non-sensical. It was 10pm. The whole adventure was over and I felt pretty overwhelmed to be honest. It had felt we were on a swimmers conveyor-belt for some of the 4 days trying ones best not to let the wheels fall off. The feeling of accomplishment hit me hard after checking into our hotel room in Globe and posting on Facebook. I grinned, took it all in and fell into one of the most contented sleeps I have ever had in my life. Magic.

Those that finished all 4 lakes were presented with one of these black swim caps which I will treasure like gold dust:

Some tips and conclusions whilst fresh in Pete's and my memories:

Kayaker - essential kit to bring

1. You will be getting wet sitting on a sit-on-kayak. Some swims might make you feel very cold when you get to the end (despite the lush pictures). At the ends of Apache and Roosevelt, Pete was mildly hypothermic believe it or not.

2. Camelback is a great idea for feeding for paddlers and Pete's was filled with ice to help cool him on the warmer swims. Essential.

3. GPS - meant lake navigation an absolute no brainer (will post maps at end of blog when I get them)

4. Need a good head torch and glow-sticks for Roosevelt

5. Sunglasses with leash - take 2 pairs of sunnies as one of Pete's broke.

6. Sunhat - something like a desert marathon hat which has a stiff brim

7. Bandana - protection for head on boat rides

8. Small tupperware box for Kayaker nutrition - Pete had dried fruit in his.

9. Lightweight Kagool essential

10. Drybag

11. Bungees/shock chord. 

12. Choose your kayak on the day wisely as there is little time to adjust once swim is underway

13. Jar to wee into during long swims for the chaps. Ensure you get enough width!

14. Small blunt-nosed scissors for cutting bungy chord etc and attaching cool box to kayak

15. Pre-laminated and pre-routed maps of each lake.

16. Factor 100 suncream (we used Coppertone from Walmart). Sudocrem zinc to ensure you don't burn

17. Ensure to cover up shins as many kayakers had burnt shins. Also wear kayak shoes rather than crocs as they are more comfy. 

18. Bring 2 pairs of kayak gloves as you will probably lose one pair somewhere.

19. Waterproof camera which you can secure to kayak using chord and carabina.

20. Train in windy conditions in a lake of at least 20-25 mph otherwise you might let down your swimmer

21. Binoculars. We forgot them and they might have been handy at times.
22. Mesh bag for all bits and pieces required during the swim for easy storage. 

Swimmer - essential kit

1. Plenty of factor 100 sun cream, Sudocrem zinc or Balmex which is the US equivalent. All the swimmers were caked in the stuff. Getting sunburn on your first swim might make the rest of it never happen. I use Coppertone Factor 100 spray AND cream which u can buy at Wal Mart. I used the spray first thing when getting up in the morning and the cream as a 2nd application before the swim. Then applied Sudocrem zinc on top. Worked a treat!

2. Vaseline or other for chafe etc.

3. Box of plastic gloves. $7 for 100 at Wal Mart.

4. 4 costumes

5. 2 tinted goggles and one clear pair (for Roosevelt)

6. Swear by my towelling dry-robe which you can get on line. Great for getting changed and boat rides, avoiding sun etc.

7. Bright swim caps to alert all boat traffic where you are

8. Crocs, hat, sunglasses plus hard case for sunglasses.

9. I used 2 whole tubs of maxim - without the generosity of Suzie Dodds I would have been left without in this department at Apache. Thanks Suzie.

10. Dry-bag

11. LED lights like you would use for the Channel on costume and goggles.

12. We used a collapsable circular Thermos bag which was ideal. Can buy cool-boxes from Wal Mart that are disposable.

13. Small fluid thermos. End of Apache and Roosevelt you might feel cold. I had to feed off iced feeds which made me even colder. Cover that base with a small thermos with some warm drink just in case for those 2 swims.

14. The temperatures in the lakes were all around 70 fahrenheit. If you are from the UK and used to open water you will probably never swim outdoors in such hot water. That in itself can present its own challenges with overheating. Some US swimmers who were very thin complained about the cold water.....Trust me > it was mostly heavenly.
15. Could bring a mesh bag for feeds but we didn't need it as had the thermos bag.

Other stuff etc

1. We hired a Jeep Patriot which was ideal for the Apache trail plus had enough space for all our kit.

2. iPad or iPhone - you will get free wifi in most hotels and restaurant & be able to post your progress

3. Choose your kayaker wisely. I would always take someone you know who is decent. Go the extra mile as they might go the extra mile for you on Apache which might make the difference between finish or failure.

4. Bring a flexible attitude and don't take anything (including yourself) seriously. We joked a whole bunch at every feed.

5. We stayed deliberately at La Quinta Inn at Superstition Blvd which meant that after the flight and drive we had 10 bars and restaurants including a good Mall and Wal Mart very nearby (all walkable). They also had a warm jacuzzi which was ideal for recovery after Saguaro. They also had loads of ice and fridges in rooms. 

6. We did a fair amount of post swim recovery with milkshakes at Dairy Queen. Highly recommended. WE spent many lunchtimes at Paradise cafe in Signal Butte Road which serves the nicest salads and fresh value-added type nutritional food which we craved at times. They are all over Phoenix. This place is a real hit and you have to go. They will even pack you up a lunch at 7am.

7. Tonto Pass - you CANNOT buy these at Saguaro lake and have to buy them at Petrol stations etc in the area. Many people did not read the notes and could have been left stuck without the generosity of others. Buy 3 at the beginning of the week and you are covered for your parking.

8. Arrive early at swims as when things get moving you won't have time to breathe!

9. Insects by the lake were a non-issue. We only got bitten chilling by the hotel pool!

10. If your application is successful - READ ALL OF KENT's NOTES!! Many people didn't bother. Read them at least 3 times and have them with you. 

Conclusions etc

This is a tough swim. Make no mistake. I trained as hard as I could during the Winter but you can only do what you can with job constraints. My speed improved and I did 2 swim weeks away (40km in Lanzarote with Team Bayliss one week and another in FV) and loads of sets at Charlton Lido on Saturdays not to mention all the other gym, rowing and pilates work.

If you look at those who finished and the times (on www.scarswim.com), you will observe that I was the last male finisher home in terms of aggregate time for all lakes. I don't necessarily consider myself the slowest but if you are contemplating this, then might be worth some definite consideration of speed! I think some of the media flannel was all about floating on your back and relaxation > don't be fooled - you still gotta be able to swim mileage.

It's the hardest event in terms of the cumulative effect of 41 miles over 4 days I have done in my life. If I were to do each swim as a one-off event it wouldn't give me nightmares but this is definitely one of the hardest things I have done if not the hardest. The water temperature though was never cold to me but then I swam thru the winter with the Nutters in the UK!

Lastly, don't underestimate the need for a decent kayaker. I wanted Pete to come along as I didn't want it round a stranger's neck that I might not finish the whole event.

I won't put my name down again to swim as the event is niche and that might prevent someone else from taking part. Someone else needs to have this experience now. I would love to go back as a kayaker or to help on the boats with the volunteers. I would like to think that I will definitely return to take in the amazing scenery above the water.

Happy swimming and get in touch if you need guidance and are thinking about applying.

The stars of the show - Kent Nicholas (centre) and Pete Fellows (right)

An interview with the only 2 out of 9 who conquered 21.6mile Loch Lomond in 2014

9 entered and set off from Ardlui on Saturday 23rd August 2014 but only 2 emerged from the water at Balloch on Sunday 24th August 2014: Philip Hodges (1st photo) and Adrian Rotchell (2nd photo).

I don't mind admitting to you that I get emotional even now when I think about my successful attempt in 2012 and feel that Lomond is one of the most magical places on earth. Finishing that swim has given me untold confidence and enriched my life more ways than I care to mention.

I was fortunate enough to catch up and sit down with Philip and Adrian yesterday which is less than 10 days after their swim to try and get to the bottom of what they did that made them succeed. I really love the ethos of the BLDSA where we can achieve amazing feats of endurance and yet give back to this wonderful sport on a voluntary basis & try and educate others. It really isn't about making money out of swimming in any way for me. I know others share that ideal.

To put their name into the history books as numbers 49 and 50 to conquer the loch respectively, it wasn't just down to their repeatable stroke. They depended on boats and boat crews, had to swim through the evening then the entire night (!) through cold water and freezing air temperatures. They had to navigate islands, deal with exhaustion, feeds and the small matter of swimming further than they had ever swam before………….

I hope you find this blog useful, instructive and inspirational as I asked them to respond to 10 insightful questions:

AR = Adrian Rotchell
PH = Philip Hodges

Why Loch Lomond?

AR: I really selected this swim as the key milestone swim prior to my Channel attempt in August 2015. Many of my swimming friends had gone the route of a Two-way Windermere in the year preceding their attempts and I wanted to 'change it up a bit' and do something that none of them had done before and were in fact a little scared of!
PH: A few years ago I had wanted to organise a Loch Ness attempt but it never really got of the ground. So my attention switched to the BLDSA Loch Lomond swim.

When did you first hear about the swim?

AR: Actually Mark, it was you that inspired me to do the swim. Having read your blog it felt right to include it in my plans. It has kept me focused and motivated in my training over the past two years.

PH: It was initially through doing other BLDSA events that I became aware of it and then reading Mark Sheridan's blog post on his 2012 BLDSA Lomond swim was the catalyst that inspired me to give it a go.

What did you do to prepare? Did you feel under-prepared at the start-line?

AR: It's rare I know but I felt ready both mentally and physically for the swim. I had worked on reducing stroke rate throughout the year and went from 60+ down to a pretty constant 56/7      per minute, just to save my shoulders. I did 4 six hour swims in the sea this year, completed Champion of Champions and did one ten hour sea swim four weeks before the main event. I then tapered down in final preparation. Nothing was left to chance and ensuring I had all the logistics, gear, boat, right crew sorted early was really critical to my sanity and stress levels. Based on some sound advice from you, I made sure my crew had Friday afternoon on the loch together and all day on Saturday before the start to ensure they knew their jobs on the boat, were fully confident and had the route nailed down.
PH:  I work long hours and also commute so most of my training consisted of weekend loading, primarily a season in Dover Harbour with Freda Streeter and I also joined Cambridge Masters for two interval sessions a week. I also attended Ned Denison's Cork Distance Week.

I felt a little under-prepared. Mainly to do with the unknowns of swimming through the night and just swimming for potentially twice my previous longest swim.

What was your longest swim before undertaking LL?

AR: Ten hour sea swim four weeks beforehand

PH: My longest swim prior to Lomond was seven hours in Dover Harbour. Lomond at 13 hours was a bit of a jump.

What was your feeding plan? Did that work or go wrong at any stage?

AR: Fed every hour after the first two hours. 500ml Torq lime carb powder mixed with warm water, alternate banana and flapjack each feed for solids. This lasted until hour 8 when I ditched the Torq and moved to hot / warm chocolate in the same quantities and relied just on flapjack for solids. Had a sneaky milky way just before the last mile (just because I was worth it).
Feed plan was generally good and although I got fed up with the Torq, the hot chocolate was perfect and I had not tried that before. I also had a box of my favourite Torq gels (Rhubarb and Custard) in the boat but never needed one.
PH: My feeding plan was Nick Adam's "Keep it simple, keep it fast!" 

I had two 1.5 litre bottles of double strength Maxi and a 3 litre Thermos pump of warm water. For the first 10(?) hours I had about 300ml once an hour and for the last three hours switched to 150ml every 30 minutes. In total, for the 13 hours I used about 3.5 litres of the 6 litres of feed available on the boat. 

For all but one of the feeds we used a large open cup handed to me. When the wind picked up and we switched to a plastic bottle on a string. I tried to keep all the feeds fast. Towards the end it became increasingly tempting to use these stops as "rest breaks". Not 100% sure but like to think I manage to keep even the slowest feeds under a minute.

I also had snacks available, jelly babies, milky ways, bananas etc but never desired any.

Did you have any dark thoughts during the epic challenge and what did you do to overcome them?

AR: I got quite paranoid at one point in the swim when the boat stalled. I stopped to ask if all was well and was told by someone the carry on. Before I knew it I was a way from the boat and was being told off.. I stayed very close to the boat after that and was questioning if I had actually imagined being told to carry on... The dark and the cold can play tricks on your senses but not sure I would put this in the category of 'dark thoughts'
PH: Yes. There were very dark thoughts. Whenever these felt like they would overwhelm me I would zone out and just concentrate on my breathing. Bubble, bubble breath... bubble, bubble breath...

Sounds like dippy hippy stuff I know but worked a treat.

Was it cold? Did you shake after getting out? How are your shoulders now? 

AR: It was chilly.. I did three hours in the sea in early April this year and it was almost as cold as that. I also swam in Loch Long several times in the week up to the swim, which meant I knew what I was in for, and getting into Loch Lomond was not so much of a shock. I did shiver afterwards for 30 - 40 minutes but James L (the machine) let me warm up in his car which was very kind. I felt good at the finish and my shoulders were fine, if anything I felt good enough to keep swimming. Even in the days following I had only had minor stiffness in my neck and shoulders :-) the sore throat was far worse (from breathing in the cold air all night I expect)
PH: I was told the air temp dropped to 4C for most of the night and that the water temp ranged from 14C at the start to 16C at the finish. The water temp I was OK with but the cold night air wrecked my throat and lungs. I was initially sceptical that the air had been that cold but the weather report for the night seemed to back it up.

Shoulders felt fine.

Did you actually enjoy the swim itself and how do you feel about the achievement now?

AR: I enjoyed every minute and am delighted that my training is exactly on track for the Channel. I may look back on this swim as an even greater achievement than the Channel but right now I am very focused on that goal. In the back of my mind I feel I could have swam quicker and looking back at some video footage that my crew took, I still have some more things to work on that will help me achieve and maintain a faster pace for swims next year.
PH: A week later it is very easy to say yes. All the difficult parts seem to be fading away and you are just left with the awesome memories. Loch Lomond is stunning! It is an amazing and humbling swim. I am very pleased I attempted it and very pleased I did it as part of a BLDSA event. 

What do you have planned next?

AR: A full year of training, a healthy mixture of sea swims and BLDSA events based around the same schedule as this year to prepare for my Channel attempt.
PH: I have an EC solo booked for July 2015.

Any other key pieces of advice for any swimmers contemplating LL?

AR: Be brave, sign up, train hard and expect it to be cold (We were all spoilt this year by warm lakes and seas and I was not expecting 14 degrees in the run up to the swim. I don't know how I would have felt if I just turned up on the Saturday evening and jumped in without a few cold swims under my belt earlier in the week) and make sure your crew is well informed and confident. My crew were exhausted after my swim, it is very 'mentally' intense and a challenge in its own right. It's a real team effort and the shared feeling of joy and sense of achievement will stay with us all forever.
PH: The fish and chips from the Ardlui Hotel are pretty awesome and a great second lunch prior to the swim!!

Swimming the English Channel Solo Swim 11th/12th July 2014

So there I was on the way to Bala for the annual BLDSA 2-way and 1-way (9 miles in total) swim weekend, stopped at Cirencester in the Cotswolds to have lunch & pick up one of my best mates, Hugh, then get up to leave when my phone suggests that I have a text. That's odd I think - none of my mates would text at 2pm on a Friday and must have had a 6th sense that it's my pilot, Neil Streeter.

'Are you one of the ones keen to bring your Channel Swim forward?'
'Sure, ready when you are' I replied.
'10pm tonight?'
'No problem, see you at the Marina at 9.30pm then...'

And that was that - everything was meant to be. Turned round the car headed 3 hours back to Sevenoaks with Hugh, called the other 3 crew members - Kev, Mick and my brother Richard - they were all up for it although Kev seemed more upset than the others as he had to cancel a hot date of the evening and a table at Gaucho in Richmond.

( From left to right Kev 'I gave up a hot date at Gaucho to go on this swim' Dalton, Richard (my brother), Hugh 'let's play forget the passport game when we get to the Marina' Yarrow, Mick 'Sea Dog' McCarthy'. Do not approach these men in the street - they mainline Chablis and go weak at the knees for Wagon Wheels.)

We met at my house, Rose Cottage, near Sevenoaks at 8pm and finalised all the kit that I had been meticulously preparing for weeks after washing down the finest plate of Ginger Chicken Udon at Wagamama on the way back from Cirencester.

We got to Dover Marina. Hugh had a massive panic as had left his and (more importantly) my passport at home (45 mins away) cue a phone call to Emily to meet him half way on the M20 at breakneck speed to get back asap!! (There's always some crisis that ensues in these swims!!

Whilst Hugh was retrieving said passports, Neil and Adrian decided that would be an ideal juncture to throw co-pilot Sam Jones into the water of the Marina....twice! I giggled so hard any last nerves were obliterated and definitely took the edge off passport-gate!

Anyway, we stowed all the kit on majestic Suva that Neil Streeter had painstakingly refurbed over the winter and were told that as we were swimming on a Spring tide would leave from Samphire Hoe. Ok no problem....bring it on....Forecast to get up to 4/5 at some stage and then drop the closer to France. Neil was reasonably happy with wind direction of south west. Fine. Ok - what experience do I have of Channel swimming? - I just had masses of desire! Hugh came back with the documents and we were off! No turning back...

(Feeling relaxed and not like a condemned man on boat from Dover in the background round to Samphire Hoe).

Took 25 mins to motor to Samphire Hoe. The crew commented how fast the tide was shifting outside of the harbour with the boat making hard headway against it. Wow. First time I had been outside of the confines of the harbour. 5 mins to go.

Greased up by my brother, goggles, lights, ear plugs and then said 'see you in a bit' and swam the 50-100m in to the beach. Hooter went off and then we were underway. It was 10.49pm Friday 11th July 2014.

(Swimming to beach - swimmer with green light and beach lit up by Suva's spotlight)

Felt absolutley terrific as I hadn't been at work but had 8 hours in the car all day. I reminded myself that I had swum over 21 miles on 3 occasions, definitely had the distance in the shoulders plus a stroke to work for the occasion which seemed to extinguish any anxieties completely. The water gradually felt like something that I was going to acclimatise to although it felt quite tasty & chilly on the initial plunge! The plan was to swim for the 1st hour then have a feed then 40 minute intervals thereafter. In the end that worked just fine.

The crew had the spotlight on me for that first hour until it was making me feel like I was in an interrogation room & was disorientating. The first hour was spent getting used to the odd pale jellyfish bumping into me ('what the hell was that?') but not stinging me plus trying to get used to the swell. 1st hour gone, in for a feed and 2 jelly babies. I asked Neil to turn off the spot light and now it was me in darkness save for green LED lights and the boat lit up with green lightsticks that were placed below the gunwales.
Ploded on and then, completely unannounced, felt a sudden rasping burn all the way down my left arm as I was stung my a more aggressive variety of jellyfish which hurt from elbow to hand but gradually dulled during the swim - but at the time felt like one of the Dover massive had knifed me all down my arm. Ouch - bloody ouch I thought. The swell and waves increased the further we ventured from the shore and was hard order swimming in the dark - I just couldn't work out a rythmn that is usually so easy to find anywhere else I have swum.

(Dodging ferries as we get swept up towards the North Sea - can just about make out my green light middle left)

The next feed came quickly at 40 mins with maxim and a mini Mars bar. Little was I to know then that this would pretty much be the last solid of the day. Swam up to the boat and got a mouthful of engine fumes (like each time I fed). Yuk. I swallowed the feed and fought off the urge to gag. This was a similar pattern for most of the night feeds - almost praying for the wind to get up to move the fumes as far from me as possible. The lights of Dover continued to shine brightly (seemed like forever) although we first managed to lose Folkestone into the night gloom. Ferries went up and down and seemed spookily different lit up at night almost like something from outer space - the Varne lightship seemed like something from a James Bond movie..... I thought I was beginning to hallucinate and forced myself to get a grip.....

We trundled on and I remembered how mentally exhausting it is swimming at night with only the outline of the boat and a few lights for reference points. 2 of the crew were now noticeably not on deck and I envied them being wrapped up in the sleeping bags we packed. It was sensible of them as the 4 took it in turns for each team of 2 to have 2 hour shifts (and I would recommend such a plan btw). We got to the end of darkness and I was beginning to feel really sleepy and just was desperate to get my head down myself. Get a grip Sheridan...The gloomy night gradually lifted and the cloudy day began.

The air temperature felt cold at this early hour and I went in for a feed. The 5 litre pump-action thermos which had been initially filled at 8pm the previous evening was now tepid at best. I complained about craving a warm feed. 40 mins passed and then I had another cold feed but was reassured that the kettle was on and the next feed would be warmer. I was beginning to feel miserable and marginally sorry for myself......

I swam on through the gloomy morning into a reasonable swell (witness the odd white-cap in the picture below), the boat was pitching back and forth & I was terrifically thankful that I was not on that rocking boat following a slow motion swimmer (I giggled to myself for a while about this that kept me going). Then ALL OF A SUDDEN a pain in the knee!!! A biting mouth!!!

What the heck was that? A fish was trying to take multiple chunks out of my right knee (thank god it wasn't going for the middle of my 3 knees I joked to myself) I reached down and just about managed to get hold of the slimy eel-looking creature and threw it as far as I could and let the crew know that I had been attacked by a fish. They must have thought I was completely bonkers - 'nothing will do that to you in the Channel'.  It was thought to have been a Gar fish but was definitely a Sea Lamprey Wikipedia Link now I've had a chance to consult.... Very odd and entirely unexpected.…We soldiered on...

Anyway, the swell was continuing and each feed was just about being held down despite me gagging forever and a day until I couldn't take any longer and did 3 really terrific wretches and I produced enough sound effects to create as much drama as possible to make people laugh - I don't think they heard me over the sound of the engine though. Felt marginally better after losing much/most of my stomach but really burning the back of my throat in the process. Ouch. Masterpiece of crewing from the lovely Sam Jones was the immediate change of feeds to tea with fruit sugar then coffee with fruit sugar. Game changer as I felt more with it and after those feeds could then get back on the maxim - but this time much more super-charged maxim that Sam takes a great pride to stir up in her cauldron like chewing gum!

We steadily made our way passed the French shipping lane and into French in-shore water where it gradually and finally became much calmer & the air and sea was warmer. I found a decent rythmn and the water felt ace. Still swimming over masses of jellyfish 6 feet down but I certainly wanted to be nowhere else but here in this warmer calmer water right there and then. I couldn't see the French coast although the boys assured me it was visible through to cloud. The crew noticed my pick up in pace and were congratulating me as had probably long concluded they were dealing with serious plodder here trying to get his money's worth.

We eventually swung down the coast on the spring tide and France was there in front of me. To the left I could even just about make out Cap Gris Nez (above) and the lighthouse behind the headland. Wow. Is this the fairytale ending that people talk about I wondered? I started to feel slightly excited although didn't count my chickens. France never came closer but I decided to give it much more beans in the water to give it a proper go. All of a sudden the tide turned and we were heading back up towards the Cap. Wonderful I thought. Little did I realise that the now 5 knot tide was sweeping me past this ideal and I was a mile out with no chance of landing it at 12 hours….. I had lost touch with the boat and when I finally caught up with them, Neil was out on the rail giving me a blasting that I deserved:
'Forget the fairytale lighthouse, that's over. Stop looking at your f-ing watch, stop f-ing looking up at France, get your head down, follow me and graft. Let's get this swim done and we're going into the Bay'.
'Yes Sir' I replied with the compliance of an obedient child who might have jeopardised getting their bike for Christmas...'I will follow you'.

(Heading into Wissant Bay above)

Missing the cap was going to cost another 4-5 miles of swimming and perhaps 2.5 hours in the end but bit by bit I assured myself that if I could put one arm in front of the other then I would get there eventually which was something that I had remembered reading Zoe Sadler's Channel write-up.

I then began to pick up and see a beach that Neil seemed to be aiming for. There was no-one on it - oh how ideal - a deserted beach all to myself. But the more we kept going it never seemed to get closer. I stopped swimming and enquired 'please can you assure me that I am actually moving somewhere? Am I making progress?' Affirmative came back the answer. The thought entered my head that Susan Taylor had perished tragically in this bay (perhaps close to this very spot) almost a year to the day and I empathised with her at this very moment struggling like me in this particular spot trying to get the job done.

Short Clip of Swimming into Wissant Bay: The Home Straight

Another 20 mins went by and the beach was still yellow sand but then, all of a sudden, I could see people on the beach, a tractor, a dog running perhaps and loads of seagulls overhead.
Then a few arm strokes later the boat stopped and Sam said over the rail:

'Hugh is going to get in and swim with you to the shore. The boat isn't going any further as it is too shallow'.

I hadn't realised that Hugh had donned his jammers and had launched himself off the stern of Suva to accompany me the last few hundred meters.

(Final yards with Hugh on left Shezza on right)

We made for the beach and then noticed some steps that led out of the water on the right-hand side. How ideal I thought of them to put them there for someone with a disability who struggles  to get out of the water. We rocked up to the steps through the waves and cleared the sea amid cheers of all the watching French people who stood beside the Coastguard Tower on the promenade. I raised my arms in the air and Suva's horn went off. We had made it:

YouTube video of the finish here: End of Swim Film

(that'd be me - the fool that missed Gap Gris Nez in the background costing him 2.5 hours of more self-inflicted punishment…but the round of applause was worth it…)

A smiley Frenchman enquired where I had come from and how long I had taken - 15 hours I thought but was corrected by Hugh that it was nearer 14 1/2 hours. Bonus. I would have bitten your hand off for under 15 hours before getting in.

(The only civilised way to finish a Channel swim complete with applause and welcoming committee)

Hugh suggested that I find some stones but, in my state and where we landed, that looked like an absolute impossibility. Next thing I knew he duck-dived down and found 3 immediately shoved them in his trunks and we swam the few hundred meters back to majestic Suva glistening in the sunlight. The whole world seemed warmer all of a sudden and there was no urgency anymore. I even did the odd breaststroke or 2 which was a relief after 14 1/2 hours of front crawl!! I climbed up the ladder onto the deck no problem at all,  my brother got me dressed in short order and spent the rest of the trip looking back to France with a can of Fanta gradually falling asleep with my brothers sun glasses on until we were stopped by HMS Valliant for a passport check 1 hour later!!

(HMS Valliant keeping the Riff Raf out and Mick insisted the only reason they came on board and stopped us was because they mistook Kev for a Bosnian…..)

What an ace crew and top swim. All I had to do was to get in, get on with it, swim some more, then get out. Mission accomplished - simples (cue the meer-cat!). All the meticulous training and preparation stood me in good stead. Particularly the 7 hour & 6 hour Sat and Sunday weekend at Dover in early June plus the BLDSA Champion of Champions & Torbay 8-milers as particularly ideal training. Nothing was left to chance and it was only going to be a serious weather pattern surprise that was going to spoil the show.

(Above from left to right: Adrian, rockstar Neil Streeter, Sam Jones, Hugh Yarrow, Shezza - limping gimp, Richard Sheridan (brother), Kevin Dalton, Mick McCarthy, John Thorpe (Observer).

I owe a particular shout out to the following people, the 'Sherpas' (other than crew) as super honorary mentions without whom my swim would never have been possible

Giovanna Richards - Made me realise in 2010 that I could swim a mile in an outdoor pool at David Lloyd in Kings Hill, Kent and encouraged me to go to the local lake in a wetsuit to see how liberating open water swimming would become. Never worn the wetsuit since.
She's a Swimsmooth swim-coach and really motivated me to believe I could keep testing my boundaries - nothing is deemed impossible for G. She will attest that 4 years ago, during a midlife crisis, I was able to come to this sport with no experience and deliver a Channel swim.

Ray Gibbs - Swim coach and founder of Swim Canary Wharf. Helped me craft an effortless stroke over the years. When I got back from swimming the Channel on the Saturday, I swam for an hour in Dover on Sunday and did some sprint sets.... This is testament to the teachings of Ray 'Mr Miyagi' Gibbs. If you are serious about becoming a marathon swimmer or encounter shoulder pain in training look up Ray. (he gets booked up though so use the Winter months to do the grunt technical work)

Anne-Mette Friis - My Pilates coach who after the Marsden single-handedly has helped me get the most of what my body can deliver. I have unreal flexiblity & core strength after 18 months of 1:1pilates 1x per week and very rarely require a sports massage. Find her in London (at scandipilates.com).

Pascale Kippelen - Brunel university - The expert who helped diagnose that I had exercise induced asthma (or EIB) - & gave treatment prescription. Had no problems breathing during the swim thanks to a healthy dose of Serevent before getting in the Channel. Amazing how many experts you need on your side to deal with what your body throws at you as my body started developing EIB after all these relentless long distance swims....

Professor Meirion Thomas - Head of Surgical Oncology at the Royal Marsden - Was only one of 3 surgeons in the country who could have saved my life by removing a complex life threatening grapefruit-sized tumour that was discovered sitting on my left femoral nerve in October 2012. Was left with major left leg disability with no use of left quadricep. He though I would never swim long distances again but I take great pride in sending e-mails of my swims and letting him know that one can swim without a left leg-kick. He saves lives but it reminds you that you can swim the Channel with a good arm stroke and little leg kick - I am living proof! Don't give me any excuses if you are perfectly able bodied as I'm unlikely to have any sympathy!

Freda Streeter, Barry and Irene Wakeham - The solid beach crew, ever-present in all weathers with oodles of experience, patience and cuddles. They just give their time but isn't that the most valuable thing in life? They have given hundreds of swimmers their time & insights which are priceless.

(from left to right: Freda, me, Irene and Barry)



(Map of route taken showing strength of 6.8m spring tide)

Is the English Channel a tough swim? I would say of course it is. Loch Lomond and Two Way Windermere are much tougher on the shoulders as they are less buoyant in the fresh water & Lomond, in particular, is colder. Those BLDSA swims were also undertaken over a late afternoon, an evening then an entire night to get them done which was mentally very tough. HOWEVER,  The Channel messes with your constitution as it's salt water, swell and chop that all serve up a concoction that is quite aggressive on your mouth and makes you feel really grim at times. I finished Lomond in 14hours 44 mins and I'd say it's tougher as you have to organise so many of the logistics yourself and it was a huge unknown with so few people conquering it - there's no pilot hand delivered for you easily.... Some people also say the the 2 Swim 4 life is tougher than the Channel which I would probably agree with for the mind-numnbing factor but again no salt water so doesn't mess as much with your soul!!

See those blogs here:

Loch Lomond: Loch Lomond 21.6 mile 2012
2Swim4Life: 2Swim4Life2013
Two Way Windermere: 2WW 2013

If you want to learn more about the basics of long distance front crawl, the most popular post I have ever written is here: Long Distance Front Crawl technique

(Done - mission accomplished - ca. 1.30pm 12th July 2014, 14 hours 33 mins 59 seconds)