I am doing the English channel next Sept 2011. I am trying to get a good handle on the cold water thing. So this is what I have been doing but if anyone knows of other tricks I would love to know what they did to prepare for the English channel cold water.
At the moment I take a cold shower every day and 2 times a week sit in a bath full of ice. I live close to lake Michigan and right now the temp has been around 56-64 I have been doing no wet suit. I am up to a 2 hour swim in the cold but have to do a 6 hour cold water swim this Oct. At about two hours my feet lose feeling and my hands too. I can feel my core start to really get cold.
I have used may things to keep warm on being Vaseline did work just got my goggles all messed up, Crisco has done ok. But I am think of getting some Lanolin but dont know if it will be better. Has anyone used it and feel like it has worked far better?
The other thing is my Coach and I are going to set up a floating raft ancoared down and us it for a feeding station. I was thinking of putting a jug of hot water in there to pour over my self. Has anyone tryed this? I want to do hot liquides but my coach said the last guy he trained for the channel had hot tea and he cramped up. Wonder in if that was just him or because the water is so cold with the hot it Shocks your body. My coach told me to not worrie this will all come in time but I have 2 months till my 6 hour swim in 60 or less water temp and it is freeking me out. So any one that knows of some tricks please post them!!!! thanks Aurora :coffee::coffee:
Parents
Former Member
Cheers Chaos.
And Congratulations Channel Swimmer! Welcome to the club! You are now a superstar of swimming, and have achieved something no money can buy and that no-one can ever take away from you, and in all likelihood, something that most people, except those who have gone through it, will never understand.
We're delighted with Ciarán and sad for the other friend there, you'll know who I mean.
(There's a good chance you've heard some of the details of my swim, I'm already becoming known as "the guy who....". It was...eventful.)
Seven of us have trained together for a year. I worked out the training total just yesterday, 2.47 million in the year for me. Ciarán being later would be even more. Four of us have made it. One got weathered out and never even got the chance to swim, and has none remaining. One got pulled less than a mile from France, the same day you were swimming, and we have one left to swim.
People tend to dismiss the Channel now, not understanding just how difficult it can be. Some get good swims (our first friend to go got the best day of the year), the rest of us got Force 5 winds, as you did.Something soloists are not supposed to get, as you know.
I've been quoting Philip Larkin out of context for the Channel...
"A serious house on serious earth it is,
In whose blent air all our compulsions meet,
Are recognised, and robed as destinies."
Congrats again. And enjoy your success, I still am.
Cheers Chaos.
And Congratulations Channel Swimmer! Welcome to the club! You are now a superstar of swimming, and have achieved something no money can buy and that no-one can ever take away from you, and in all likelihood, something that most people, except those who have gone through it, will never understand.
We're delighted with Ciarán and sad for the other friend there, you'll know who I mean.
(There's a good chance you've heard some of the details of my swim, I'm already becoming known as "the guy who....". It was...eventful.)
Seven of us have trained together for a year. I worked out the training total just yesterday, 2.47 million in the year for me. Ciarán being later would be even more. Four of us have made it. One got weathered out and never even got the chance to swim, and has none remaining. One got pulled less than a mile from France, the same day you were swimming, and we have one left to swim.
People tend to dismiss the Channel now, not understanding just how difficult it can be. Some get good swims (our first friend to go got the best day of the year), the rest of us got Force 5 winds, as you did.Something soloists are not supposed to get, as you know.
I've been quoting Philip Larkin out of context for the Channel...
"A serious house on serious earth it is,
In whose blent air all our compulsions meet,
Are recognised, and robed as destinies."
Congrats again. And enjoy your success, I still am.
