8 hour swim

Well - it didnt start well. Whilst getting my food and drinks sorted sorted for the day at 6am (!) i had a little Maximuscle Viper powder (energy drink) left over in the tub. SO i thought 'no harm getting ahead of the game and getting a little energy on board early' but i was in a bit of a rush and didnt let the stuff dissolve. Bad mistake. So taking in a few chunks of this powder wasnt a good idea as it reacted within a minute with my stomach contents and i manage to offer all my last 2 meal contents to the loo. As i had already eaten toast, had a coffee and taken a couple of immune tablets - not a great start!
Got down to the lakes before 7am and there was literally noone to be seen. Lake looked inviting though so got ready and got in - alone in the area for about an hour.
Notes -
Bored after an hour - named my cricket team of the last 30 year within ten minutes and then just studied underwater life! Greatest football and Rugby teams being saved for the main event! BTW - team was (and i am sure i forgot some important cricketers!) Greenidge Strauss Tendulker Ponting Lara Gilchrist Botham Khan Warne Mcgrath Holding.... lot of runs in there!

but seriously -

11/2 - 2 hrs - Shoulders started aching a little - early?
fine for a while
41/2 hrs - felt very faint and dizzy followed by very hungry. Was thinking of stopping with the dizziness but then had a large feed and it was sorted. Note - feeding every hour is not enough at this stage - needs to be 45 mins.
fine until 61/2 hrs when shoulders ached for an hour but then came out the other side which was good before stopping at 8 hrs. Averaging about 18 1/2 mins per KM during then 19 1/2 mins for the last KM..

Unlike the last time i went to the lake, i didnt feel like i was Frogger in a game of old style Frogger with the windsurfers..! Did about 30 mins breaststroke but it only seems to slow me by 30 sec every KM so not much in it really and uses different muscles so feel happy using that to change things and recover..
Note to self - over 8 hrs in the sun - factor 15 not enough!!

Longest swim to date

I did a 7 hr swim yesterday... probably covering close to 20-21km in the lakes. Cold not an issue, boredom was a little! Thanks again to Martin and Rory for helping for a couple of hrs and swimming along with me. I have been told it is likely that i will have to give it a 'burst' for an hour at some stage to make a tide window and therefore stop swimming on the spot for 3 hrs! - yesterday i gave a 1km breastroke sprint after 6hrs (as i dont think i can sprint crawl after 6 hrs!) and did 1km in 18 mins. SO the pilot needs to know the my batteries dont give out more than that!

I put on my waterproof MP3 player after 51/2 hrs to give me a boost - great invention, although not allowed on the day as i have to swim it as per Captain Webb, and he only had a hat, goggles and speedos... his equivalent would have been a brass band on the boat, with his Port (energy drink!)... 2 songs helped yesterday - 'you're the best' from Karate Kid!, and Come Back by the Foo Fighters... try them when you are in trouble exercising..

6hr swim

Did my first 6 hr swim yesterday. Felt like i was turning into a fish by the end!
Thanks to Martin and Rory for joining me for an hour or so... makes the whole thing a little easier. The temperature of the lake has increased and i found that element ok as did with the food/drinks. SHoulders ached towards the end and on and off during but nothing that would have stopped me. Very little breastroke and i know i can fall back on that should i need to. Saw some pretty big fish in the lake although i am guessing nothing compared to what could lurk in the channel - really not worth thinking about yet!! Feeling drained today like a long weekend at the Oktoberfest!
Feeding -
1hr Hot energy drink
2hr Tea and energy bar
3hr Hot energy drink and energy gel
4hr Tea and energy bar and half a marmite sandwich
5hr Hot energy drink and energy gel
No new photos yet..

4hr open water swim

Today was my first swim in open water over 4hrs. 4hrs 2mins to be exact. It felt a little cold for the first hour but then seemed to improve so by the end i could hardly feel it. Not sure why? Took on hot drinks every hour... on the real thing it will prob be every 3o mins. Frodo went in with me for his first non swimming pool dip of the year (he will be doing the odd hr with me in the channel in a wetsuit). This time he didnt wear a wetsuit so i was looking for any signs of hypothermia which is difficult with Frodo as he talks a lot of rubbish a lot of the time (' i could be a professional golfer - i just think i may not be able to handle the pressure'(handicap c 24!)) BUt after 37 mins he had pins and needles in his feet and was cold so got out to keep warm... but i did appreciate the help as it is always nicer to have someone with you for some of the time. Lovely lovely day, with amazing views of the snowy mountains one side, grassy fields on 2 sides and a rocky mountain on the other - beautiful. Temperature - 18 degrees - so similar to the channel. Went through ups and downs of aching then not, but never really felt tired or too cold which was positive. BUT... there were no waves, it wasnt dark at all, and the fish in there would generally fit in a fishtank :)