English Channel attempt in July

G'day,
To those of you I know, I've set this up to document some of the stuff you might like to keep track of as I attempt to swim the English Channel in July this year (2011). To all others - welcome to my mid life crisis.
My tide window is 7th July to 18th July.
Pop back from time to time and come July I hope we can keep you up to date during the swim. On the right is a link to my Twitter feed which we expect to be able to update during the swim. If you also sign up to Twitter it's probably the best way to send messages on the big day. I'd sure love to get a few!
I will also post some blogs in the lead up to keep you all informed on likely swim day and time.
I've trained hard and met some fantastic people on the journey - I cant believe how generous everyone has been with time, advice and support - my plan is to make you all proud.
Most of all thanks to Caren (I adore you), T and Lucy for putting up with a mostly absent husband and father for the last year. Big expensive make up holiday in France and Spain coming soon. Lucky I know how to save on the ferry ticket!

Thanks everyone, AV.

Thursday, 14 July 2011

This is hard

Unfortuately, I've just got the very unwanted call from the pilot that tonights swim is off. For those who follow channel swimming Mike Oram posted on the channel swimmers chatsite that swims tonight were now unlikely and shortly thereafter I got the call from my pilot. The window is just not big enough.

I have to say that this is surprisingly very emotional. The waiting, the nerves, the energy to get to this point. Anyway, the pilot is positive and when I ask him to look into his crystal ball he reckons that "good weather always comes after bad weather ....just a matter of time".
He is going to do his best to accommodate me in the spring tide.

If you're watching the British Open golf it's being played about 10km from here so that will give you some sense of the wind.

Anyway, it's all getting stressful after two weeks in Dover so Caren and the girls are off to Paris till Monday night and I'm going up to stay with Ollie in the lakes district and pick up the training in lake Windermere (a bit of fresh water training will be good for me). Need to get back in the groove and do a few hard sessions and use up all this adrenaline floating around in my system.

Thanks to all for the good wishes. I have heard many stories like this wait....guess I just didn't expect the wave of emotions as you get ready to swim and then don't. Your messages are great. I know how many people are on my side and when get the chance I know I'll be feeling the love as I swim to France. I just need the chance.

Talk to all next week and keep praying to the weather gods.

AV
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1 comment:

  1. Jon Biddle17 July 2011 at 19:43

    Hi AV,
    As a good friend of ours once got told "The pain won't last forever, but the memory will". So this time you built memories of another type, but that has meant it has also built your determination even more.
    All the best, it is only a matter of time.
    Jon Biddle

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