New Starter

Hello all. I'm Pauls brother Alan and I'm now officially in the team to swim after initially joining as a reserve so i could sit in very warm clothing taking pictures and offering support from the comfort of the pilot boat while filling my face with as much warm food and liquid that they'd allow us to take on board.  What a school boy error that was believing my brother Paul when he told me not to worry about being the reserve as it was so unlikely someone would have to pull out that all I'd have to do was a medical and a swim for a couple of hours before the event.

Well I'd planned to do my first open water swim this weekend without the use of my wetsuit but the powers that be at my local lakes have decided that it's too chilly for mere mortals to be swimming and have not opened. Well that's what i thought on Friday night and in the end was not entirely true. I found out  later that two were open so my initial excuse for not being able to go submerse myself in 12 degree water fell flat on it's face and i now continue to hold team wimp status as my lunatic brother  and the other members of the team seem to  take any opportunity to submerse their bodies in cold water.

Paul seems to have taken cold water training to the next level as over last couple of months he's bin dropping himself into ridiculously cold water at every opportunity ranging from 5 degrees in a fountain while on a skiing holiday, water skiing at centre parks without a wetsuit, much to the amusement of the staff and the half dozen Chinese students who were there at the same time. I offered support by wearing a 5mm wetsuit as he went round and a round the laps enhancing the cold water effect with the wind chill from getting dragged around a lake on a cable. He then found that the chalet we were staying in had an outside shower and took one at 9 in the evening cos it would be funny. He's not wired right but i think that can only help with this challenge.

I did manage to swim 4.2k yesterday in the comfort of my local pool and they left a side door open so there was a nasty draft, which is my version of breaking me in gently. Unfortunately for  me the excuses have all run out, the lakes are open and the Eton 10k is fast approaching.

I'll be at the lake in Datchet this Tuesday morning with the intention of pootling around for as long as i can stand it. Time to man up and get going. I'm looking forward to the challenge and will ask the lads at the lake if they can launch some old junk and oil to swim through and if they have time to try and scare the life out me by buzzing around me in the a boat while dropping jelly fish in front like stinging mines.

I'll let you know how long I last
Alan.

Race Night

What a fantastic night at the Biggin Hill Social Club.
Good mop anybody's of fun and prizes and most important we rised a tidy sum for the charities.
My thanks o Paul ho oaks his socks off to make it a success by doggedly gt some great prizes or the raffle and auction. Pete Melbourne and those who helped out were also great. Awesome job and awesome total of £1579.00

Well wel it is just 103 days to go to d-day.
We had a really good cold water swim in the pool on Saturday. Over 30 minutes @ 10 deg C.
Then Paull did an IM in 1.33 not bad at all. I was going to try better that when I pull my shoulder again on the butterfly so bailed and failed. He also did a 1.18 100m. SHOWOFF.
Training is great and our applications are off this week so if we were unsure it is too late we are committed, I suppose in more ways than one.
We need all the help we can get on the fundraising so if you are reading this please encourage everyone you know to donate even a pound will help.
Al for now Rod.

Saturday Swim

Hi again, it has been a while but quite a bit has happened.
Lizzie still awaits her operation and we all hope that it is sooner rather than later. after all the prepaation we do not want her to miss the swim.
We are all still doing the cold water madness on a saturday morning and this weekend was no exception we did a comfortable 20min swim in water that was around 5 degrees C.
Rod did and big swim on Sunday as part of the preparation for the 10km Eton swim coming up, a full 6km in under 2hrs which was very comfortable.
We have some video and more pictures wich will be added soon.

Please go on line and sponsor us at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/swimforkids

This is freezing

This is freezing

I can't feel a thing is that good or bad?