Completed! Double Crossing of the English Channel full account… Part 2

Dear readers, apologies for this long Blog. I have so much to share from the swim that I couldn’t do in any less words! This is Part 2 of my account from my channel swim, Part one (an introduction) can be found here www.chloemccardel.com/blog/page/2/. Check all my 2010 English Channel photos in my gallery and this a great little Utube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scckQ_TSNcQ - Thanks Mikey!!

 

Part 2

It had been 19 years since an Australian (the only Australian) had completed a double crossing of the English Channel, that was Susie Maroney- one of the best marathon swimmers in Australian history. I wanted not only emulate her amazing feat but also to use this swim as a warm-up for bigger, more challenging swims.

It was officially 8:18pm UK time on the 22nd of July 2010 when I started my Double Crossing of the English Channel, according to the time keepers. The observers were in charge of timing the swim, and assessing my stroke rate and the water and weather conditions at periodic intervals (in conjunction with other duties mentioned in my last blog). I started stroking fairly strongly as I wanted to complete the double crossing as soon as possible to avoid the Northerly which would be pushing wind into my face during the last few to several hours of my second crossing (when I would be swimming from France back to England).

There were several reasons I was eager to swim within my booked Neap tide (which I couldn’t last year due to terrible weather conditions). As I live in Melbourne, Australia and the average flight to London is 20 hours (excluding stop-overs), I could not afford to hang around Deal waiting to swim, mainly for financial reasons. Another reason I was eager to get out was due to the nature of swimming a double crossing. This type of swim needs the lowest tide possible so I had to take a risk and chance the best Neap conditions I thought I could get within my window (18th-25th of July). So the day I ended up going wasn’t forecast to be perfect but it was forecast to be very swimmable and I had a fair idea of when the wind would be stronger, armed with this information it was easier to deal with the slightly frustrating conditions when they arrived.

The first few hours were a little choppy with the wind up to 12 knots dropping back a few knots from 11pm all heading in an unfavourable South, South Westerly direction. When the wind direction is opposite to the tide you get chop, which is annoying. So it was a little choppy, but I was still happy!! Paul and I had anticipated this wind from Windguru. I managed the wind very comfortably. Channel swimmers should expect rough conditions. The Channel often throws swimmers curveballs and we should train our bodies and mind accordingly.

Because I had just started the swim I was fairly ‘fresh’ and since I had a large volume and quality training behind me I could easily swim through the chop. I moved into a rhythm fairly quickly and Paul and I moved into efficient 15 sec feed stops, every 30 minutes.

Because I had started at 8:18pm in the evening the sun was slowly receding into the horizon, with the air temperature dropping too. After a few hours it was dark. Last year I could see a beautiful display of stars sparkling in the night sky, due to the few small lights on the boat. This year the boat was so well lit that I was swimming in a virtual ‘light box’, as Reg likes to call it. I could no longer see the stars very well but I felt very safe and visible. Cargo tankers came and went. At night they were VERY bright and glowed as though light bulbs were hanging all around them (or at least that’s how it seemed from the water!). Paul guesses there were probably 20 tankers and 10 ferries he saw over the entire journey.

Due to the month I was swimming in I had much more daylight than my late September Channel swim last year. As a trade-off for lighter days the water was on average one degree cooler than my swim in 2009 – for the entire swim. The temperature ranged from 15.8 to 16.2 degrees. In comparison at the end of the last Neap tide in the English Channel the water temperature averaged 17 degrees which is much easier for your body to handle, especially if you are in the water for a longer period of time. Daylight came very quickly, but night time didn’t bother me psychologically at all. The only real difference between night and day was less visibility at night and a cooler air temperature. Aspiring channel swimmers should practice swimming in the dark to become familiar with this type of swimming. Between 2am and 8am the wind speed dropped to a comfortable 5-7 knots. It was about this time that Paul tweeted ‘6 hours in and still cruising along, Small amount of rain and a breeze’.

I kept swimming along maintaining a consistent 66 strokes per minute. During this first crossing I was focusing on bilateral breathing (breathing on both my left and right sides) which I actually find quite difficult because I grew up breathing to one side, my right! At about this time I swam through a few jellies (according to my Twitter) but I don’t remember them :) Soon after the jelly incident the Libyan relay team (which I mentioned in my last blog) passed our

boat. I don’t remember seeing them either but Paul took a little picture (see right). Apparently they were cheering for me too! This team (of six men) is the first ever Libyan relay team and they finished their crossing in 9 hours 26 minutes, great work!!!

I finished my first crossing not long after the Libyans passed us…. When I started to see France I maintained a calm composure. On the inside I was really excited to know that I was half-way through my journey! After about two hours of seeing France we started to come close to Cap Gris Nez. The Cap is where every swimmer wishes to land, but only a few do. Luckily, I have landed there in both of my Channel swims.

Soon after Paul alerted me I started to see the Cap sticking out from land. I decided to increase my stroke rate dramatically (my own idea) because I remember being told to sprint and then to sprint even faster last year so that I would hit the Cap. I also remember being very exhausted once I finally hit the Cap last year. But this year was COMPETELY different, Reg and Ray guided me smoothly into the Cap as though we were magnets being drawn towards this small patch of land. I didn’t feel like I was ‘fighting’ the tides to get to the Cap this year, I didn’t even need to sprint! Tides and conditions are different for every Channel swim so I can’t compare my experiences between hitting the Cap last year and this year. But for any pilot to guide me so easily and seemingly effortlessly then they are unquestionably very talented pilots.

This year I hit the Cap 10hrs and 37min after I had started my swim. An hour and a half faster than last year!! I was very excited to have my very own ‘picnic basket’ sent to shore with me on the inflatable boat which Ray and Greg drove into shore. The ‘basket’ (a 30L white bucket) had some lanolin and water for me. I reapplied Lanolin and took about a 4 min break in total and then I took off for my second crossing!!

Crossing two begun very differently to my second crossing last year. Last year I swum backwards against a huge Spring tide (7.4m) for 2-3 hours after hitting the Cap. This year I was literally pushed off the Cap! After swimming for a few minutes (since hitting the Cap) Paul told me that I should swim faster to make best use of the push from France. I needed extra energy so I yelled out ‘Chocolate’ and not long after I had my first piece of chocolate, yum!! Within 40 min of hitting France I was propelled about 5km, which is incredible. I credit hitting the Cap in such fine fashion and the amazing push from France solely on the amazing piloting of Reg and Ray. Paul, my support crew for the double crossing was also very excited ‘1037 England to France!!! Time for lap 2 . We landed right on the cap- awesome job Reg & Ray !’

Because I had gotten a huge push from France I saw England within maybe 2 hours of hitting France. I am not quite sure if this is normal? Anyway, I put my head down and kept swimming. My second crossing wasn’t very eventful. Things were running very smoothly due the piloting and to the amazing feeds Paul was giving me! He managed multiple tasks on the boat being my only support person (e.g. tweeting, texting, phone calls, preparing feeds, administering feeds, cleaning drink bottles, liaising with the observers, media, camera-man and pilots,). In fact, Reg who has been piloting channel swimmers for over 40 years said that my feeds were among the quickest he has ever seen!

I kept swimming along, oblivious to the many wonderful texts and international phone calls coming in to Paul. The White Cliffs of Dover were always present but never seemed to get any closer. The conditions were good, but not perfect. For a few hours I got some yucky chop and drank a little bit of water but my arms were in great shape and I kept swimming on. My neck was a bit sore. In mathematical terms I probably swam 60, 000 strokes per crossing (120,000 in total). Since I breathe (and therefore turn my neck) usually every second stroke that’s 60,000 turns of my head in under 22 hours!! The other physical niggle was my hip flexes. Although my physiology isn’t fantastic I have picked up some knowledge in my sporting career… I rely very heavily on my powerful kick (my arms are weak compared to other fast marathon swimmers) so I am probably over-using these small ligaments. Towards the end of the swim the stronger muscles around my hips started to take over more of my swimming (due to my hip flexes failing). I had been regularly taking Ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory to assist with my ligaments (as most marathon swimmers do) during the entire swim but I was restricted to how much I could have per day.

Despite some issues with my hips I was still stroking 66-68 cycles per minute and in good spirits. The last two hours of my swim were the most challenging. I was starting to feel low in energy and my stroke rate was steadily dropping. I had been swimming at a very strong pace for both of my crossings and I had used a lot of my fuel. I couldn’t increase my carbohydrate consumption because I was already at my recommended limit. Added to this, I needed to increase my stroke rate back to my normal 66-68 because there was a strong tide leading back into the English shore. If I didn’t increase my stroke rate I could end up swimming an extra hour or two which is the trap many swimmers fall into when the miss the Cap in France.

30min from touching England Paul asked me if I wanted to undertake a 3rd crossing. It was always a possibility we had

 in mind if the conditions were favourable and I was feeling good. I wasn’t feeling fantastic, but one never does after finishing a double crossing, so I said ‘yes’. I finally made it through the strong tides around England and finished a few hundred metres where I had started at Samphire Hoe. I was really exhausted but still keen to have a go at the third crossing. I attempted to swim towards the boat but my hips felt like they were fused shut so we called it a day with a double crossing! My shoulders were fine but my hips and legs felt paralysed and I couldn’t keep swimming.

My swim finished with a double crossing which I am very excited about and I am keen to get back to Dover to be the

4th person and 1st Australian to complete a triple crossing as soon as possible!!! Since arriving back in Melbourne I have been slowly getting back into swim training and have been working with my personal trainer to strengthen my hips and a few other areas. I am very excited to be only the 2nd Australian, 11th woman and 21st person to complete a double crossing of the English Channel!!! I could not have done it without my AMAZING SUPPORT TEAM!!

I have been supported by many wonderful people from around the world in my swimming endeavours. If anyone reading this is interested in swimming the English Channel please feel free to email me for advice

I will be taking a short break from blogging for about 6 weeks. During my break I will be reflecting on my journey up until this date – including all the amazing people who have supported me and the wonderful people involved in swimming whom I have met. I am really looking forward to sharing some stories with you as well as my future swimming aspirations upon my return!!! Safe swimming

There are three VERY SPECIAL people I must thank first…

A very, very special THANKS to Paul my wonderful boyfriend who single handedly looked after all my needs as support crew during the Channel crossing. He also spent 2 months away from his family and reduced his work-load to assist my 2010 swimming adventures! In addition, he has supported me 24/7 and has made many sacrifices for Team McCardel – every success we share together!!

A special thanks to Reg and Ray Brickell who are undoubtedly the BEST pilots in the English Channel. If you don’t book your Channel swim with them then you are doing yourself an injustice! They are very friendly, extremely humble guys who fish in the channel when they aren’t escorting swimmers. They have an INCREDIBLE knowledge of this body of water and they were extremely dedicated to assisting me across the channel during those 22 hours. They made me feel very safe the entire journey and made my support crew and cameraman feel very welcome on-board. I must add Reg made me the most BEAUTIFUL tidal chart which he prepared in his own time the day after the swim finished (last year my pilot refused to plot my crossing on a chart). They both displayed a level of piloting skill that I have not seen matched in any other swim where I have relied on pilots. I was extremely impressed with their professionalism and from all contact Paul and I have had with them before, during and after the swim. Reg and Ray were all things I could ever for wish in a pilot. P.S. It goes without saying that they didn’t let observers pilot my swim, this actually happened last year (2009) and was extremely unprofessional and damaging to my swim let alone extremely UNSAFE.

To book Reg and Ray for your channel swim go to www.channelswimmingassociation.com and click ‘Swim Advice’ and then click ‘Reg & Ray Brickell‘ or email him directly at REG@brickellbros.fsnet.co.uk 

Many thanks to the following people for supporting Team McCardel:

A HUGE thanks to my sponsors Bioeffectives, Siberian Red, Linfox, Air Asia, Burson Autoparts, Portal People and my suppliers 2XU, Speedo and the Middle Brighton Baths. I firmly believe the Bioeffectives and Siberian Red supplements I have been using contributed to my sustained speed throughout the English Channel Double Crossing especially during the last 25km of the swim and I highly recommend them to those wishing to increase their performance (www.solagran.com and www.pineneedleproducts.com ).

Many thanks to Julie (CSA secretary), who has been an incredible support and source of information and advice. All the contact I have had with her has been very helpful, inspiring and delivered in a very timely manner.

Many thanks to the Channel Nine team who were delightful, encouraging and a pleasure to have along this journey. To view one of the two Channel Nine news clips follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d0CuHcD2CU (Channel Nine is the leading national commercial television network in Australia).

A Special Thanks to Mikey ‘monelloswim’ one of my two official observers and joint 2009 CSA Observer of the year! He generously created this utube of my swim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scckQ_TSNcQ  A FANTASTIC VIDEO!! Thanks to Mikey, Steve (my other observer) and Greg (Channel 9 camerman) for assisting paul on the odd occasion during the swim.

Thanks to all those from Melbourne, Australia and across the world who have been so supportive of my swimming career especially Gary and Margaret Johnson, Dr Vagif Soultanov (Solagran), Andrew Fox and Coach Buddy.

For a full list of supporters please see the ‘Supporters’ area of my website.

Aug 17, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

DOUBLE SUCCESS for TEAM McCARDEL!!

On the 23rd of July I successfully became the 2nd Australian and the 21st person in history to complete a Double Crossing of the English Channel!!

Here is Part 1 of my 2 Part Blog. Enjoy

After 3 weeks settling into England and a few days waiting for the weather Gods to be kind, waiting for my pilot to be available and after much intense studying of Windguru (www.windguru.cz – a wind and weather forecast website) Paul and I finally agreed on a start time for the swim with our pilot (Thursday the 22^nd of July approximately 8:30pm).

We were leaving an hour before high tide; as the water starts to move in a favourable position an hour before each high tide of the day (there are two per day).  Thankfully, I was swimming on a Neap tide this year (my swim days tide peaked at 5.4m), a slower and lower tide than the Spring which I swam on last year (7.4m). Most swimmers are booked on Neap tides but they can lose their tide spot due to unfavourable weather. In this scenario, swimmers are usually given another opportunity to swim on the Spring tide (which follows immediately after their booked Neap tide). Most pilots will be completely booked for their Neap tides, therefore the swimmer cannot move into another Neap position if they lose their original position. 

As one never swims a straight line between England and France but rather moves in an ‘S’ shape as the tide pulls and

pushes the swimmer, the higher the tide the more pushing and pulling of the swimmer and the further total distance swum (and the stronger the tides one must swim against).  Besides considering tide height the other main variable which impacts a channel swim is the wind force.

The common yardstick for measuring wind within the Channel Swimming community is the Beaufort Scale which ranges from 1, when viewed in the ocean one would observe  “Ripples without crests”  to 12, “Huge waves. Sea is completely white with foam and spray”. Windguru provides a wind forecast based on miles per hour which is a more specific and helpful tool when planning the best time to start a swim. Paul and I subscribed to the Windguru update, thereby enabling us to access data 12 hours more quickly than the free version. We had become very frustrated in the two weeks leading up the swim, as the wind direction and wind height would often look good two to three days in advance but deteriorate as these days moved closer to real time.

Although most channel swimmers in waiting look at wind forecasts and get stressed when they see any wind, Paul and I had spoken to our Pilot (Reg Brickell from the Channel Swimming Association, CSA) and quickly realised that wind in a Northerly direction when heading from England to France would actually be pushing me towards France – somewhat. This information empowered us to make more confident wind forecast predictions. We were very impressed with the support received and the collaborative relationship with our pilot during the tough decision making process of deciding when to start the swim. After the swim start was officially confirmed we needed to inform our special guest on board!

We were very fortunate to have been offered a Channel 9 (a popular Australian television network) camera person, Greg Martini, to be onboard the boat, filming, during the swim. Channel 9 had already filmed a ‘pre-view’ of my channel swim which had aired on their nightly news programme. Once the swim start date and time was confirmed we quickly liaised with Greg and met him at the Dover Docks and waited for Reg and his co-pilot and brother Ray to arrive at the Marina in the ‘Viking Princess’. Whilst waiting we had a jolly time catching up with Andy King (another CSA pilot) whom we had met last year and chatted about the Libyan Relay team which he was taking across soon after my Team was due to leave.  Not long after our conversation, Stephen, one of my two observers (I needed one per crossing) showed up for the ride and then the Viking Princess greeted us.

Reg, Ray and Mikey (my other observer) were already on board the boat. Reg and Ray were very friendly and helpful (as always) and I was a little embarrassed that no-one would let me assist the packing of the boat but also a little bemused to see six grown men in a flurry of movement all busy getting my swim prepared as I watched idly!! The official observers were required by the association I was registered with (CSA). They are appointed to be an independent observer of the rules of channel swimming and to monitor my welfare when swimming. The basic rules are; the swimmer cannot touch the boat, cannot touch or be touched by another person and may only wear a basic swimming costume (think a traditional Speedo cut), goggles and cap during the swim.

Once we were all aboard we headed towards Samphire Hoe, an artificial beach created with the excess soil from the construction of the Channel Tunnel in 1997 (a very interesting read if you Google it). On this short journey to the swim start Paul put Lanolin on where we thought I would have problems with bather chafing (a type of rubbing which can create awful sores after hours of swimming in sea water which is particularly abrasive). Lanolin is commonly associated with Channel swimming but does not actually keep you warm – contrary to popular belief.

Besides the routine of putting my cap, goggles, ear plugs (made of Blue Tac) and light sticks on I said a very emotional ‘good bye’ to Paul who had been such an integral part of the Team which supports my swimming. This double crossing was very much a result of both our blood, sweat and tears which had been invested into this project (of sorts) and I knew I would also be relying on him heavily during the swim (he was my sole support person for the journey). Paul had accumulated a lot of knowledge about my swimming as he has supported my last few big swims and we now worked rather efficiently as a team whilst at sea.

After the final preparations were completed, a few goodbyes and a traditional hand shake with the pilot I jump out of the boat and let out a scream of excitement!! I warmed up while swimming into shore and clambered onto the rocky beach and cleared the water (according to the official rules). The sound of the boat’s horn indicated that I had officially started. With elation I dived into the water and picked up a strong stroke rate…..

Part 2 of my channel swim will be released in the next few days!!

Link to the Channel 9 pre-swim footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRBwkwREYDA&feature=youtube_gdata  

Aug 05, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Boat Status CONFIRMED – boarding all passengers… passports please!!

After waiting in England for over two weeks Paul and I have finally confirmed with our pilot our start date and time!! Everyone on the boat will require their passports as we may be boarded by the French authorities at any time (we wouldn’t want to forget them like another channel swimmer this year )

We will be staring the swim at 8.30pm on the 22nd of July (BST).

This is UK time so you will need to adjust the start time according to your time zone (e.g. Melbourne and Sydney are 9 hours ahead).

For those of you eager to follow my swim in Real Time I have purchased SPOT (a GPS Tracking device) which will emit a signal with my location every 10 minutes during my swim, when the swim starts (not before) press the GPS button called ‘Chloë’s GPS Tracker’. You can also follow the swim on my Twitter account (click ‘Twitter’ button below).

some of my blogs or check out my recently updated gallery. 

A very special thank you to my boyfriend Paul who has dedicated several 1000s of hours to supporting me towards

my swimming goals since we left England last year. I will forever be in debt to you!!

Also, a big thankyou to Vanessa and Murph Renford. Murph was willing to jump on a plane and and support Paul on the boat for my swim at very short notice between work and family committments. Unfortunately due to the unpredicatability of the wind in the channel and no fixed start date we decided against asking him over on the 20hr long haul flight. Thanks anyway Thanks for everyones continued interest and support, including my sponsors, family and friends!!

I look forward to sharing my swim journey with you after its conclusion

Jul 23, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Swim start delayed… still waiting :)

Welcome to my 2nd last blog before setting out to swim across the channel twice!! 

Paul and I arrived in England and happily settled into our little cottage in Deal, which is located in Kent. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town. One of the reasons we chose this location is because it was close to Dover where channel swimmers train before their channel swims. Also, we needed a break from Dover after we spent 31 days their last year (waiting for the turbulent channel to calm down so we could both swim!!). I would love to share more with you about this beautiful sleepy, seaside town but it’s time for the business end of my blogs so let’s get to it!! 

My daily training, which is all in open water at the moment, has been split between Deal foreshore and Dover Harbour. Deal was wonderfully quiet (I didn’t need to dodge swimmers/boats etc) and very close to our cottage but the tide matches that in the English Channel and was very strong at times. Dover Harbour is not affected by the tides as it is protected by a sea-wall and positioned within ferry terminals on either side. It is the swim training Mecca for English Channel swimmers and is a great place to share your training journey and stories, with a little bit of swimming thrown in too!! I met an American Marilee Kiernan in the water – she flew past me with great speed! We chatted for a little bit and I found out later over dinner that she recently swam the Strait of Gibralter in a very quick time. I am very excited for her as she prepares for her first channel crossing in August

Paul and I had a wonderful day with Dan and Eliza who are UK correspondents for Channel 9, a high-rating Television Network in Australia. They were both very friendly and professional J Only a few hours later the English Channel preview ‘package’ aired on Australian TV (Channel 9 and Sky). I quickly rang my Mum who arrived home from her holiday (see last blog) with Dad last week!! If you want to see the footage click this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRBwkwREYDA&feature=youtube_gdata . 

On the same day as the Channel 9 preview filming Paul and I caught up with Reg Brickell and his brother Ray who will be piloting the swim. Both Reg and Ray are inductees of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. They both grew up under the guidance of their legendary father Reg Brickell (Sn.) and have found the same respected status from swimmers across the world. We are very excited to be teaming up with such a respected team with a success record which includes the fastest female double English Channel swimmer (world record). 

We discussed with Reg and Ray again the possibility of a triple crossing. We are all (Reg, Ray, Paul and myself) in consensus that we would like a forecast of 24 hours of favourable weather (low wind), and after the double, if the weather is good and I am feeling good we will have a go at a third crossing. The double crossing is still my ultimate goal and I will be very happy achieving this dream of mine. But, I have trained and prepared for swimming a few extra kilometers if the opportunity arises! 

For those of you eager to follow my swim in Real Time I have purchased SPOT (a GPS Tracking device) which will emit a signal with my location every 10 minutes during my swim, when the swim starts (not before) press the GPS button called ‘Chloë’s GPS Tracker’. You can also follow the swim on my Twitter account (click ‘Twitter’ button below).

Many thanks for everyones continued interest and support, especially my sponsors, family and friends!! It has been a long wait so far but I believe it will be worth it in the end  

   

 Chloe  

   

  

  

  

  

Jul 20, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Post Manhattan Update (New York, Toronto & Ireland)

For those wishing to find my post-race blogs, part one can be found here http://www.chloemccardel.com/blog/page/3/ and part two can be found here http://www.chloemccardel.com/blog/page/2/

Post Manhattan Update (New York, Toronto & Ireland)

New York

Paul and I crammed as much sightseeing in 48 hours in New York post the swim race as physically possible! Because I was swimming every day leading up to the Manhattan race, spending a large amount of time resting my body (because I had a chest infection), we were both getting over jet lag and Paul was working we didn’t actually spend much time sightseeing! But we did manage a little bit of fun before the swim race. As my parents were in New York we all saw the Broadway musical ‘Jersey Boys’ about the 60s musical group Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, which all four of us thoroughly enjoyed!

The day after the race Paul and I went to the top of the Empire State Building which gave us a magnificent bird’s eye view of the city! I had recovered quite well after the race – much better than after my 25 hour Channel swim last year!! It was so incredible to be able to see the sheer size of Central Park from a great height. It was also enthralling viewing a 360 degree view of the city of New York and being able to pick out significant landmarks which we saw during the swim race (e.g. the bridges, Hudson River, Chelsea Piers (where I did my pre-race training), Golf Range (part of Chelsea Piers) and North Cove (near our hotel). We saw so many yellow taxis from the viewing platform area which mirrored our experience on the ground – there are taxis everywhere!!  A few other things we saw included Central Park, John Lennon’s old residence (where Yoko still lives – so we were told), Soho (a little disappointing I thought, I was expecting a little more eclectic and arty), Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (We both LOVED these historical sites), the 9/11 memorial (VERY moving) and Times Square.

Toronto

From New York we caught a short plane trip over to Toronto (Canada) where Paul’s friends lived. Patrick and Lisa have two beautiful children and they were the most accommodating and embracing family anyone could imagine! While we there Paul and I took a day tour with my Mum and Dad to Niagara Falls (see Gallery for photos!!). We took a helicopter ride over the Whirlpool (an amazing whirlpool where objects can get caught for weeks going around in circles!!) and of course Niagara Falls! We then proceeded to view the Falls from two more different vantage points. We took the ‘Maid of the Mist’ which is a little boat that takes you very close to the Falls. After taking pictures of the first waterfall we were taken into the ‘mist’ which is created by the large volumes of water rushing over the cliff edges.  Being inside the mist was absolutely riveting!! Paul and I had a ball of a time taking photos (the camera got water all over it!!), Paul lost his hat and we got very wet

Of course we didn’t just come to Toronto to spend time with friends and sight-see! I had to keep training, write emails and update my blog and Paul had work to do (luckily he can do this away from home).  I really enjoyed swimming in Lake Ontario which is part of ‘The Beaches’. The water was an amazing blue colour which appeared to almost glow! I was so surprised at the lack of swimmers (no swimmers at all during my first two visits)! By my third trip the air temperature had reached 26 Celsius and there were a few swimmers in the water.  The fact that the water temperature was 15.1 Celsius may have also deterred a few swimmers – but it was warm to me!

Paul and I chatted to a few life guards and locals and the general consensus is that the public do not believe the water is safe to swim in! The lifeguards had a strong presence on the beach and reassured me that the water was safe. They even keep a daily count of the E. Coli levels which I have never seen on other beaches and is a great health and safety initiative.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get an opportunity to swim with the LOST open water swimming group www.lostswimmingclub.com (they were founded by Rob Kent only a few years ago in 2006 and have grown at a substantial rate!). They are based in Oakville which is part of Greater Toronto but was 50km from where we were staying in the City of Toronto. They swim in Lake Ontario and insist that it is very safe for swimming. I must admit I have fallen in love with Lake Ontario and I would love to come back in a year or two and swim a single or double crossing!

Paul and I moved on from Toronto and headed to Ireland as the water is a little cooler than the English Channel and we would like to be closer to England where I will start my English Channel double crossing attempt late this July.

Ireland

Paul and I landed in Shannon and picked up our hire car!  We drove for two hours and

finally arrived on Inchydoney Island where we found Clonakilty beach. Inchydoney island is a small island long connected to the mainland by two causeways and is located in the tourist area of west County Cork, Ireland.  

Paul and I settled into our amazing accommodation at Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa very nicely! We were able to watch and listen to the tide roll in and out from our room :) We had arrived into the hottest Irish June in 40 years (in some areas) so the water temperature wasn’t as cool as we hoped it would be but it was definitely cooler than England so we were happy!! I swam at the beach frequently, culminating in a 12 hour swim in circa 12 degree water temp (we had originally thought it was 14 but realised it was lower…). Paul was an amazing support during my big swim bringing me warm baby porridge with chocolate powder – yum, yum!!  

Paul and I were also fortunate to catch up with Lisa Cummins, in the town of Kinsale. We all enjoyed a lovely lunch and Lisa was very kind to show us around Charles Fort. We had originally met last year in Dover when Paul and I were waiting for our channel swims. For those of you who are not aware Lisa swam an amazing double crossing last year staying in the English Channel for over 35 hours!!  In doing so she became the first Irish person to swim a double crossing and she also raised an incredible €22,575 for her charities! We also met Jennifer Hurley for the first time in Clonakilty (we had a great swim!). She has been preparing for her first channel attempt in mid August this year. You can find her blog here http://jensenglishchannelswimforbarretstown.blogspot.com    Good luck Jen!

We had a great time balancing Paul’s work, my swimming and sight-seeing in the 12 days we were in Ireland. We thoroughly enjoyed driving around the various places of interest within the ‘Ring of Kerry’ and highly recommend those visiting the South West of Ireland to visit this special area. Paul and I then moved on from Ireland to England… More details to follow in the next blog!!

Thanks to all those following this blog and my progress! It’s so lovely to read your emails. I will be spending most of the next 10 days concentrating on my swimming so I will respond to all emails but this may be after the Channel swim.
 

More information about my GPS Tracking and Twitter for my channel swim will be included in the next blog. My next blog will be this coming Saturday the 17th of July. The 18th of July is the start of my English Channel swimming ‘window’ – the earliest date I may swim.

Safe swimming!!!

Chloe

Jul 11, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The Race around Manhattan Continues…

My last blog covered the first couple of hours of the 2010 Manhattan Island Marathon swim. The field started at approximately 7:25am on June 12^th and my race plan was to stick within the top 3 solos for the entire race – if possible. I had started out with a quick pace because I was worried a different front leader may sit at a comfortable pace which would enable many people to be serious contenders for the solo podium spot. I also didn’t want anyone using the last stretch of the swim to draft from me and then power past me in the last few hundred metres (which I believed was a strong possibility). Although I have a very strong kick I am not the quickest sprinter in the world and I was not keen to lose a race by any means, at the very least by a few metres!

The last blog had paused at the point where we had gained Richard Clifford as a support paddler (but not officially my paddler) as I had only one paddler designated for me (many solos had two paddlers for the race – I think my other one was AWOL the morning of the race!!). I was happy for Niles that he now had some support because 8 hours is a long time to be paddling continuously, let alone also being responsible for directions and feeds for a swimmer looking for a podium finish! Richard had been with another American swimmer until she had pulled out of the race. The American swimmer also had another asset that we were about to utilise…

Remember in the last blog how I talked about our growing Team McCardel family? Well, we were about to expand with

the assimilation of another paddler!! James was the American swimmers other paddler and he was also a free agent after she withdrew. He wished to join us and ask Niles if this was ok. The funny thing is that I never saw James next to my paddler as I had seen Richard next to my paddler and I thought he was a competitor’s paddler and I became a little unsettled temporarily (I breathed more to my left to try and assess his intentions, but nothing more). He was a great support to the team during the race.

Going under a bridge (Richard would know which one!!) the entire field gained about 400m on me within a few minutes (and the leading swimmer was now about 100m clear from me). My paddlers and crew had been instructed to guide me close to shore. One solo (Jamie from Spain) and two relays overtook me with lightening speed. I didn’t care that two relays were in front of me. Some people would call a relay the ‘overall winner’ of the race if they cross the line before solos. That’s just bizarre to me! How can a solo compete against teams of 2 or 4 or 6 people? They can’t!! I only worry about things which I can control. I knew there was a solo in front of me and that I could only control my own swimming speed so I revved up my arms to try and hold Jaime from making any more distance. And so began the cat-and-mouse game that would continue the rest of the race….

Approximately 3 hours of the race had now passed. After a commanding lead I was now chasing! I actually like chasing – except when the stakes are so high! One of the reasons I enjoy squad training so much is the ability to use other swimmers to increase the value of your training. You can use other swimmers to pace your swimming, you can chase them during sets/repeats, you can have races against them etc. You can use them as a focal point to enhance your training experience. Often these training experiences directly simulate races, like now!

For the next 2 hours he was varying between 50-200m ahead of me (give or take a few metres J ). I couldn’t see him but I could see his two paddlers which usually stick very close to the swimmer. Up until now no-one had commented on my pacing. During the race I was given status updates a few times by my paddlers on my position in the field. I didn’t request this or ask any questions, I just absorbed information and focused on the task at hand. Very little was ever said between myself and the paddlers. As we approached the Hudson Niles said “The race STARTS in the Hudson”. He emphasised the ‘start’ part! I was thinking ‘uh oh, I have used so much energy maintaining this pace. How will I find more?’ However, that moment of self-doubt was short lived….

I had been looking forward to the Hudson. I was told it was the quick 18km stretch to home. I was also told that a swimmer could move up to 10km an hour down the Hudson!! But I also knew that two very experienced Manhattan swimmers had forewarned all the swimmers at the pre-race briefing the day before that the Hudson was due to be choppy and rough on race day. I swam towards the river as though it was welcoming me into its waters (hoping for the best conditions – but fearing the worst!).

Murphy’s law – it was much tougher than usual! But, this affected the whole field pretty much equally J The strength in my legs were my best asset and the chop required strength in the arms – not in the legs! Although I am very experienced in chop and rough water my shoulders would (probably) not be the strongest in the field (I often get pulped/smashed in pull sets during squad!!) As I didn’t know how long the chop would last I decided to increase my speed because it was in this part of the race that I believed I was most vulnerable and I believed the lone solo swimmer in front could easily make distance on me.

I only had a very vague idea where the solo swimmer was in front of me (mostly due to the conditions). When Niles enthusiastically told me that I was now 100m ahead of the solo swimmer I was ecstatic! But I didn’t change my stroke speed or pattern I just got excited in my head – it’s a swimmer thing J !! I had been holding a strong pace the entire race, I had elevated that pace to pass the solo swimmer and now I was enduring really frustrating chop!! It was the chop that just destroys your balance and swimming rhythm and leaves you with a mouth full of water more often than not when you turn to breathe! 

I had spoken to Coach Buddy about race tactics, strokes per minute (very popular assessment tool for many open water swimmer’s support crew), when I should surge during the race etc… he’s advice was very basic and along the lines of “find a comfortable rhythm and maintain it”. Well I had now left that idea in the previous river (there are 4 rivers around Manhattan) as I was holding a pace beyond my reasonable means! I figured it was worth a shot anyway. The chop had eliminated the advantage of the tide down the Hudson (I heard this later from others and I certainly didn’t feel any tidal assistance). Tidal assistance down this river is famous with Manhattan swimmers (see pics). This elimination of tidal assistance by head wind chop may explain the slower than usual finishing times of the leaders.

It was unfortunate about the chop and more unfortunate for me that I never made much ground on the solo swimmer I had overtaken at the bridge.  5 km from the finish line the chop subsided enough that I was able to maintain a strong rhythm. It was also at this point I was told to swim “FASTER”. As I was the willing lamb I obeyed my master as instructed. I didn’t ask questions, I didn’t realise Jaime was now closing on me. I was the lamb being sent to slaughter!!

Needless to say – but I will say it anyway – the last 5km were very exhausting and a bit of a blur! One of the great aspects of American culture is their ability to aspire to greater things and become very excited for others endeavours and aspirations. When two American paddlers that you trust with your life are constantly telling you to swim stronger, faster and quicker than you have ever swum in your life you can’t help but become inspired! I was utterly exhausted on the inside but was being pushed from the outside to find something MORE.

Paul and I had done an outer circle complete circumnavigation of the island on a tourist cruise a few days earlier so I started to look for familiar landmarks to gauge how close I was to the finish. I believed the chop had gone (who knows, I was not 100% at this time) and I was thinking about my amazing Manhattan crew (Niles, Richard, James, PAUL, Charlie & Bernard), my Australian and international  supporters and my family and how supportive they had all been and how much I wanted to make them proud and myself proud. Their names and faces swirled around my head as a source of wonderful positive inspiration to deflect my body which was screaming in pain and wanting to shut down. Every nerve, fibre, tissue and element of my physical body was willing me to slow down but I drew on my vivid, powerful goal of winning and wonderful support crew as a source of energy.

I reached a level where I was no longer aware of my swimming action. My swimming had become almost unconscious as I was sprinting so hard. I knew that this was the hardest test of my entire life and it was now that I had to find a new level of sustained speed. My paddlers were shouting “SPRINT” and “FASTER” and probably more words too but they were all lost to the river. My eyes had lost focus and I remember vaguely knowing the difference between water and sky. Then I deciphered to word “CLOSING” and I finally understand why I have been sprinting my little heart out! Jaime had been gaining on me for the last 5km. Slowly gaining at first, he had found renewed momentum and begun powering home with all of his masculine might and physique (…it is times like this one wishes they were male!).  

The paddlers had not told me earlier that a solo was closing on me as they knew there was no way I could swim faster anyway.  With a mere few hundred metres to go and NO idea where this other person/s was (and there was no way I was going to waste time and energy finding out) I had to focus really hard on keeping myself together until the finish line. I fell into a survival mode where I thrashed my arms through the water as fast as I could hoping and praying 12 years under qualified coaching instruction would hold my stroke in some order towards the finish line.  I dreamed of the finish line and relief, but kept my head down for the most part. I didn’t see the crowds jumping up and down with excitement and anticipation watching two swimmers fighting to take the Manhattan crown. I didn’t hear them or my support boat shouting my name. I heard my paddlers, I drew on their energy, I found two large round orange buoys shining brightly; indicating the finish line was just around the corner.

It seemed a lifetime before I reached the bright orange beacons which would escort me to my finish. I cut really close past them as desperation and desire pulled me intrinsically toward them. A few metres passed the buoys I saw the temporary stairs and railing and I reached my hand out towards them in my last act of determined effort. I did not sense any swimmers close behind me so my body upon realising this just decided enough was enough! I tried to scramble up the stairs but I must have fell up the stairs (??) because I scrapped my upper right leg and lower left arm in an attempt to leave the water (I really don’t remember). I remember many arms helping me out of the water and up the stairs and collapsing immediately.

On the ground my eyes closed and I lay still. I sensed many kind words of congratulations hovering above my body; I sensed a flurry of activity and medics running over towards me.  After a little while I opened my eyes and I remember blood and grazing on my arm. The medics placed a space blanket (the silver, light, large, aluminium looking blankets) over me, took my blood pressure a few times and bandaged the grazes and asked some strange questions (e.g. what year is it?). After another short moment I sat up and found my mother smiling with joy at me from high up in the crowd above (I was on a thin wooden walking strip, a finishing chute, floating just above the waters surface). Drury Gallagher presented me with the Tiffany’s Cup (it was huge!) and he said that it was the most exciting finish he had ever seen and that he couldn’t wait to chat to me after (I felt very honoured for him to say this)! A few professional photos were taken and I then begun an assisted hobble up the finish chute towards the greater event area.

 

I have many, many people I wish to thank for their ongoing support:

• A special THANKS to Paul my wonderful boyfriend who has supported me 24/7 and has made many sacrifices for Team McCardel – every success we share together J !!
• Thanks to all of the competitors (especially Jaime Caballero) who made the event such great fun. A special thanks to the volunteers directly involved in my swim Charlie (boat captain), Niles Furlong (paddler), Richard Clifford and James Danoff-Burg (support paddlers) and Bernard (observer).
• Thanks to Morty (Race organiser) and Hannah (FriendsofNYCswim), all the Manhattan volunteers (support boat captains, observers, paddlers and all others) www.nycswim.org and Amy Bolger who shared many beautiful photos with me and made the incredible official race video www.amybolger.com/galleries/mims2010/ (www.amybolger.com and amy@amybolger.com).
• A HUGE thanks to my sponsors Bioeffectives, Siberian Red, Linfox, Air Asia, Burson Autoparts, Portal People and my suppliers 2XU, Speedo and the Middle Brighton Baths. I firmly believe the Bioeffectives and Siberian Red supplements I have been using contributed to my sustained speed throughout the marathon swim especially during the last 2km and I highly recommend them to those wishing to increase their performance (www.solagran.com and www.pineneedleproducts.com ).
• Thanks to all those from Melbourne, Australia and across the world who have been so supportive of my swimming career especially Gary and Margaret Johnson, Dr Vagiv Soultanov (Solagran), Coach Buddy and Andrew Fox.
• Thanks to my fabulous family!! …It was so wonderful having Mum & Dad with me in New York for the swim J  

For a full list of supporters please see the ‘Supporters’ area of my website.

Just a quick reminder… for all those who enjoyed the race GPS system you are in luck!! As mentioned in previous blogs I will have SPOT, a GPS device, which will upload my coordinates while swimming the English Channel live to the internet. Further information will be posted on my future blogs.

Jun 21, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Success in Manhattan!

Chloe’s Post-race blog after winning the 2010 Manhattan Island Marathon Race.

“25-year-old Chloe Mccardel of Melbourne, Australia went toe-to-toe with 35-year-old Spanish marathon swimmer Jaime Callabero of San Sebastian all day long – alternating in the lead – to nip him by less than 10 meters at the end and win the 2010 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.” Steven Monatones, http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/2010/06/long-line-of-australian-champions-in.html

Steve’s account provides a glimpse into the fierce rivalry at the front end of the Manhattan Island Marathon Race. During the last 1km of the race the crowd were on their feet screaming, the respective support boats and paddlers were pushing their swimmers to keep sprinting (they had already been screaming for the previous 9km) and most importantly the two swimmers were fighting for top position. But there could be only one overall winner…

Paul and I had talked strategy before this big race. We had decided not to blog or talk about my racing strategy or which position I had hoped to finish in the lead up to this event. We took a low-key, no-pressure approach when asked how I expected to place in the field. After all, there were 20 or so English Channel solo swimmers (a few quick times in there) and quite a few swimmers with fast Catalina Channel times involved in this event so we knew we were taking on a strong field with both a cold water marathon background and also a very fast pace. It would have been difficult to guess the outcome even if we had tried!

We researched the field and considered my strengths and weaknesses. My only international marathon (besides the Maui Channel) was a much slower English Channel time then I believe I am capable of and this was all the information my competitors had to work with. I was not the favourite (no, not favorite – this is an Aussie’s blog!!), no-one (besides my support team and some Australian supporters) appeared to have me on the radar for a podium position. And that was the way I liked it!

As the swimmers were entering the water (in South Cove, Battery Park in New York City) most were not concerned with their starting position. There was no intense jostling that is part-and-parcel of the immensely popular and lightening fast 1-2km ocean water swims over summer around Melbourne which I am accustomed. I found a favourable position and used my strong kick and quick pace (gleaned from many sprint sessions with Coach Buddy) to secure a strong early lead. I remember someone being close to me for about 50m. I was waiting to reach the pier, about 800m from the start, where I would pick up my paddler. I had been concerned that it would be very busy with multiple swimmers picking up their paddlers near me. Luckily, I was clear of the field and an easy pick for Niles Furlong to join me. Team McCardel had started the race with a single swimmer and gained a paddler!!

I had two competitors (and no, I won’t share who exactly!) in mind that I wanted to be clear of. I was hoping to be in the top three solos for the entire race and sprint the last 5km – if required. Once I knew I was at the front of all the competitors at a pace that was not too strenuous I found a rhythm that worked well to maintain a strong pace and lead. I was concentrating on my swimming and building a rhythm with my paddler that I didn’t really notice the support boat (with Paul my AMAZING boyfriend and personal support person, Bernard the observer and Charlie the boat captain) join Team McCardel. I would like to think it gravitated towards us J Niles had a great orange flag about 1.5m above his paddle boat which made him very visible.  

It was this strong pace which further cemented my position in the lead. It is very exciting and also a little unnerving to be setting the pace. I didn’t know exactly how far the competitors were behind me or whether I was burning too much energy too soon as I had never raced any of them previously. I did know I was swimming a strong pace and I needed to reduce the time between my feeds which we had previously set at 45min intervals. I didn’t wish to burn the candles at both ends!!

I felt much better with more frequent feeds. Niles was my paddler who was in charge of giving me each feed. I was accustomed to Paul feeding me so this was a slight change in routine but it worked really well! Niles had paddled this race on numerous previous occasions and he was very polished at this activity. I relied heavily on Niles for directions as I had never swam this race before and also because I had chatted to Paul and we had decided to hand over complete trust to our paddlers and boat captain.

Speaking of paddlers… Our Team McCardel family was about to grow! Unbeknown to me, a swimmer had dropped out. I found out (later) it was one of the favourites of the race, and who many Americans were hoping and believing would take top honours. Her 2 paddlers were now swimmerless! Niles being in-tune with not only my needs but also the whole race quickly picked up on this fact. He requested support from Richard Clifford (a legend of the Manhattan Island race and Catalina Channel crossings, and who had beaten Nile’s 2^nd placed swimmer home last year) who shortly joined us on a ‘consulting’ basis. Niles remained my lead paddler and feeder which I preferred because I had found a great connection and rhythm with him. It was great to hear after the race that Richard helped other swimmers in the field too!! Our family had grown!!! But wait…. There’s more, the race is only just getting started!!

… I have a lot more adventure to share with you and people to thank (including the wonderful organising committee and army of volunteers…) the race was nearly 8 hours after all!!! … I will post the second half of the blog and more pics in the next few days. Thanks for your continued support and patience

Jun 18, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

2 Days until Manhattan Island Marathon Race!!!

Update!!!! My CORRECT individual GPS Tracking Link for tomorrow’s race  http://www.nycswim.org/Event/TrackSwimmer.aspx?ueesID=9132

Update! The Manhattan swim has made the Daily News of Open Water swimming news. Steve Monatones, one of the most respected commentators of open water swimming covers the event and introduces the field http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/2010/06/marathon-veterans-take-to-new-york-new.html

Dear Friends!

It is with great excitement (and a first for this blog) that I write to you from an aeroplane hovering at an altitude of 11, 277m over the United States of America!! It’s a mere 30 minutes until Paul and I touch down in New York – 31 hours after leaving our home and little Bazza (in the caring hands of our friend Amy)!

The last few days have been a whirlwind of final preparations for this trip. Health has been a key priority of mine during the last 7 days. As part of the advice given by the committee managing the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (www.nycswim.org) I booked in for Tetanus and Hepatitis A immunisation shots.  Two weekends ago I swam a 3 hour (Friday) & 7 hour (Saturday) & 5 hour (Sunday) weekend in the bay in Melbourne when it was 12.5/13 Celsius water temperature (and as low as 5 Celsius air temp.) . Since that weekend I have only swam a few bay sessions due to a chest infection which I have been carefully managing. I have also been busy covering all possible health contingencies for my marathon swims and I have been investing in preventative and pro-recovery healthcare on board my flight (compression leggings, Gastrolyte, walking around the cabin, drinking plenty of water with Siberian Red, taking Bioeffectives, using the nasal spray ‘Fess’ and wearing a face mask).

As I touch down in New York it is a fitting time to formally announce and acknowledge the wonderful support from my sponsors and suppliers for 2010. I would like to thank Bioeffectives, Burson Autoparts, Linfox, Portal People and my suppliers Air Asia, 2XU and Speedo!! A special thanks to Michael Renford who has continually made himself available for advice regarding the Manhattan swim. There are also many, many others who have personally supported me and they are listed at ww.chloemccardel.com/supporters. Most importantly of all, Paul has been an unwavering, generous, ever-positive mentor and advisor.

Another exciting announcement is that I have purchased SPOT technology. This device will be able to beam my GPS coordinates every 10 minutes during my marathon swims to your computer live via a website, in real-time, no matter where in the world you are! I will add this link closer to my English Channel swim. SPOT is the same company and technology some of you may remember that was used for my English Channel double crossing attempt last year.  

The Manhattan Marathon swim Committee has just made similar GPS tracking available for family and friends for the first time for the entire field of swimmers. My individual GPS Tracking Link for tomorrow’s race http://www.nycswim.org/Event/TrackSwimmer.aspx?ueesID=109874 OR follow the entire field …. http://www.trackmyathlete.com/nyswim.aspx. In addition, Paul will be using my Twitter (www.twitter.com/chloemccardel) to send regular updates of my swim progress. But, before you can track my swim (live) you need to know when I am swimming!

I will be starting the 48km circumnavigation race of Manhattan Island on the 12^th of June at 7:25am New York (USA) or Ottawa (Canada) time EDT, if you live in London (England) the time will be 12:25pm BST, Berlin (Germany) 1:25pm CEST, Moscow (Russia) 3:25pm MSD, Perth (Australia) 7:25pm WST, and Sydney and Melbourne’s (Australia) start time will be 9:25pm AEST. I have included a quick overview of the swim below this blog with a map. Just a final reminder, remember to keep checking Twitter and the Manhattan Committee’s GPS Tracking URL for my swim progress. Thanks so much for your many supportive emails and for sharing my journey! Chat to you after the race

Chloe

Title:                                                                           Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (www.nycswim.org)

Swim start date & time:                                 12/6/2010, 7:25am EDT

Swim start & finish location:                      South Cove, Battery Park City, New York City

Course length & description:                     48km circumnavigation of Manhattan Island

Field Size:                                                                 27 Solo swimmers & several relays

Solo’s experience requirements:            Recent solo swim of the English Channel, Catalina Channel, Ederle Swim or previous Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.

Predicted water conditions:                      17/19°C water temperature (cold). There can be a substantial amount of chop in the water from wind, tide action, and boat traffic. The waterways are salt water and there is shipping traffic. There may be random jetsam and flotsam in the waterways.

Jun 10, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

3 Weeks until the Manhattan Island Marathon Race!!

Hi Again!

It’s been a while since my last blog post so I have much news to share with you! The few weeks following my last blog post I was starting to building up some excellent speed and great distance sessions. I completed a 6 hour swim in both Lysterfield Lake (approximately an hour east of Melbourne CBD) and in the bay (at the Baths in Brighton which is part of Port Phillip Bay).  I had also been very busy researching different healthy ways to put on weight and experimenting with my ideas. I have also been reducing my paid work load to accommodate the time and energy needed to invest in physical preparation and logistics for my two big swims this year (for those of you who are new to this blog they are – Manhattan Island Marathon swim and an English Channel double crossing).

I have been putting many hours and energy into my bay swims and speed work in the pool. Unfortunately, I have had a few health challenges related to the water in the bay but I have overcome these . I have reached a maximum of 80km per week in my training but had wished to reach 100km, now I hope to reach this during one of the weeks after Manhattan and before the English Channel.  I am hoping to stay overseas for four weeks (water temperature 14-16 degrees Celsius) with Paul (my partner) after the Manhattan Race and before the English Channel because the water in Melbourne will be 10 degrees and lower after I return from Manhattan and will keep dropping making it very difficult to do long swim sessions. My other alternative would be to come back to Australia but relocate interstate, probably to Sydney where the water is 16-17 degrees, but even this temperature is a little too warm. 

My research into weight gain has built on the research I conducted while trying to gain weight before last years English Channel swim. For those who are new to the crazy world of English Channel swimming it is advisable to put on some weight to provide insulation against the cold water which can cause hypothermia. Hypothermia is one of the main – if not the main – cause of swimmers to be unsuccessful in their English Channel attempts (I would say the mental challenge would come a close second). So basically, the healthiest way (from my research, not medical fact) to put on weight is to increase polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and avoid saturated fats and especially trans fats. The first two types of fats are healthy and the second two are not healthy. Also, you can gain weight by increasing wholemeal carbohydrates (e.g. brown bread and brown pasta) and simple carbohydrates (e.g. white bread and sugary foods). If you want to explore the science of this in more detail I would suggest you see a nutritionist. Here are some of the healthier foods I have been increasing/adding to my diet:

• Mixed nuts & seeds
• Potatoes
• Sesame oil
• Tahini spread (made from sesame seeds)
• Sunflower spread
• Hommus (and other dips)
• Avocados
• Wholemeal bread (from the health shop only – it must be HEAVY)
• Brown rice
• Porridge
• Margarine
• Butter
• Cheese
• Olive oils (and other oils)
• Full-fat soymilk and yogurt
• Fruit and freshly squeezed juice (high in fructose)
• Eggs
• Sustagen (especially hospital grade)
• Pizza

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to put on weight via only healthy means when you are exercising frequently. I have added some well known treats to my healthy food basket:

• Professional weight gain powder (found at GNC and body-building stores)
• Chocolate
• Ice-cream
• Krispy Kreme’s
• Cream

Many other English Channel swimmers wishing to put on weight eat/drink fried fatty foods such as chips and McDonalds, high kilojoule/calorie beer, meat, lollies etc.

Over the next three weeks I will be very busy finalising sponsorships and packing for my trip but I will try and get a another blog out before I head to New York.

I believe I have bounced back very well from the recent health challenges and I am feeling strong, fit and fast in the water.  I am very excited to be competing in just 19 days :) !!!

I hope this has been an interesting read and provided some ideas for those readers who are aspiring English Channel swimmers.

Happy swimming

May 24, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Hi Everyone,

It has been a busy few weeks of training and preparation for my big swims this year (and I finished my Bachelor of Arts degree too!), sorry that I have been uncharacteristically quiet!

I have been increasing my training in the last few weeks in preparation for the New York Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (48km) and the English Channel Double Crossing (68-100km). I am really excited about both of these swims. I have never competed in the Manhattan race before, nor have I been to New York so I am really excited about the new swim course and discovering this famous American city. The English Channel holds a special place in my heart and I am eager to go back and complete a double crossing which I was so close to finishing last September!! Although I wished to swim the Catalina Channel as I mentioned in my last blog I don’t think this will be possible this year

As part of my preparation I have put together a training plan specifically focused on the Manhattan race and the English Channel double crossing. It has been a very delicate process balancing the need to increase my strength (through pull buoy, band and stretch cords work), increase weekly kilometres (including a few big weeks of 100km) and maintain speed for the Manhattan race all whilst preventing injury and putting on weight (and balancing all of this with two jobs, securing sponsorship, securing a graduate job, my personal life and recovery).

Putting on body weight is very important for both the Manhattan race and the English Channel (this was a challenge last year). Both swims feature cold water, Manhattan is 17 – 19 degrees and the English Channel is 15 – 19 degrees. The weight acts as insulation especially for the body’s internal organs to protect against the cold water which often causes hypothermia (which can be deadly).

This is probably my biggest challenge because of my large energy expenditure from my swimming training (cold water also accelerates energy loss!!) and the challenge of doing it in a way that is healthy and doesn’t rely on simple carbohydrates, saturated fats or meat. If anyone has any ideas please email them through as I will be doing research before my next blog and I will share with you my findings!

 I started at 62kgs in April 2009 and reached 80kg by the time of my English Channel swim last September so this year I am aiming to reach 80kg by the Manhattan race (June 12^th) and put on another 10kg by the time I swim the English Channel mid to late July (Don’t try this at home Kids!!). I don’t want to carry too much weight in the Manhattan race as it is a fairly short race so I don’t need too much insulation and the extra weight slows my speed.

Another way to prevent and/or delay hypothermia is to train in cold water which I will be doing in Lysterfield Lake, Port Phillip Bay and the ocean. We call this “cold water acclimatisation”. There is plenty of research to support the belief that cold water swimming is good for your health but these two topics need an entire blog dedicated to cold water as there is extensive research and opinions to cover.

I have been training in the bay over summer. At the moment the water temperature is 20 degrees which is much cooler than the average swimming pool which is 29 degrees but isn’t really cool enough for cold water acclimatisation. Two days ago two sharks (or one shark depending on who you ask!) were spotted where I regularly go for my bay swims so I am relocating to Lysterfield Lake for next few warmer months. The lake is a bit of a drive away but there are no sharks or jelly fish (I am allergic to Blue Bottles which are sometimes found in the bay), the water is 1 – 2 degrees cooler than the bay and the water is “heavier” water too.  By heavier I mean that there is less buoyancy so my body (and especially my shoulders) need to work harder!

As for a brief look at other aspects of my training I have been using the intensive injury treatment branded “Sportsmed” which in basic terms is a small portable machine which uses electric nerve stimulation to accelerate injury recovery (you may have heard of TENS), and I have found this to be very effective.  

Another aspect of my training is the recent addition to my swim programme of some medium distance sessions with Ollie Wilkinson and Peter Thompson. They are both very accomplished masters distance swimmers with Pete having recorded some excellent Rottnest Island Swim finishes, and Ollie swimming the English Channel last year in a very fast time. They train in a 50m pool which is better suited to open water swimming with less turns than a 25m pool.

I have enjoyed rambling on and I haven’t been able to talk about Goal Setting which I would have liked but I will feature it next time….

Safe swimming! 

Chloe

Mar 18, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

2010 Swim Calendar – 20/01/10

Hi again! 2009 has come and gone….

Thanks to everyone for their continued support over the last few months. I look forward to sharing my swimming journey with you and receiving your comments and ideas into the future.

My reflection of 2009 has reaffirmed my belief that no sports person achieves their goals alone. They are always surrounded by passionate, committed and visionary supporters. My journey has been no exception and I wish I had the space within this blog to thank everyone who has supported me. Instead, I have a Supporters page (http://www.chloemccardel.com/supporters/) and I encourage you to consider the marvellous companies who have provided me with quality products and support when making your next business decision or purchase.

Before I reveal my plans for 2010 I must make personal mention of my wonderous boyfriend Paul whose intuitive, meticulous eye for detail, planning, execution and business know-how have opened my eyes and my swimming possibilities beyond my imagination! …Not to mention spending 25 hours on my support boat in England without sleeping a wink Thank you for your amazing support!!!

To view my events calendar for 2010, and my results from my 2009 swims visit www.chloemccardel.com/events/ Some of these events are locked in and some I am yet to confirm. Here is a little bit of information about my most important swims for 2010:

Jan 20, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

The following blog is a reply to posts on one of the English Channel Chat Groups (with one of the administrators being a CS&PF pilot), where there has been criticism of my first (of two)  blogs.  I am blogging about my reasons for moving to CSA, specific responses to Mike and Charlie’s comments and suggestions to improve the experience of all involved in English Channel swimming in the future.

I was content to write a closed letter to the CS&PF committee about my concerns until a member of the committee (Mike Oram) jumped on Channel Groups to make comments about my swim as an authoritative figure without even attempting to contact myself (the swimmer and customer) or my support crew. If Mike had bothered to contact me after my original post before posting himself, I would have made him aware (maybe he is already?) of serious safety issues and the lack of professionalism by CS&PF representatives on board the boat. His contact would have ensured this remained a closed letter to the CS&PF.

In addition, Mike has made serious errors in his summation of my swim which need correcting. I am sending this document to the CS&PF committee as well. This blog is now an open letter to the CS&PF (in addition I will follow this up with an official letter to the committee). Mich (from Channel Groups) believes “any concerns about pilots are taken seriously by the CS&PF and investigated accordingly”.  The CS&PF committee have an opportunity to prove Mich correct.

As both Charlie Gravett (CS&PF Chairman) and Mike Oram (CS&PF Secretary) have publicly misrepresented my swim on Channel Groups and have made incorrect comments about myself, I am left with little choice but to expose the details of the swim for people to have the opportunity to read for themselves.

 

CS&PF representatives on my boat during my swim:

 

• Pilot = Eddie Spelling
• Crew= Dave
• Observers= Nathan and Laura

 

Detailed Summary: 

1.            Pilot conduct (before and during my swim)

      I must restate that nowhere in my previous blog did I blame the pilot or crew for the outcome of my swim. If anyone can quote me blaming the pilot in my blog then I do encourage you to email me so that I may review the wording I have chosen and if necessary rephrase what I have written.

• The pilot, beach crew (p.s. i love the beach crew!) and boat crew knew when I was swimming before me (as outlined in my previous post).

 

The CS&PF website (under ‘swimming rules’) states that pilots must give the secretary 12 hours advance warning before a Channel attempt. Eddie’s contract states “a minimum of 24hrs is required to set up pilot / boat / observer”.

 

I rang my pilot Saturday night asking if I was swimming the next morning. He said ‘no’ and for me to call him at 9.30am the next morning. On Sunday morning I called him at 9.30am and he had just woken up and told me I was probably swimming that (Sunday) night and to call back in a few hours. I was shocked when Paul and I walked to the beach shortly afterwards (about 10:30am) and Freda and a couple of the beach crew told me that they believed I was starting at lunch time that day. They told me that the two observers had known since the day before (Saturday) that those involved in the swim were to meet at 11am for a midday start. I got back in touch with Eddie as I was confused about what was going on.  Was I expected to swim with 30 minutes notice, after just being told I wasn’t swimming until midnight (especially after having a large carbo-loading breakie)?  It was therefore impossible for me to be ready in 30 minutes. I spoke to Eddie and we mutually decided on Sunday night. Only Eddie and I had that phone conversation. So where is everyone getting this misinformation from?? I never delayed the swim (I had been waiting 4 and a half weeks why would I knowingly miss an opportunity?).

How is it that the Secretary must get 12 hours notice, the boat, boat crew and observers require 24 hours notice and yet, I only get 30min notice (2^nd hand notice from other people who are not my pilot) and no-one cares (aka no-one discussed this on Channel Groups when critiquing me)?

 

The swim start (meeting at 11am) Sunday was also organised without my permission/ final decision, even though Eddie’s contract (also accessible from my blog) clearly states: “It is, however, the responsibility of the swimmer/s and their support team to agree the final decision to make an attempt.”

• Both Nathan and Eddie made my support team feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome on the boat during the swim.

 

• Eddie refused to chart my swimming course on the navigation map that my boyfriend gave him after I had been swimming for only an hour. Eddie claimed the reason he wouldn’t plot the course was that he wasn’t given the map at the very start of the swim, keep in mind he had an electronic chart of the course in front of him which he could have easily copied.

 

• The boat crew provided very little information about the course when requested by the support crew.  On the 2^nd crossing the pilot closed the chart for the direction of the course so that my support crew could not see it.

 

• The pilot told me in writing to “get here before the tide start on the Spring and we will get you over then” 2/12/2008 but had no interest in keeping this commitment. I have an extensive email trail of this and I will be forwarding this to the CS&PF committee.

 

 

2.     Conduct of one observer / Role of observers

Since Mike Oram has been quoting the observers report, I am willing to post the report on my blog (if Mike Oram is okay with this – please let me know) to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to read the entire report.

Observers Report
This document is flawed because of serious inconsistencies, missing information and falsehoods:

 

• The last three sections (last three hours) where weather/swim conditions are supposed to be filled into the observers report of my swim are missing – this was when the conditions were at their worst (the boat crew told my support crew that the conditions were Force 6 at this time). This also means that Mike is not aware of the last three hours of my swim and cannot claim the worst conditions I experienced were a maximum of Force 5 or as he says, merely “uncomfortable”.

 

• The observers report lists waves at a maximum height of 1m which is incorrect because at Force 5 (which Mike acknowledges I was swimming in) the wave height is listed at 2-3m on the Beaufort Scale. This report is also inconsistent with the information provided by Nathan. He told my support crew that we were experiencing Force 6 conditions and at 11pm, just hours before I finished.

 

• My observers report (as previously mentioned) lists a maximum of 1 as the wave height. I am not quite sure whether this means meters or feet but they are both inconsistent with 19knot conditions (listed in the report and by Mike on Channel Groups). 19 knot conditions is towards the top end of 16-20knots which is Force 5 on the Beaufort Scale. According to the scale Force 5 is 2-3 meter waves and 6-9 foot waves, as 19knots is towards the higher end of Force 5 you would assume the waves in feet/metres are towards the higher end of these figures (and not ‘1m’).   

 

• Nathan was piloting from approximately 9pm until the end of the swim and Laura has been noted as sleeping between 8.45pm until at least 10.30pm. Who was observing during this time? How are there comments about my feeds in the observers report at this time? Have the feeds been falsified? No-one saw or asked my boyfriend before or after the feed what I had been fed. I was originally informed by the observers that Laura would observe on the 1^st crossing (while Nathan slept) and Nathan would do the 2^nd crossing as the observer while Laura slept – and yet he was my pilot for a few hours on the way back – so much for an independent observer.

 

• There are many missing feeds which are not on the observers reports. These feeds are not listed on either the observers report nor the feed report. The last three hours of my swim I was fed at least every 20-30 minutes but the reports do not reflect this. The feed report does not show any feed between 10:40pm and 11:30pm.

 

• Another inconsistency is shown at 16:37 the feed report says I had 300ml of maxim (only) and the observers report says I had maxim + soup. At 12.00 it says I had a feed for 2 minutes of 400ml maxim and aero bubbles. But at 12.03 I hit the Cape. Do they really expect anyone to believe that I fed for 2 min when I was less than 100m from touching France?

 

Observer Conduct – Nathan

 

Nathan piloted the boat for approximately the last 4 and a half to 5 hours of the swim. CS&PF committee members could you please clarify the role of observers during the swim? Can you please also clarify how observers can be pilots at the same time? Can you please explain to me whether you were aware of observers piloting boats, and especially in my example whether you were aware that Nathan was piloting my boat? Could you please also explain how I paid Eddie and his boat crew to take me across the channel and another person not named as boat crew was piloting? I assume that Nathan was a qualified and experienced pilot. Can you please confirm this?

 

I hope Nathan is licensed to be piloting (legally if required and) with CS&PF because my contract with Eddie states that “Both the craft and the pilot will be registered as required by the CS&PF and the English and French Coastguard authorities.”

In addition to the above, Nathan verbally abused myself and my support crew during the swim.

 

 

Observer Conduct – Who is observing?

 

The CS&PF website states: “The appointed Observer shall be in sole charge of the timing of the swim, and shall be responsible for observing compliance with the rules, subject to ratification by the Committee.” Towards the end of my swim (at the same time, as already noted above) one observer was sleeping and the other was piloting the boat. Nowhere in my observer documentation does it list at what time each observer is being the official swim observer.

 

 

3.     Conduct of two CS&PF committee members (post swim)

Mike Oram, CS&PF Honorary Secretary

      The following comments from Mike were posted on the Channel Groups chat site on the 2^nd December 2009.   

RE: Mike’s comment: “She was late in booking for a priority position and did not have a number 1 priority, but expected to be prioritised”

 

I booked one year in advance (which is not uncommon) and originally received third position. I communicated with Eddie via email asking if there was a cancellation could he please move me up a position. I said to Eddie that I could be free any week in the season if a better position popped up (this email trail will be sent to the CS&PF committee). Thankfully, someone cancelled and I became 2^nd position in my original week. Mike, is this what you call expecting “to be prioritised”?

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “She worked on her dream without fully comprehending the reality of what she was trying to do” and…  “in an enviourment (sic) she did not know or fully understand”.

 

Please explain. How did you come to these conclusions? What evidence do you have to support these accusations?

 

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “It was a good crossing however and the pilot managed to salvage
the crossing with a good turn around.”

 

This is an interesting view on the turn around after I hit the Cape. Ned’s post on the 30^th November on the Channel Swimmers Chat group from an account of the day of mine and Owen’s swim states that “After coming off the Cap, Chloe was driven North by the current.  When we saw her she was low in the water and going backwards.  I actually thought that Chloe was getting out at that point – but fair dues she hung in for another 10 hours”. Mike, would you call Ned’s description a ‘good turn around’ by the pilot?

 

This ‘good turn around’ can be seen from the GPS coordinates (see my blog) from my swim where I swim parallel to the French coast (and swam backwards as I had thought in my blog, due to the extremely strong tide on this particular day) for a long time….making no forward progress.

 

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “To blame the pilot (more to the point “the CS&PF and the pilots” as a group as she did not name her pilot), is not a good way to start.”

 

Nowhere in my blog do I blame ANYTHING on the pilot or blame the CS&PF. I do specifically say that I will not use either in the future but this is very different than blaming.

 

It is interesting that a few vocal CS&PF representatives are happy to celebrate successful crossings but do not want to hear about swimmers who were unsuccessful. I have had many emails from people supporting me. One person has emailed to me: “It is very refreshing to hear a report that is unafraid to express genuine sentiment and criticism…there certainly seems to be a real problem in addressing the issues that are of real concern to potential Channel swimmers such as choice of pilot or association”. These vocal few at the CS&PF accuse all swimmers who question their swim after not being successful of blaming their pilots and then they deflect attention away from the pilot to the perceived deficiencies in the swimmer. In their view it is obvious that the swimmer was suffering one or more of the following: didn’t prepare enough, didn’t want it enough, bring up issues only “when things don’t go their way” or is a ‘diva’. It seems a little hypocritical to blame swimmers 100% of time for failures and yet to get annoyed at swimmers who question their pilots. Aren’t you doing exactly the same thing that you accuse swimmers of doing? Are you saying pilots NEVER contribute to an unsuccessful English Channel outcome?

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “The general rule for a 2-way is to accept the first leg as a swim to the
start. You need to start the second leg in good condition for a hard swim – not tied (sic)… and having feed problems.”

 

• I knew the first leg was a warm up, I mentioned this in my blog before my swim.
• I was tired after the first crossing. Who wouldn’t be tired after swimming the English Channel with the strong current around the Cape? As Ned said “Them spring tides are strong (around the Cape) – it is no surprise to any of us”, so why bring it up, Mike? The tiredness goes away very quickly as the observers report reads (my emphasis)–
  • 12.03 Chloe hit the Cap
  • 12.30 Chloe “looking tired…but going good”
  • 13:22 “Chloe has a good swim to this feed”
  • 14.00 “Chloe has been going for 14 hours and still looking great and in good spirits”
  • 14:27 “Chloe is still going really strong”

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “All the pilots do their best for their swimmers but we can only travel with
the person in the water and are restricted with their ability to do the swim.”

 

Refer to Nathan piloting in the observers section of this document to see whether this was a pilot doing “their best for their swimmers”. Swimmers are equally restricted by the ability and the course set by the pilot and in my case for the last few hours, the observer acting as the pilot.

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “Chloe does not seem to have comes to terms with her failure and still has the need to apportion blame”

 

Another incorrect reference to me apportioning blame when all I said in my blog was: “I believe I have been painfully honest in my account of my swim. On a different day with a different pilot and boat crew or a lower tide or lower winds (preferably all of the mentioned!) I would have had a much more successful day.” I would never call crossing the English Channel a failure. I wanted to do a double crossing and it was within my ability. I double would have created “a much more successful day”. I don’t call swimming for 24hrs and 50min in any water a failure (let alone in the English Channel).

 

RE: Mike’s comment: “The pilot is there to… look after your safety…They (pilots)… produce you (sic) a safe path to a French beach” 

 

Mike, would you call Nathan (the observer) piloting in darkness and Force 5-6 winds back to England “safe piloting” or looking after my safety?

 

Charlie Gravett, CS&PF Chairman

 

The comments from Charlie (after Sally’s Channel Post) were posted on the Channel Groups Chat site on the 2^nd December 2009. Like Mike, Charlie has not consulted me about my swim so I wonder what sort of value, if any, his comments contribute to the discussion of my swim.  

 

On the other hand, Sally (Charlie’s partner) was out in the Channel on the day of my swim (like Ned) and what she has said on Channel Groups on 24/09/09 about the conditions on the day are more similar to Ned’s account than to Mike’s.

From: “Sally & ‘Charlie’” sinkors…@jerseymail.co.uk
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:40:38 +0100
Local: Thurs 24 Sep 2009 05:40
Subject: Re: [Channel Group] Re: Chloe McCardel 2-way

“I echo those sentiments completely.
We were a strong relay team of 5 people – who also caught in the strong
tides and winds that day – and only doing a solo crossing – and we passed
Chloe with Anastasia mid Channel (within about half a mile) way over to the
east of Dover!!!!
It was a tough day out there and Chloe did brilliantly to get as far as she
did…
Well done
Sal”

 

RE: Charlie’s comment: “Your pilot will stick with you when the going gets tough”

 

Charlie, I wish this were true for all of us. Unfortunately, when the going got tough (Force 5 – 6 conditions) the pilot was nowhere near the controls and Nathan (employed as the observer) was piloting the boat in Force 5-6 conditions and 6-8 foot waves. It was also in the last few hours of the swim in which Nathan says “who do you think you are, don’t you know I am the captain of the boat?” to one of the support crew.

 

RE: Charlie’s comment: “The pilot in question is amongst the very best”

 

Well if the CS&PF Chairman thinks that a pilot who lets the observer pilot the boat “is among the very best” then he either does not know what is going on, or he does know but doesn’t care about swimmer safety.

 

RE: Charlie’s comment: “He’s a qualified professional with years of experience.”

 

I don’t know how well the word “Professional” can sit with a pilot who:

 

1. Makes commitments to a swimmer he never intends to keep
2. Sets a swim day and time without consulting the swimmer
3. Allows the beach crew to inform the swimmer when they are swimming
4. Allows a non-boat crew person to pilot the boat (and does not consult / ask permission of the swimmer to do this)

 

The years of Eddie’s piloting experience did show in the successful hitting of the Cap in partnership with my swimming ability. But he had zero experience piloting successful double solo crossings (to my knowledge) and for that reason alone I should not have asked him to pilot for me (my mistake).

 

RE: Charlie’s comment: “I was saddened to see his good name being dragged through the mud” and “deformation of [Eddie’s] character” (defamation?)

 

Exposing safety issues and professional mistakes on a swim allows all involved in this sport to examine procedures and become more swimmer and safety focused. I would like Eddie and the CS&PF representatives on the boat to be accountable for their actions. I am hoping to work towards this by providing a truthful and well thought through analysis which is starkly different from defamation.

 

RE: Charlie’s comment: Chloe is a “naive swimmer”

 

Yes, I was naive in the fact that Eddie had zero experience piloting successful solo double crossings (to my knowledge) and for that reason alone I should not have asked him to pilot me (my mistake).

 

RE: Charlie’s comment: Mike’s post was “toned down for public dissemination”

 

It may or may not have been but many people will not think it fitting for a chairman to post the words you did on December 2^nd (see Charlie’s comments below).

 

 

RE: Charlie’s comments: Chloe was an “ill prepared [and an] unqualified naive swimmer” her main support person is an “unqualified boyfriend” 

 

It is strange to call someone who completed the 6 hour cold water swim as required and has completed numerous marathon swims around the world (see my website) as “unqualified”. How can I be an unqualified swimmer, how does one become qualified?

 

I do not believe it is fitting for the chairman of a federation to be describing any swimmer, who has met all the administrative and swim requirements of the federation (let alone an English Channel successful solo swimmer who swam for 24hrs + 50min) as “ill prepared [and an] unqualified naive swimmer”. Neither should a Chairman be describing one of her support crew as an “unqualified boyfriend”. If the Chairman had taken the time to look at the facts he would be aware that Paul undertook an incredible task of supporting me for 25 hours on the water, has swum the English Channel himself only 1 day before my own swim (in a fantastic time of 13:28 and has completed 5 Ironmans and supported many people for Ironmans). I also wonder what the “swimming ilk” of this world would think about these types of comments against a swimmer or support crew (especially those preparing for a Jersey swim?).

 

How does one become a “qualified” support crew for the English Channel? If you call Paul “unqualified” surely, the CS&PF have a qualification standard or requirement? Or maybe the CS&PF provide specific information for the support crew to prepare them for this incredible task? If the federation does, please forward to me as I cannot find any, anywhere.

 

For anyone who thinks I argued with my support crew, you will not see this in the observers report or hear it from my observers. In fact one of the support crews tweets from my channel swim which is still on Twitter describes my “perfect attitude and amazing energy… Go Chloe!” and “I was helping crew for Chloe, and I want to say she put forth an amazing effort...” (Channel Groups 22/09/09).

 

 

 

4.     Swimmer Safety

I accept and fully appreciate that (as stated in my contract with Eddie) “Channel Swimming is an extreme sport that has its dangers” and that I am required to swim a 6 hr qualifying swim to prove that I have minimum fitness to undertake a Channel attempt. Where is the “the CS&PF “Duty of Care” and awareness programme” available for swimmers to access? This programme is mentioned on Mike’s personal Channel swimming website http://www.channelswimming.com/training.htm. Can someone please define and make readily available the duty of care owed by the CS&PF, the pilot, the boat crew and the observers for the swim.

 

When the conditions were at their most severe the observer (Nathan) was piloting the boat. As I mentioned in my blog I was being tossed into the boat by the waves. When the conditions were at their most severe the boat kept losing me and I couldn’t keep up with the boat. My support crew kept telling Nathan to cut the engine so I could catch up (Eddie was downstairs). I was constantly falling behind the boat – this was extremely distressing for me, the swimmer.

 

Mike’s website states that “Both the CS&PF and your pilot put safety first, second and third”. What happened to this statement in the last hours of my swim? Please explain Eddie / Mike / qualified others why I wasn’t owed this duty of care at that time? My support crew were very concerned about my welfare in the last few hours of the swim, because the boat kept losing me and I was being left up to 50 metres behind the boat in the middle of the night in at least Force 5 conditions. They were also concerned in these last 5 hours at other times when I was being thrown against the boat due to the conditions combined with the lack of lighting for me to see where I was supposed to be swimming. Another concern was that Nathan was the only CS&PF representative on deck for a considerable portion of time during the last 5 hours (and the only pilot during this time).

 

If something had happened to me during those last 5 hours when Nathan was piloting who would have been responsible? Is the support crew responsible, or the pilot, or observers, or boat crew or the swimmer or a combination of the previous parties listed? Mike / qualified other please clarify…

 

I would encourage people to read the following article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/channel-swimmer–goes-missing-one-mile-from-success-665555.html). Richard was, according to Mike “very experienced” and “very qualified and more than capable of doing the job”. If Richard was an experienced pilot and yet lost a swimmer in 20knot conditions (Ueli, who was found dead 7 days later) is it not then also possible for Eddie to have lost me in those same conditions? And yet Eddie was not even piloting the boat when the conditions were at their worst.

 

The article claims that Ueli was swimming in 20 knot winds. Mike is quoted as calling these conditions 

“quite rough”, yet my swim had at least 19 knot winds and Mike calls my conditions merely 

“uncomfortable”.

 

As I have already outlined, the observers report lists 19 knot winds but is missing the last 3 hours of 

conditions, as noted earlier conditions were deteriorating rapidly towards the end of the swim. I assume 

that Nathan was a qualified and experienced pilot. Mike / others please confirm this... Richard was, 

according to Mike in the article was “very experienced” and “very qualified and more than capable of 

doing the job”.

 

The article continues to quote Mike... “Richard was an operator who had accompanied cross-Channel rowing 

attempts”. If he was experienced and yet lost a swimmer in 20 knot conditions is it not then also 

possible for Eddie to have lost me in those conditions? And yet Eddie was not even piloting the boat when 

the conditions were at their worst. My contract with Eddie states “It is the swimmers and their team’s 

duty to know the challenge they are undertaking and be aware of the possible conditions that can be 

involved.”

 

 How can the support crew look out for the swimmers welfare when the boat crew decide to stop sharing 

information with the support crew? Where is the information (via the CS&PF website or via the information 

which is sent out with swimmer/s paperwork) directed towards the support crew to assist them with the 

massive task of supporting a swimmer/s to cross the English Channel? As mentioned on the CS&PF website 

“English Channel Swimming is an Extreme endurance Sport that can result in injury or even death”. How can 

the CS&PF acknowledge the severity of this swim and yet provide little / no information for the support 

crew who work so closely with the swimmer during the swim?

 

The only advice from my pilot was via the contract in which it is stated that swimmers and support crew 

need “to be aware that sea sickness can be a serious problem for the support team members on the boat.” 

Although there is virtually no documentation / other training for the support crew from CS&PF, the 

Chairman of the CS&PF has the audacity to claim my main support person was “unqualified”. This is strange 

considering the CS&PF provide no assistance / qualification and do not require any qualification to be a 

support person. Charlie / other committee members please explain Charlie’s comments.  

 
 
 

The CS&PF website claims “There is a reason for the rules we work under”. Well, what are the exact 

rules and guidelines for the pilot, boat crew, observers and support crew on the boat during the swim?  

 

What do I know about CSA?

 

Paul swam with CSA (a day before me, I was not on his boat as I was resting for my swim). Paul was extremely happy with his experience from the first contact with his pilot, through the swimming journey to France, on the way back to England and post-Channel. His pilot (Eric Hartley) was very encouraging of Paul during his swim (lots of thumbs up and encouraging words), made the support crew tea every hour of the swim (it’s all on video too), popped champagne he had brought (as a surprise) at the conclusion of the swim and was very open with his communication with Paul before the swim. Paul was personally congratulated by the President of the CSA (who is not a pilot) via email a few days after his swim. I wish I had had the same English Channel experience as Paul!

 

I have been in email contact with Julie Bradshaw (President of CSA, world record holder for the English Channel) and I trust if I have any concerns with the CSA that she would listen carefully to my concerns and address them in a professional and balanced way.

 

I have also met Reg Brickell and I have spoken to him at length. He also has the record for piloting the fastest female solo double crossing so I trust that I am giving myself the best opportunity for success with himself as the pilot.  

 

My mistake (please correct me please if I am wrong with this guess the info is difficult to obtain on the internet) is that I picked a pilot without any previous success of a solo double channel crossing (to my knowledge). I picked a pilot with a zero success rate for what I wished to accomplish. It didn’t matter how many successful solo swims he had because a double crossing for both the pilot and swimmer (and the crews) is much more difficult.

 

It doesn’t matter what the result of my swim was (success / failure / single / double), the conduct of two CS&PF individuals during the swim (Eddie and Nathan) and the Hon. Sec (Mike) and Chairman (Charlie) after the swim has been totally inappropriate. Pilots have a duty of care to their swimmers in one of the most dangerous extreme sports in the world and they also run businesses for commercial gain and must provide the service they claim to offer / which is in their contract. For these two reasons Pilots should be held accountable for their conduct. CS&PF representatives on the boat should act professionally at all times. Likewise, CS&PF committee members should act professionally on the Channel Groups website and refrain from slandering and misrepresenting swimmers.

 

The article about Ueli (the swimmer who drowned), states that the CS&PF was set up when “Mr Oram was suspended from the list of registered pilots of the Channel Swimming Association after a complaint from a swimmer that crew were allowed to sleep below decks, leaving “insufficient crew on station to attend to the safety of passengers during bad weather and rough seas”” (www.independent.co.uk). It would appear that I am not the only one who has taken a stand for the safety of swimmers in the English Channel.

 

Hopefully, the safety issues exposed in my swim and the similarity to those of the death of a swimmer in similar conditions will encourage the CS&PF to look closely at how the safety of the swimmer/s is better protected to ensure the safest passage for English Channel swimmers.

 

 

 

Suggestions:

1. The explicit duty of care of the CS&PF and the pilot and the role and expectations of behaviour of the observers, boat crew and pilot is sent out with paperwork before each season starts.
2. Observers are informed when they apply for this role that they cannot perform other roles on the boat (including, but not limited to piloting the boat), even when they are ‘off duty’.
3. There are currently no requirements for support crews to undertake any specific training, nor is there any specific information provided for them by the CS&PF. I would suggest a dedicated document is sent out with each swims / teams paperwork well before the swim season starts. There are many very knowledgeable people within the CS&PF community (Freda, Ned and others) who could have input into a document for support crew. There may even be some tech savvy CS&PF members who could make a clip for U-tube or similar. 
4. If observers are sharing the observer role during a swim they notify the swimmer in writing who will be observing for each section of the swim (e.g. there is a standard CS&PF form which is filled in and handed to the support crew at the start of the swim).
5. Committee members state their title when posting on Channel Groups so everyone can recognise they represent the CS&PF.
6. A feedback about their whole Channel swimming experience from their first contact with CS&PF through to the conclusion of their swim (success or not so successful) form could be mailed to swimmers and /or support crew after their Channel swim.  This information could hopefully be used in a positive way to improve the channel swimmers experience for all (similarly pilots/observers may wish to complete a similar form). This form could include a section regarding safety.  

 

——————————————————–The End——————————————————————-

Jan 09, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

English Channel Part 2 – 24/11/09

Apologies for the late entry! I have been enjoying the over seas travel with Paul a little too much J

 

In my last blog entry I thanked many of the amazing and supportive people who have assisted me in my English Channel swim and I also covered my perspective on my first crossing from England to France. To recap briefly, the first crossing had good conditions with low wind in most parts. I became frustrated near France and especially after reaching French shore as I took two hours longer than I had predicted to complete the first crossing (despite feeling strong, good weather conditions, not feeling cold and averaging 6.6 km an hour in many parts). Something wasn’t adding up…

 

The next section is the second section of my swim report: English Channel (France towards England). (Please note: my ‘boat crew’ refers to the crew provided by the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation or CS&PF and my ‘support crew’ refers to Paul, Mike & Craig who I had personally chosen to feed and support me during this swim).

 

I had no choice but to swim very solidly the last two hours of my England to France crossing so that I could force my way through the strong tides around Cape Gris Nez. Every swimmer wishes to hit Cape Gris Nez to save precious time. When I touched the rock on this Cape in France, Paul was behind me (he had jumped out of the boat and swum behind me, this was necessary according to the rules). It was lovely to share this moment with him but I was also very tired and slightly disorientated from the physical effort of reaching the Cape.

 

I had pondered a few times in preparation for this swim about this exact moment. Advice from both Anne Cleveland (double English Channel swimmer) and Freda Streeter (who mentored her daughter though two separate double crossings) was to view my first crossing as a warm up. I followed their advice and I felt much fresher viewing my swim this way. I don’t think the mentality of ‘I have already swum the entire channel and now I am swimming it all over again’ would be very helpful to any swimmer in my situation. It was therefore easy to turn around and start my second leg. Ten and a half hours was my longest previous continuous swim. I had already swum the English Channel and swam longer (in both distance and time) then I had ever in my life. But this was only the start of a very long 25 hours…

 

The return journey challenged me on many levels; physical, mental, spiritual and intellectually. I was shocked when I was told I had swum 12 hours and three minutes but I also understood that the last section of my first crossing had dragged on for a long time. I reasoned with myself that I could get upset and ask questions of the boat and support crew or I could swim as fast as I could towards home. I knew I had precious little time as there was a Force 6 scheduled 6am Tuesday morning. I had started approximately 12.30am Monday morning, it was therefore about 12:30pm Monday lunchtime. I needed to beat the Force 6 winds by getting back to England, I needed to beat hypothermia which would be slowly eating away at my core body temperature and little did I know the new challenges I would need to beat…

 

The return journey started fairly well with swimmable conditions and a low to medium wind for the first 6 hours. The sun was high in the sky and I was kept under watchful eye of my support crew who ensured that at least one person was always watching me (I am sure this would have been very boring hour after hour after hour!!!) They chatted to each other and I was curious as to what they were chatting about. Sometimes all three of them sat on deck and watched me. I felt like a zoo animal in an enclosure, like a different species. Maybe I am a different species? After all, why would someone want to swim for 20+ hours continuously in challenging conditions? Philosophical questions kept my head busy in between very short feeds with little verbal communication. It also helped distract me from analyzing the puzzling question of what had happened during my first crossing.

 

At this stage I had well and truly left France behind and I could not see land neither in front nor behind me. Visibility into the distance from my low position in the water was difficult and made more so by my dark blue coloured goggles. I watched the boat continuously. I often watched the front of the boat where the captain controls the boat. There was often no one there. I wasn’t too worried about that at this stage. I kept swimming. The boat crew had informed me that the boat would dictate the direction I would swim and I would dictate the speed. This sounded like a reassuring arrangement. As I swam along I had had lost sight of land which meant I had lost the ability to judge distance and speed against a fixed object – I had only the boat to guide me. Although I had nothing solid to support my belief, I became convinced I was not actually moving forward.

 

It is very disturbing to have been swimming for 16-18 hours and realise that you may have wasted the last few hours. I was starting to believe that my swimming energy had been expended, my beliefs in forward progress nurtured falsely and time had been lost against the encroaching Force 6 winds. I wasn’t happy. I insisted to my support crew I wasn’t swimming forward. I became very frustrated. I stopped swimming or treading water to test my beliefs and was literally pushed backwards at an alarming rate. I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t swimming back to England, I was swimming on the spot to prevent myself from being pushed back to France. It was very demoralising.

 

I asked to speak to the captain and one of the observers (there were two as I was attempting a double crossing) came out. I questioned her about the tide and she said we were ‘waiting for the tide to turn’. I asked when this would be and she said she couldn’t tell me. In fact, I was told it was already turning. I asked to speak to the captain and was given a similar response. No-one could tell me how much time was wasted or when I would start moving forward. This was a difficult period of swimming.

 

I continued swimming for the next few hours and I was told that Ali Streeter (an amazing marathon swimmer) was piloting with her boat a relay team across the channel and that I had passed them. Although my support crew were stretching the truth they knew it would give me a psychological boost which I needed after the previous period of swimming and also because it was turning into night, the air temperature was dropping and the wind was lifting which would be testing me even more (cooler air and water temperatures increase the chance and severity of hypothermia).

 

It was at this stage that I was thoroughly suspicious of the information that I was being fed. I wanted to know how close I was to shore. This is a difficult question in the best of times due to the unusual ‘S’ curve of English Channel swimming, the differing pace of the swimmer and the wind and tides. I was persistent with that question. The last 5 hours of my swim were horrific. My body had already endured approximately 70km of swimming in cold waters (15-17 Celcius) and now I had to deal with a boat crew I did not trust and wind and water chop which was determined to break me. It was now pitch black, I was getting battered by waves and thrown against the boat and I only had two questions on my mind ‘Where is Paul?’ (my security blanket and the only one I trusted 100%). Paul was always there but in the pitch black I couldn’t see him. The other question was ‘How long till we get there?’

 

I was being told firmly by the boat crew not to swim into the boat. I was told to swim wide of the boat 10m and towards the back of the boat as the waves would be smaller in this place. This was like telling a 3 year old to walk 10m in front of them and then 4m to their right. After 20 hours of swimming I was experiencing the early stages of hypothermia.  My thinking became simplified. Numbers were difficult to judge and even if I could judge them accurately I was being pushed in all directions by the waves and there was no lighting in the water to guide me. Finally a torch-light was placed where they wished me to swim (Paul’s brilliant idea) and I focused all my energies on following the light (like mosquitoes towards bright lights at night) and keeping my arms churning over.

 

I could see many lights in the horizon but I didn’t believe the pilot/boat captain with his estimate of how close we were to shore (1-2 hours). I was thinking maybe it’s another 5 hours? Or could it be another 3 hours? The waves were sapping my energy. I began falling off the end of the boat and shouting for the boat not to leave me behind. I was then convinced the boat was taking 90 degree turns away from me, upon reflection I may have been swimming in random directions due to the hypothermia. The waves kept coming. When I was forced to swim near the end of the boat (due to the conditions) I was swimming close to the engine and I was very vocal about how concerned I was about the possibility of getting  my limbs ripped off (I knew the boat had many blinds spots and they could not always see where I was). I found it very difficult to stay with the boat. I was out of the water after 24 hours and 50 minutes of swimming. The boat was as bad as swimming (if not worse). It rocked like it was about to tip over with every wave that crashed into it. It was nauseating and extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to go home (our accommodation) and get into the bath. Paul rapped me in towels and blankets (he was my guardian angel the whole swim and when we got home afterwards).

 

It took 1 and a half hours to get home in the boat, you can imagine how long that would have taken to swim (much longer than I was being told)… The Force 6 winds had come early, much earlier than anticipated. It supports the notion that Spring tide weather can change very quickly. 

 

When I returned to our room Paul ran a bath and I jumped in. I called him into the bathroom to inform him that the room had been redecorated while we were out. I insisted (and firmly believed) that there were stickers on the bathroom walls, door and all surfaces except the mirror. In fact, there were stickers on my legs! He said I was hallucinating. I was honestly shocked. And then I realised it must be true (the sticker shapes were changing as I observed them)!

 

I believe I have been painfully honest in my account of my swim. On a different day with a different pilot and boat crew or a lower tide or lower winds (preferably all of the mentioned!) I would have had a much more successful day. But I still crossed the English Channel and became the 62^nd Australian to have ever done so. I amazed myself by swimming for such a long time and for a really tough last 6 hours of 6-8 foot waves and 50km/hr winds. The channel didn’t beat me on that second crossing but I do feel let down. I was and I am still (with the same distance and style of training) capable of swimming what I had hoped to achieved – a double crossing of the English Channel. 

 

If there are any marathon swimmers reading this and planning to swim the English Channel I strongly implore you to strenuously investigate your pilot and federation you wish to use for the crossing. A £2000 (English Pounds) non-refundable fee per intended swimming crossing is too much to sacrifice to an unsuitable pilot and boat crew (feel free to email me for advice). All of my future English Channel swims will be exclusively conducted with the Channel Swimming Association or CSA and with the very experienced and accomplished pilot Reg Bricknell.

 

This final swim report instalment is two months after my swim. I have had plenty of time to reflect on the whole journey. There were certain money-focused and unprofessional people that I was forced to deal with during this journey but I will not be going into details here about their behaviour. I am now very aware for next year. I will not let them tarnish my fantastic journey and success. After a very challenging, interesting and rewarding English Channel journey I will certainly be back in 2010 to swim the English Channel both ways!!!

 

Thanks for following this journey, just one of many more swimming journeys to come!! Next blog will include my swim calendar for 2010!

Nov 24, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Swim Report (Part 1) – 9/10

It has been 12 days since my English Channel Crossing and 24 hour+ swim and I have been busy recovering and travelling around Europe with my boyfriend Paul. I have had plenty of time to reflect upon all aspects of my swim and potential areas of improvement for next year.

 

My first thought is that I have had so much amazing support and I have so many people to thank for their efforts in assisting me to swim the English Channel. A big thank you to my boyfriend, the Everyready superstar Paul McQueeney who swam the English Channel and then jumped onto my support boat (for 26 hours) only a few hours after the conclusion of his own swim! To the support crew on the boat Craig and Mike who jumped in to assist with supporting me with only a few days notice; thanks to Craig, Pete and Rog for updating my twitter; thanks to Freda Streeter for her 27 years of amazing knowledge and experience that she has so graciously passed on to myself and Paul; thanks to my supportive family for keeping everything on track for my return to Melbourne, thanks to Mandy for looking after my most treasured friend in the world (my doggy Bazza), thanks to those who have believed in my ability to swim the channel and assisted meeting my costs – Lenovo, Bioeffectives – Multivitamins, Colorpak Packaging, Garry Burson from Burson Autoparts, Cut ‘n Fresh Salads and the ‘B’ Squad from Harold Holt Pool. Thanks to Michael Renford and the many channel swimmers at Dover and from around the world for their friendship and advice. Thanks to everyone who I haven’t mentioned for their kind words of support!

 

The next section is the first section of my swim report : English Channel (England – France)

The window or tide that I was booked on was a Neap tide from the 11th to the 16th of September and I was position two. Position two means that once position one swims I am offered the next position. The whole channel swimming season was very poor due to high winds and you may remember me saying (on a previous blog entry) that many swimmers had to go home without the opportunity of even getting in the water (their window was not swimmable). My window was wiped out completely. I therefore swam had an opportunity to swim on the following Spring tide. The challenge with Spring tides is that the weather can change very quickly (aka wind can blow up quickly) and the water (tide) runs very fast. Fast water is great if you’re swimming with it but it is horrible to swim against (think swimming on the spot) and it can easily force you to swim extra kilometres then you would otherwise (for a double crossing). I had the opportunity to swim on a Spring tide or go home not having swum at all. I had a serious think about it, looked at various weather / wind websites (my favourite being windguru.com), consulted various people – including my pilot and accepted the only day on the following Spring tide which seemed feasible. I knew bad wind (gale force) were coming Tuesday about 6am (I was leaving Monday 12am) but I backed myself and believed that I could finish the swim within 20 – 24 hours .

 

I knew the tide I was swimming upon was fast but not that it was the biggest/fastest tide of the whole entire season and a tide that many experienced pilots would refuse to send a double attempt out on (I learnt that later)! Because my original Neap swim window had closed I had lost my original support crew (they were now unavailable) and I was still frantically trying to get my support crew organised just hours before my swim. After the excitement and celebration of Paul completing his crossing the same morning of my crossing I had to quickly refocus on my double channel attempt. After very poor communication from my pilot about my starting time we finally agreed upon Sunday midnight at 12.17am to leave from the beach. As I was informed I arrived at the boat at 11pm to find the driver still asleep and the observers then arrived. Kevin (who is from Melbourne and swam the channel in August 2009) and his partner Sandra saw us off from the Dover Jetty.

 

In the boat we headed towards the starting point for the swim which was the beach named Sanfire hoe. I was covered in so much Lanolin (wool fat) that I wasn’t sure whether I was Arthur or Martha (see photos). I started in pitch black and swum for another 6 hours until the sun started to rise. The first 6 hours were great. I felt fresh, the water and air temperature wasn’t bothering me (the air temperature at night is considerably cooler). Feeding was tough because the boat wasn’t lit up so I couldn’t recognise who was who on the boat. Feeding was also difficult because I was swimming with the tide and the drink bottles move at the speed of the tide even when I was stationary! My eyes were just above water level (looking to my left and right) so it was difficult to see far into the distance unless I changed my stroke and looked forward like waterpolo players do. I did manage to see a few ships lit up like floating Christmas trees in the dark (a rare pleasure in a very repetitive environment), an array of beautiful stars (stars always look brighter away from cities) and a magnificent sun rise!!

 

The second 6 hours were also exciting as the sun rose and I could see the familiar faces of my support crew. I think I swam into a ball at one stage (it is common for cargo ships to lose containers and for their contents be floating in the channel) and I also swam though a bit of seaweed. I got a bit impatient at the 9 hour mark because I had been swimming at such a strong pace with the assistance of a strong tide that I believed I was very close to the coast. The direction of English Channel swims of an ‘S’ curve necessitate swimming close to the French Coast before moving away and then later reaching land. I knew of many swimmers who were fooled by this mirage – it was very frustrating indeed. I believed at my speed I should have made the first crossing in 10 hours. The exact reason I didn’t make the coast in time is for anyone’s guess. Looking at the charts of where I swam shows that I did an ‘S’ curve much, much larger than usual.

 

Every English Channel swimmer desires to reach Cap Gris Nez on the French Coast. It saves an extra 1—3 hours swimming. Whether you reach the coast is a combination of a few factors (the tide is very strong around that area). I did reach the coast but not before 2 consecutive hours of swimming the strongest aerobic pace I have ever swam in my life! This was the first point I realised something was very wrong. With absolute exhaustion I swam into the point with Paul behind me to share in the experience. I touched a French Rock on the waters edge. It was the most average and the most amazing rock I have ever touched. I had been told by others that the first crossing of a double crossing is your warm up. I had finally finished my 12 hours and 4 minute warm up and I was ready to swim home!

I will post my second part of my swim within the next week! I am currently enjoying time-out at Lake Como in Italy with Paul.

Arrivederci!

Oct 10, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Chloë’s trip to France! 24/9

After an exciting 12 hours and 4 minutes I touched my first piece of French soil – a very beautiful rock! That rock has cemented my place as the 62^nd Australian to have swum the English Channel :) My amazing boyfriend Paul became the 61^st Australian to cross the English Channel a few hours earlier!!

I swam the English Channel in a time of 12hrs and 4min. Unfortunately, due to Force 5 & 6 winds (50km p/hr & 8 Foot waves) I was prevented from completing my double crossing. I had swum for 24hrs and 50 min and covered around 100km.

I will upload a more detailed account of my swim in the next week or two. Many thanks to my amazing support crew and so many of you who have sent me well wishes and congratulations.

One of my support crew Mike Solberg not only crewed my swim but also swum the channel a couple of days before my swim to raise money for charity. He is raising money for Angola which is recovering from the results of a 27 year civil war. Angola has the hope of a peaceful future, the hope of recontruction, the hope of it’s children, who deeply long for education. Mike is aiming to raise at least $50,000 to help these children flourish and rebuild their country. He believes swimming the channel, although challenging is worthwhile for the children of Waku Kungo ‘it is not a burden, but a gift’. I encourage everyone reading this to support his incredible efforts by visiting his website www.swimmikeswim.com :)

I also, owe many thanks to the many sponsors who have believed in my ability and supported me in my journey. I look forward to catching up with you all individually and thanking you personally when I am back in Australia.

Lastly, on behalf of myself and Paul we cannot thank Michael (Murf) Renford enough. He has been an amazing source of inspiration and a wonderful mentor through both of our English Channel journeys.  

My spirits are still high and I am planning another big swim very soon. Stay tuned for a possible announcement in the next 7 days!

Sep 25, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Chloe is off for a round trip to FRANCE!!

Ignoring suggestions to fly, catch a ferrie or train or even a car, I am swimming off to France! At 00:11 tonight the 21/9/09 I will be starting my journey to swim a double crossing of the English Channel.  I will be following the advice of both Freda Streeter (mother of Ali Streeter who has swum the channel 43 times) and Anne Cleveland who have offered the following advice:

“Remember, when you do a two-way your swim starts in France, but you must swim (from England) to your starting place, which is a beach in France. Your swim from England to France is your “prerequisite swim”. Your swim is finished when you crawl out on a beach in England.” – Anne Cleveland

I have been so inspired by my boyfriends own crossing of the English Channel which finished just this morning (and in an amazing time of 13hrs+ over 50km) that I intend to use his swim to give me extra strength when the cold really starts biting in deep. I have had so many well wishes from sponsors, family and friends and I will hold these very close to my heart as I swim up to 100km on my round trip!  

Follow my journey on Twitter at http://twitter.com/chloemccardel or via GPS on my boat http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0BmAad26YdAEXF3xrrW7t1uWuEUKPUDcT 

See you soon !!!!

 

Sep 21, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Paul Conquers FRANCE!!! & Chloe gets swim date!!

My amazing boyfriend Paul is just hours away from being the 61st Australian to swim the English Channel. He has been swimming with me in 17-18 Celcius water everday (save 3) for the last month in Dover Harbour England getting ready for his own single crossing. I have been updating his progress on his twitter (Englishchannel9) for the last few hours. I am now lucky enough to confirm that I will start my own swim at either UK lunchtime tomorrow, Sunday, (approx. 14 hours) or most likely late Sunday night (approx 24 hours). I will be sending a Media Release out shortly. Just to give you the heads up when I start my swim you can track my boat ‘Anastasia’ at  http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0BmAad26YdAEXF3xrrW7t1uWuEUKPUDcT and my crew will be doing live updates on my Twitter so make sure you follow me (just type ‘Chloe McCardel’ into twitter to find me  

Here are some of my Twitter updates for Paul:

Englishchannel9Paul is passing swimmers who started hours B4 him!! MOM is powering to FRANCE !!!!

Englishchannel9Paul is now averaging 4km an hour! WHAT A FREAK’N GUN!!!!!!!!! GO PAUL

Englishchannel9Paul is doing AMZINGLY!!!! he is ovr 1/2 way, the water is still flat & he is all thumbs up! His support crw R also doing well!!! Thkscrew!

Englishchannel9Holding this pace he will cross the channel in 12 and a half hours!!!!!!!! 3-5 hrs quicker than expected

There are 9 boats out tonight each taking either a solo swimmer or a team across. Most people/teams are doing a solo crossing. There is an american team which has just finished their first crossing of a double you can follow their progress at http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0RsLqd0OfljkLGCkqOSpPqE8DLAaEKhMc. An Irish lady who I mentioned in my last blog is also doing well, you can track her progress at http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0BmAad26YdAEXF3xrrW7t1uWuEUKPUDcT. There is a minister from the US who is 1 position in front of me with my pilot (hence why I am not out tonight) who you can track at http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0BmAad26YdAEXF3xrrW7t1uWuEUKPUDcT - he is very close to finishing!!!

I can’t finish this blog without an enormous THANK YOU to Pete (Melbourne) and Mel (Syndey) who flew all the way from Australia to support Paul, but unfortunately (due to very bad winds over a long number of days) just missed Paul’s swim by a day or two. Another SUPER THANK YOU to Bel from (UK and soon from Switzeralnd and her friend Steph Case (Canadanian Ultramarathon runner) for jumping on Paul’s boat and doing an AMAZING job supporting him (PS thanks Steph for training him with the whistle)

Tonight/the early morning is going to be filled with Celebration, Moet Champagne, Hugs, Congratulations and a Warm Bath for PAUL   I AM SO PROUD OF YOU PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will blog again tomorrow

Sep 20, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Still Waiting! 14/09/09

Sep 14, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The Waiting Game!!!

It has been both an exciting and frustrating week for me in over. I was hoping to have swum on a Spring tide this week past but the opportunity has not arisen. Both Paul and I are still waiting for our swims but we are both making the most of the additional time we have available. I have been busy swimming in the harbour, tweeting, liaising with sponsors, chatting to the media and spending time with new friends (and adding in the odd afternoon nap ).

 

I was very fortunate to speak to Red Symons Friday morning AEST 11/9/09. I even got a mention on their twitter and blog forum http://twitter.com/774melbourne/statuses/3899312905 and they also have a link on the ABC website to the audio from the interview http://blogs.abc.net.au/victoria/rss.xml I am also very privileged to have the audio from an interview from 3 weeks ago still featured on Denis Walter’s 3AW website http://www.3aw.com.au/displayPopUpPlayerAction.action?&url=http://media.mytalk.com.au/3AW/AUDIO/200809_ChloeMcCardel.wma  I have also been up to some English Channel research in my spare time! I found some channel swimming history when I was at the Dover Museum last week which I will share with you below.  

 

The Dover Museum which I mentioned in my last blog hosts a small selection of history and information about English Channel crossings. As one of the narrowest and busiest shipping channels with dangerous waterways, crossing the Channel has been the first objective of numerous innovative sea, air and human powered technologies.

 

The first recorded notable crossing of the channel was by air in 1785 (in balloon, from Dover to Calais). The second notable crossing of the channel was by the Paddle steamer “Rob Roy” (the first passenger ferry to cross channel). Most importantly, on the 25^th of August 1875 the first known person to swim the channel was Captain Matthew Webb of the UK (Dover to Calais, 21 hrs, 45 min).

 

At the reception given to Captain Webb in Dover after his swim, the Mayor of Dover said, “I make bold as to say that I do not believe that in the future history of the world any such feat will be performed by anyone else”. Since then many people have attempted to swim the English Channel and I will explore this in more depth in my next blog! Chat soon J

 

Dover Walkway - view from our room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Read, M, Taylor, D, Trusty, N, Stockdale, C, Smith, J, Doherty, T & Espin, T  2004, Handbook og the Channel Swimming Association Ltd, Wednesbury.

Wikimedia Foundation Inc 2009, Wikipedia®, viewed 8 September 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Channel

Sep 13, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Exploring Dover’s History – 8/9/09

It’s very exciting spending time in the city of Dover which is immersed in such rich history dating back over 2000 years. I (with my boyfriend Paul) have been busy immersing myself over the last week in local history of the Dover area, the Dover Castle and the history of English Channel crossings. I would love to share some of these with you!

Although there were settlers predating the first construction of Dover Castle I start my history analysis of Dover in 1066. It was this year that William the Conqueror constructed the castle following the Battle of Hastings. This castle was strategically significant because of its elevated position upon the White Cliffs of Dover and its view across the English Channel to France. Successions of Kings were the first to occupy and extend the castle between 1170 and 1250. A series of underground tunnels were built in the Napoleonic era. In the Second World War anti-aircraft guns became its main armament and the tunnels were extended for military use. Paul and I took many photographs within the Castle grounds and we highly recommend you visit the castle if you are heading to England!!

  The Dover Museum was also an exploration back in time. We enjoyed strolling through the building and absorbing the local history and archeology of the region. The museum is situated in the town centre of Dover. Paul and I delved into the Bronze Era which was a feature exhibition hosted by the museum. We marveled at the  Bronze Age Boat, the world’s oldest known seagoing boat and a fascinating archaeological discovery. Other museum displays include Roman glass and pottery, Anglo-Saxon finds on loan from the British Museum, the Norman conquest and the burning of Dover, the history of Dover Castle, the medieval development of the town and port, the Victorian rebuilding of the town and Dover’s important place in both World Wars. If you are interested in the history of the area visit www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk, click ‘visitor information’ and then click ‘Heritage Factsheets’.

 

It has been exciting exploring the history of Britain’s most historic port town. The next blog which will be posted Wednesday AEST will continue exploring Dover’s history- the English Channel swimming history!

 

Reference list

Dover District Council 2008, Kent , viewed 8th October 2009, www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk
                                                                                                                      

Properties Presentation Department – Research and Standards Group, Dover Castle – English Heritage Guidebooks 2007, editor Susannah Lawson, London.

Sep 08, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Heartbreak & Hope 1/9/09

The 1^st week in Dover has been filled with sunshine, new friendships, harbour swimming, relaxation and fun! 

 

Paul and I spent our first few days in Dover settling into our lovely seaside accommodation. From our third floor window we had a lovely view. To our left we had Dover Castle and the famous white cliffs, in front of us we had huge passenger ferries crossing back and forth across the English Channel, across the harbour there is a fortress which stands as a reminder of the strategic importance of Dover to England’s security and prosperity and below us lies the pebbled beach where many swimmers start their journey across the channel to France.

 

From the 25^th to the 28^th of August we started each day with a buffet breakie and a swim. Every morning at 10am prospective English Channel swimmers gather on the beach to swim. Over these few days we met swimmers from across the world who were either training in the harbour in preparation for their channel swim (or other open water swims) or who were waiting for their chance to swim the Channel and having a light swim to roll their arms over. We met a lovely young family from NSW who had come over with a support crew and their baby who were waiting between the 26^th of August and the 3^rd of September for an opportunity for Stewart to swim. We also met a friendly bunch from Colorado in U.S.A. who were a team of 6 also waiting from the 26^th to swim. We ran into many swimmers and locals who were interested in our swims (the locals saw our Tee Shirts) about Dover during the day. In the afternoons we often swum a second time for the day.

 

English Channel swimming is particularly unpredictable as you don’t know exactly when you are to swim in advance. This makes for a tedious waiting game and often frustration because your allotted time frame (for example the 26th of August until the 3^rd of September) may pass without a good day of weather and conditions to undertake your swim. Today is Monday the 30^th of August and it looks like everyone we have spoken to who is allocated on this timeframe will miss the opportunity to swim. Unfortunately the tail end of the hurricane Bill and then hurricane Barry, both from America have caused such severe conditions that the channel has been and still is not swimmable through to the third of September.

 

It is very heartbreaking to witness swimmers who have trained for 12 months or more and who have often travelled around the globe with their support crew, paid a substantial deposit to their pilot (boat captain) miss their chance to swim. Although they are given the option of jumping into other time frames most people need to return to work and family commitments and/or the expense of staying in Dover is not feasible. But this week has also been heart warming meeting new friends and witnessing the end of an epic adventure.

 

As the weekend suddenly fell upon us, Paul and I met Freda Streeter and the wider English Channel swimming community. There is a small but dedicated group who congregate on the beach of Dover all summer long to support swimmers reach their goals. This group is headed by Freda Streeter who has supported English swimmers for 27 years. Paul and I also met Louise, Irene, Barry and Michelle who are some of the support crew. I didn’t spend much time on the beach meeting people as I spent 13 and a half hours swimming over their Bank long weekend (Saturday to Monday).

 

Another heart warming experience was meeting Kelly who was visiting her father-in-law in Dover. She saw Paul’s Tee Shirt and enquired as to whether he was really swimming the channel and from there we met her extended family. She had such a warm and friendly personality we felt like long-time friends in the matter of minutes. Although we had just met we discussed the possibility of herself or her father-in-law becoming support crew for my swim.

 

Since Paul, myself, Kelly and her family were all at the local pub we were going through the standard introductions when we were delivered a ground breaking news splash! Hilary Lister a quadriplegic and a sailor was arriving in Dover Harbour from a world-first solo trip around the UK (http://www.hilarylister.com). We all ran into the boat yards (beating the press!) and watched her amazing journey come to a close with a smile on her face and an amazed crowd and media. I yelled out ‘Well done’ to Hilary and everyone clapped.

 

In the midst of (at times) a heart breaking week we found so much friendship, joy and courage to overcome obstacles. Similarly, Hilary could have been heart broken by her condition but she has shown amazing strength, initiative and courage. She is an amazing woman and human being. I can only hope to inspire others from my Double English Channel crossing as she has inspired so many from around the globe.

Sep 01, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Goodbye Melbourne, Hello Dover! 23/8

My last week in Melbourne moved at a frantic pace. There were many farewells from friends, fellow swimmers, sponsors and family. The excitement and anticipation of the journey and a few other events made the last few days in Melbourne disappear quickly.

Good news came from England as our fellow swimming friend Kevin Cassidy crossed the English Channel in 16 hours. We are so happy and proud of Kev as he has been solidly training for 2 years for the swim. Paul and I had the added enjoyment of watching Kevin’s journey to France on the internet via the GPS on his boat. My boat will also have this feature during my swim (I will explain how to access this via my website in a later blog). My T Shirts and bathers (with sponsor logos) arrived during the week which added to my enthusiasm.

Before I left Melbourne I had the difficult task of saying goodbye to my little Chihuahua x Mini Foxie named Bazza who I rescued from a shelter in December 2008.

Paul and I arrived at the airport late Sunday night on the 23^rd of August. Over the next 17 hours we enjoyed the exquisite menu, fantastic service and 6 foot long bed design which doubled as our seat during our Etihad business class flight to Abu Dubai. Did I mention the seats had two different styles of in-built massage? We stopped at Abu Dubai in the INCREDIBLE business class lounge where we enjoyed brunch, a complimentary 15 minute massage and a shower before continuing our journey onto London.

It was a short  seven hour flight to London as I enjoyed every minute. I flicked through hundreds of TV shows and movies for entertainment and one of the shows I watched was the cartoon comedy The Simpsons. I stumbled across a very interesting Simpsons moment when Sideshow Bob takes his family under the English Channel via the tunnel!

As part of our business class tickets we were chauffeured to our destination which was the Best Western Waterfront  Hotel. We arrived Monday afternoon and went for a quick dip to experience the beloved water which has carried so many marathon swimmers to France

Aug 27, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Leaving Australia in 4 DAYS!!! 19/08/09

It has been amazing two weeks since my last blog entry. Things are getting a little bit crazy (in a good way) leading into mine and Paul’s English Channel swim. We still have so much to organise and we are leaving this Sunday (only 4 days away!). This is a long blog entry because I have so much fantastic news to share!!

After the Lorne swim mentioned in the last blog I received a lovely bag of car accessories for placing in the race. I went to thank the person who donated the prize and found out it was Garry Johnson who owns and manages Burson Automotive Parts. We had a great chat about swimming in general and my upcoming double English Channel swim. We agreed to catch up again and have a swim and coffee with his pool swimming friends.

A few days later I joined the ‘B’ Squad (their nickname for their group) for a dip. Great fun was had by all so I joined the group again for another swim and coffee the next week! The group started over 20 years ago and is still kicking on strong which I find amazing. It’s great to see people enjoying exercise over a long period and building life long friendships whilst getting fit J Garry and his swimming friends have been wonderfully supportive of my English Channel swim and I look forward to more swimming and socialising in the future.

In other fantastic news… Colorpak Packaging and Cut Fresh Salads have also come onboard to assist with my English Channel journey. Speedo and 2XU have also offered assistance. Be sure to check out my Speedo Aquablades and 2XU Tee Shirts when I upload them onto my blog soon!! Both companies supported me in my Rottnest Island WA swim and I am over the moon to be wearing their products again. They are both top quality and stylish sporting companies. How exciting!!

Another exciting news piece for this blog is the race of the 10^th Annual Brighton Icebergers Longcourse swim. There were three swim choices for brave swimmers to choose from (8 degree Celsius water). One could choose from the ‘no-brainer’ which was 1.2km, the ‘channel swim’ of 1km or the 2km ‘big course’. There were approximately 30 – 40 participants in the friendly swim.

I entered the big course and after a busy start (all participants started together) I found the leader and swam with him for most of the race. In the final stretch I pulled away and crossed the line 6 seconds clear (1^st overall). The swim was followed by an amazing breakfast put on by one of the Icebergers and their family with monies going to both the Anti-cancer Council and the 40 hour Famine.

Lastly, I had a wonderful chat with Denis Walter this afternoon on 3AW. It was a great opportunity to be able to share my journey with his listeners and I am looking forward to keeping him informed of my progress during the swim via the support crew on board my boat.

The last two weeks have reaffirmed in my mind that sport is a fun and healthy way to build great friendships and strong communities…

Aug 18, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Friendly Winter Swim – 25/27 July

Paul, Bazza and I headed off on our first get-away together down the surf coast. The Brighton Icebergers were hosting a swim event this weekend at a secret location down the surf coast of Victoria. Bazza was eager to join Paul and I so we booked into dog-friendly accommodation approximately 500m from the main beach. This swim is very unique as it is a cold water swim with the water temperature hovering at 9 degrees celcius and the air temp at approximately 10 degrees. The course was to be 1200m but it was changed to approximately 1400m as you will soon discover…

We arrived approximately an hour before the swim was to commence. This gave us an opportunity to rendezvous with our official photographer  who was also Paul’s good friend Peter. At the swim debrief we were informed the swim was to be swum in reverse because the original course conditions going the traditional direction were too dangerous. The starter informed us that this was primarily a friendly, invitational swim although there were a few competitive types in the swim.              

We were instructed by the starter that we could start the swim in water as deep as we liked as long as we were standing. After the starters gun Jonathon and myself swam together in second and third position for approximately 200m whilst pulling away from the fourth swimmer. I kept an eye on the swimmer out front (Lupco) and started to close the gap between him and me.

My strategy was to keep Lupco on my right-hand side as I breathe to the right and this would allow me to monitor his position throughout the swim. Over a few hundred meters I pulled away from Jonathon and gained ground on Lupco.

I finally caught up to Lupco about half-way through the course where we swam stroke for stroke for the next section of the swim. I tried a few times in vein to break away from him but he held strong during these attempts.

Just before the finish-line I turned on the after burners and used my strong kick and a faster stroke rate to gain a few body lengths. I finished first in 13:56 quickly followed by Lupco and then Jonathon.

The race was celebrated with a dinner bringing together different Victorian Iceberg communities, namely the Brighton and Mt Martha groups. I was very proud to receive the George Fountain medal at the dinner.

The weekend finished with Paul, Bazza and I heading down to the beach for a few more cold water swims to further acclimitise to the cold water for our English Channel crossing in September. After a few swims we took Bazza along the Great Ocean Rd and to the 12 Apostles (although we couldn’t count anymore than 6?…). 

Before signing this blog off I would like to extend another big THANK YOU to the Brighton Icebergers and others who made the swim possible. It was a great day and a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old face and to meet a few new ones!

Aug 03, 2009 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »