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).

Swimming in the dark!

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

Libyan Relay Team

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!!

Swimming along... one stroke at a time...

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

Nearly Home... Still happy to smile for the camera a little bloated too!!

 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

Paul & I signing our names on the Whitehorse Pub's wall!!

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…

Paul, BEST support crew in the WORLD!

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:

Channel Swimming Association channelswimmingassociation.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 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.

Here is Part 1 of my 2 Part Blog. Enjoy

Relaxing in Dover Harbour the day before my Channel swim!

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

Life Saving Ring on my pilot's boat the 'Viking Princess'

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.

Paul has been an amazing support during 2009 & 2010!!!

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  

Swimming into the start at Samphire Hoe

My last practice swim with my Speedo bathers for the Channel!!

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).

Taking my last Bioeffective A capsule before the BIG swim They will be fed to me while I swim too!

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

THANKS Paul XOXO

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

Thanks Team!!

Enjoying the sunshine on Dover beach!!

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  

Post Manhattan Update (New York, Toronto & Ireland)

New York

Enjoying 'Jersey Boys' in Broadway

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!

Chatting to the Life Guards at Lake Ontario

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

Beautiful Clonakilty beach, Inchydoney, Ireland!

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

MIMS chloe under a bridge with Niles

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

"Site-seeing: that is the United Nations up there in the photo. East 42nd Street." Richard Clifford

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….

Being passed by the Spanish competitor and his paddlers

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.

At the finish touching stairs!!!

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.

Chloe before the start of the swim looking for her paddler Niles Furlong

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!

Race Start, and they are off!!!

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!!

Getting into a great rhythm with Niles Furlong my 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.

Support boat: Charlie in blue (boat captain), Bernard flying the Race T-Shirt (observer) and Paul (my support person) taking the photo!!

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

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.

Manhattan Island - This map does not show Battery Park, but it can be located near the far left hand corner of Lower Manhattan.

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

This is me at 80kg training in Dover before the English Channel last year. I am currently only 72kg! Time to eat more!!

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!

(From Left) Steph, Paul, Chloe and Bel before Paul's English Channel swim Sept '09!

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