I go again. Different pilot and boat this time - its with Suva, piloted by Neil Sreeter. I wasnt expecting to go untl September, after the calf muscle I tore last Fridy has healed. But as it doesn't seem to interfere with my swimming, only my walking, I have decided to give it a go, but am keeping it very quiet! Projected start time is 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Tracker - go to www.shipais.com then enter SUVA in "ship search" at top right of page. Click on the resulting description of Suva. This will show the current location in the channel. To see the whole track rather than just the current position, click on 'hist' on lefthand side. Tweets will be sent to "@ians_swim".
Postscript
AfteR 10 hours 40 I got out, still 4.5 miles to go. I had swum at a good rate and felt I had energy left in store, but had developed stomach cramps after about 8 hours which gradually got worse to the point where I couldn't carry on. Whether this was a combination of intolerance to the maxi feed, copious amounts of sea water I swallowed or stress from a number of reasons which I won't go in to, or a combination of all 3, I don't know.
But I do know that The Channel deserves respect and, on the day after Paraic sadly lost his life while swimming the Channel, any disappointment I felt by not succeeding, is tempered by the knowledge that I live to fight another day.
Monday 23 July
He s off!2am start from Samphire Hoe and everything's looking good in great calm conditions!
Sunday 22 July
It's tonight! We board our boat, Seafarer 11, in Dover Marina at 1am Monday morning, ready to motor round to Shakespeare beach where I swim to shore and, on the sound of the horn, start!
Friday 20 July
And so I may be going Sunday or Monday this weekend after all. More news later once I have heard from my pilot.
In the meantime, this is the twitter link where i think anyone can follow the updates from the boat when we go, provided you are using a mobile and whether you have signed up to twitter or not:
https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/search/Ians_swim
Wednesday 18 July
The word on the street is that the weekend looks better but very high spring tides make it only really suitable for relays not solos. Thats also my pilot's view. If the weather lasts, we might be looking at Monday, but more likely the end of next week, as the next slot will have started and those booked on it will go first.
Monday 16 July
Gales in the channel today and grim weather is predicted for the rest of my slot of neap tides, ending Wednesday. My pilot will look at going on the immediately following spring tides, but it has to be very little wind to do this because faster currents and wind exasperate the sea state. May be Friday?
Friday 13 July
Prolonged high winds of force 4 to 6 have blown out all attempts by all channel pilots this week and same is projected throughout next week too.
There was already a backlog before this week, but soon it'll be the size of a small army, as frustrated swimmers, pilots, crew and supporters kick their heels and curse this unseasonal weather!
I already knew from last time that developing patience is a vital ingredient to success. But this is putting it to the test, as doubts about ebbing fitness and focus become harder to keep at bay as the delay continues.
TRACKERS
I am trying the Endomondo.com tracker at: www.endomondo.com/workouts/user/5680737
Go to workouts and this should reveal my track.
If all else fails, look for SEAFARER 11 at:
http://www.shipais.com/showship.php?mmsi=235038015
If you can't see it, put the name (number eleven, not 2) under 'ship search'. To see the track from the start, highlight 'hist' on the left under 'Latest AIS'.
MY CHARITY
After a friend set up The Wilbur Ramirez Trust following his appearance on the award-winning BBC programme Toughest Place To Be A Binman, I am hoping to swim the English Channel for a second time. Wilbur, who was a part of my original crew, and will join me again, launched the charity after witnessing the terrible working and living conditions of the binmen he met in Indonesia.
The charity aims to provide decent barrows, first-aid kits, high visibility jackets, boots and gloves for the binmen. It also wants to offer education to their children and to set up bank accounts, so the people can control their finances.
The Wilbur Ramirez Trust is a charitable trust held with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). CAF is a charity established under English law and registered at the Charity Commission under charity registration number 268369
THE 2012 CHALLENGE -WHY, WHY, WHY?
The challenge is very different this time. I know that the first time was all about the unknown. Standing dripping wet on the beach at Samphire Beach at 2.45a.m. under a star lit sky covered in sun cream and grease and picked out by the spotlight from the boat, as I waited for the signal to start, I had no sea what it would be like. The longest I had swum for was 7.5 hours. I had to presume that this would be double, but, again, I just didn't know.
What I DO know, is that the pressure I can heap on myself is both my biggest positive and worst negative. So in my first crossing, I just wanted to avoid letting myself down and others who'd sponsored me. And when I got to 5 hours and felt strong, I was able to swim with relief and almost enjoy it. In fact i didn't worry much after that, at least until i got close and looked like i might have success cruelly snatched away from me, as it had blown up a hooley and I could see the concerned faces of my crew as wind and current looked like it was going to take us furth away, notwithstanding that i was swimming as hard as i could under pilot's orders.
But this time is different. The most common question I am asked is whether I am swimming the channel again to get a better time. No one thinks I would fail to make it. No one, that is except those who have tried to make a second crossing. Then they know. Know that the pressure is immense if you let it be, due to the fear of not succeeding.
Heck, I am even struggling hard during training not to let the pressure get the better of me, as I forgot the golden rule - not to compare if I was doing worse than last time or think if I will be ready time or basically get distracted about anything other than the here and now!
Perhaps i am finding out the hard way why only 157 people have swum it twice or more, since records began.
Do I hope for a better time? Secretly yes, but I am trying to expect nothing and just focus on getting through the training unscathed and then taking the swim as it comes. Oh boy, is that easy to write but the hardest thing to do in practice!
