Sweet Dreams....

last week i dreamt that a fish bit half my finger off whilst I was swimming in the sea.

I am sure this is the first of many such random sea related dreams to scare the living cr@p out of me before July!!

Christmas Training

As Justine is rushing around moving house, I am busy planning quite how much food I can consume during the Christmas Break (all in the interest of creating the perfect channel swimmers' physique you'll understand ;-) )

I think our main goal over Christmas is to try and maintain a good level of fitness, ready to come back and train hard in the new year. We have to be realistic and accept that at this time of year sometimes its not that simple to fit in as much training as we would like... but we're sure gonna try!! (i'm working on a 50/50 approach... to try and spend as much time training as I will do eating lol!)

Nick has continued to put us through our paces in the pool in the mornings and I, for one am finding it great fun and really challenging! Arriving at work with a bright red moon face and google marks is now a regular thing !!

The new year will bring a whole new challenge for me as a plan on a tee-total few months in the lead up to The Big Swim... Maybe I should get sponsored for that too hey?!!

Not sent your Christmas cards out yet?

Well its not too late to include a Teenage Cancer Trust Name Drop card...

Just print out this file.. Cut them out.. And pop one in with each card you send

Spread the word of the Teenage Cancer Trust and all the great work they do!

Please send on to all your friends!

Crazy Comeback

Well... This morning was my return to the pool from my sick bed and OMG didn't I know it!!

Everything seems so much harder, which psychologically was a nightmare as I had been feeling really great the week before in training. Still, it was only a cough / cold / sore throat and I did keep thinking to myself that the guys we are trying to help with this project at the Teenage Cancer Trust have to deal with way more than this on a regular basis, so I guess it puts it all into perspective...

Nick and Just kept me going so big thank yous to them both!

ps SPOTTED whilst watching way too much daytime tv.... the blonde geordie one from loose ladies... denise someone (my favourite loose lady!) wearing a TCT brooch ... and I also read in a magazine article that Jameelia Jamil from T4 is now an ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust...

Wednesday......just Wednesday

So my session plan this morning went out the window after 25 minutes of non stop F/C swimming; my arms were hanging as a result of my new and improved technique! So I had to change to a 600m fast kick set on my front and back with fins and no kick board to help me recover. I then went back to F/C full stroke starting with 100's and then finishing with a set of 50's. Not what I had in mind! Anyway, I'm going to persevere with the new technique and hopefully I'll be blogging some positives next week. Roll on Thursday - session 3 with Nick.

I forgot - Miriam and I attended SNC's Student Council meeting yesterday and we had a really encouraging response from the students about getting behind Channeling Positivity. Come on SNC - let's show the rest of Nottingham what we're made of!

Technique Tuesday

So I've learnt how to swim all over again and my goodness it feels great - what a revelation! I'm pulling differently under the water and my recovery above the water involves a much longer glide. It's hard work and I'm going to have to practise my new technique for a good few weeks before it starts to feel natural. The most obvious difference is in the increase in forward thrust that I'm able to generate which consequently means faster and more controlled swimming - no more lollapping from me!

So this morning's drills involved lots of skulling. Firstly on my front using just my hands with my arms straight in front of me, followed by the same again but with bent elbows and arms at 90 degrees, followed by alternate arms pulling straight past my thighs and then putting it all together in the form a super powerful doggy paddle. Sounds crude but very effective and bloody knackering! There are of course some key descriptors which I have to keep repeating whilst attempting my knew pull technique and these are pop, push and glide.....pop, push, glide....pop, push glide and so on and so on..............who said swimming was boring. NOT ME!

So tomorrow is reinforcement Wednesday - no Nick tomorrow so I'm planing to put in a solid non stop hour swim and use my new technique for at least one 25m in every 100m. Anyone fancy joining me?

Training with a world champion!

So kate's been wheeling and dealing again and has organised our pool training sessions for the next 6 weeks with Nottingham's very own Nick Dunn - current World Champion Triathlete. How lush is that.....? Anyway unfortunately Kate has been claimed by a nasty bug so I'm in the pool this week on my own with Nick - so I thought I would blog my sessions and experiences........ as to be honest I'm a little nervous!

So session 1 consisted of 25 x 100:

5x100 F/C with fins @ 1.30

5x100 F/C pull @ 1.40

5x100 F/C full stroke @ 1.30 - 1.40

5x100 F/C pull float and paddles @ 1.40- technique focusing on elbow pop

5x100 F/C full stroke starting @ 1.40 - technique focusing on consistent leg kick

Cool Down

Great session, although tough going in places and my lungs were burning. I hate F/C off 1 minute 30 secs - it makes me want to puke! Also my weakness believe it or not is full stroke with a decent leg kick. Therefore, Nick very generously, is going to work on my technique which I thought was sound but it's not! Damn! But I'm ready and eager to learn even at the age of 38!

So I'm less nervous about tomorrow as it's "Technique Tuesday" (Nick's phrase which I've stolen), which means lots of drills focused on my arm pull under the water. Bring it on!

More name dropping...

...And we continued witht the big name drop in the gym, with assistance from the Lovely Lucy and Kev!! Thanks Gang!!... and thanks to the helpful photographer whos session we interrupted to get these snaps!!

The big name drop

This morning we had some fun in the pool experimenting with the Teenage Cancer Trust's Big Name Drop

It was lots of fun, and we even managed to squeeze in a bit of training!... Thanks to Ronnie the best lifeguard ever, for helping to take the photos!

Channeling Positivity... Snow Problem!

The recent bad weather hasn't halted training for the Channeling Positivity Team. Seizing the opportunity to acclimatise to the cold tempertaures we may face during our Channel swim, we donned our Bathers, hats and goggles and got out in the snow this week!

Completing a short circiut training session,we soon warmed up with a run through the streets of Lady Bay followed by skipping intervals and some boxing based drills, although i'm pretty sure this was just an excuse to wear some gloves!

We plan to repeat this excerise whenever possible. 'The cold really gets in your bones when you're swimming in cold water, anything we can to to prepare our bodies for this is going to help! Hyperthermia is one of the biggest risks when swimming the Channel, so we will do anything to avoid this. Ice baths are also on the agenda for the new year!' said Kate as she ran back indoors!

Kate and Just as "Loose Ladies" on BBC Radio Nottingham with "Sony Award Winner Frances Finn"

CLICK HERE

to listen to our Loose Ladies Debut....

Oh Nooooo.. Please don't ban it....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11664240

How not to swim the channel............

Channel Swimming...the highs and lows!

No shorts, no bra...!

Admittedly the dark and rather chilly mornings have taken their toll on me this week. I have stumbled into the gym each morning not really knowing how I got there! In fact on Tuesday I spent 10 minutes wandering quite aimlessly around my dark house looking for my trainers only to find them in my hands......doh!

So I spent 3 mornings on the trot in the pool (as I always have a pair of bathers in my kit bag) swimming my little socks off.............how dull! Anyway I made amends on Thursday and Friday. So note to self....be more organised next week Mrs Drury - we have a channel to cross!

Bring it on!

Forgotten PE kit

This morning Just forgot her PE kit leaving me to train with Evil Emma The Trentinator.

Thats all I wanted to say!

Thanks Just!! ;-)

Teenage Cancer Trust and Channeling Positivity

So the Channeling Positivity Team had a really productive and inspirational meeting with Heather from the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) last week. It's so great to be raising money for such a vibrant and proactive charity, which have only had a presence in the East Midlands region since June.

We brainstormed lots of fundraising ideas which will help to get the staff and students at South Nottingham College feeling a real part of the Channeling Positivity vibe. One of our priorities, we agreed, is to sign up some inspirational student ambassadors that can help us raise as much money as humanly possible - so watch out for the posters around the college campuses. Also TCT will be joining Kate and I at SNC's Student Conference on 2nd November, so make sure that you bag your place!

On a different note, Kate and I may be joining our DJ friend Frances Finn on the wonderful Radio Nottingham on a Friday lunchtime to help host Loose Ladies!! So come on Fran - give us a call -we're ready and waiting!...and of course always keen for a gossip!

Also big up Becky Adlington - she is soooo my heroine!

Eye of the Tiger....

Just and I have been back in training this week after a week of trying to regain the use of our legs following Robin Hood half marathon! .... Tuesday featured a super hard boxing based session. We both fessed up to being achy this morning (despite Just trying to style it out and act tough!!) but still managed a decent training swim... just need to find a way of getting some longer sessions in now so we can up the mileage!... get in touch if you have any training suggestions for us.. we'll try anything once... twice if we like it!!!

Inspirational Athlete

Whilst huffing and puffing on the treadmill at the gym this morning I happened to catch an article on James Wood, and felt compelled to highlight this massive challenge he is about to embark on (weather permitting!!)

James became paraplegic aged 19 following a road traffic accident, and is attempting to swim the Channel at some point this week (Channel swims are at the discretion of the pilot of the boat and the actual date of the swim will be decided upon by the pilot taking all things into consideration to ensure that the swimmer has the best chance of completing the swim, hence the 1 week 'slot' that James has been given!)

I will try to follow his progress and keep you all posted!

Look out for us in our kit!!

Sunday 12th September 2010 - we get ready to run the Robin Hood Marathon with our banner. Feeling ready for the burn!!

Right at the back of the running group - only 9,998 people in front of us!

5 mile point - collection bucket really full!! Met Miriam to empty the heavy load but still carrying the banner!

Home straight!!

Phew!!! Finished!! Sweaty, hot but feeling great!

With our trainer Emma

Ready, steady......go!

What an unreal week it's been. A photo call for the Evening Post on the embankment in bathers, a booking for Nottingham Radio and an expression of interest from ITV! Kate and I are freaking out....in a good way! So...we have some thank you's thus far. Firstly Kate and I would like to thank everyone involved with the "Channeling Positivity" team, especially South Nottingham College and Carrie from Cream Communications for making our challenge a reality! Secondly, another massive thank you to those of you that have donated to our chosen charity "The Teenage Cancer Trust"through our Just Giving page. I can honestly say that it's given us such a huge burst of inspiration and motivation...so bring on the half marathon this Sunday and the english channel!

There are of course plenty of other people behind the scenes (they know who they are) but we do have to give a massive "big up" to Virgin Health Club in Nottingham who are continuing to support us with our training and allowed me to loan some kit for this weekend. Respect!

The training continues to go well, despite a week of illness for Kate! Our training kit has arrived and we are wearing it with pride every morning...in fact I'm even wearing mine to work...is this wrong? Anyway, it helps us both get in the zone! So until Sunday we'll taper and prepare like true professionals...........

We get ready for photo shoot with Evening Post 080910

The long road back..........

So, it's been 5 days since my return from very sunny and hot South France and the training has resummed! To be honest it's been tough, in fact, I'm in pain right now just sitting down. My first session back was an interval hill running session on the tread with Kate followed by an abs class.......nice; spinning with psycho instructor on Friday, who just kept shouting "turn your dial"....."add resistance" and a hideous resistance swim session this morning in the pool with Kate and all of our gadgetry! I'm also cycling to and from work just to catch up on some of my lost fitness..............so all in all I should be back in the zone in a weeks time. Bring on the channel!!!

3km race at Holme Pierrepont

well....

Saturday saw me compete in my first ever open water race... a 3km swim at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham.



I decided to steer well clear of the pushing, pulling, ducking and shoving at the start and kept myself near the back until the crowds started to break into smaller groups.

I progressed nicely and found a good comfortable pace.. until the lake weed struck (you'd think i'd be used to it by now!!) It was like swimming through tar... horrific. At one point I actually had to stop to try and remove myself from a tangle web of sticky weed.. and in doing so, swallowed half the lake, ending up coughing and spluttering and generally feeling as though I was about to die. Luckily I managed to recover and carried on with the race...

The water was brown and it was really difficult to see where anyone or anything was. My sighting was shocking and hence I swam a wibbly wobbly version of the 3km route!

On the home straight I picked up the pace, still feeling comfortable and was challenging another swimmer with about 200m to go... then I nearly swam head first into a concrete pontoon.. I was saved by a helpful canoeist who steered me out of danger... stopping .. again.. to say thank you I carried on full speed ahead to the finishing point recording a time of 44.45.

The race is on (before the concrete pontoon!!)... thats me on the left!



This is what swallowing half a lake does to you:


Tired but pleased I was delighted to hear that I was the first woman out of the water. The official results confirm that I was 12th overall, and first lady over a minute ahead of the 2nd place lady!!

Me with my medal:

New record in channel swimming

A new Record has been set in Channel swimming... check this out... what an achievement!

56 year old Jackie Cobell has lost 8 stone in the past 5 years and set herself the challenge of a lifetime ... to swim the channel.

28 hours and 44 minutes was her official time, which is amazing! 28 hours of cold, dirty, jelly fish infested waters is something that is not to be sniffed at!!

This is exactly the kind of achievement that we hope to insipire through out Chaneling Positivity campaign.

not my legs...

ps... they're not my legs on the Drag Ring photo below... i know i've been without a bathroom for over a week now, but they're not THAT hairy lol!!

gadgetry...

This week we have been experimenting with various training gadgets when in the pool... with somewhat mixed success!

Firstly Just tried out the Parachute Pants...



The basic theory is that the parachutes add drag and create resistance, making it harder to move through the water.. and thats exactly what it does!.. its solid lol!

Then I bought myself a Drag Ring ...and a Belt of Cups:





Both work on the same theory as the parachute and make those lengths seem a whole lot further! The drag ring works when working on pull sets (arms only) but tumble turning with both legs squeezed into a ring of water filled sponge is pretty amusing... on more than one occasion both Just and I thought we were drowning.... which moves me on to our experimentation with multiple gadgets at once....!!!

We attempted to swim a length (yep... thats one whole length!!) wearing the parachute AND the drag ring.. AND a pull buoy. The result was a near death garroting experience when turning at the end of the length... not helped by laughing so hard i nearly wee'd myself!!!

Needless to say that these training 'aids' will form part of our training in the next year as we try to simulate swimming against the tide, which will happen a fair deal on the big day! They have also added a bit of fun into those laborious pool sessions!

I am also working hard on trying to breathe bilaterally (to both sides) as there may be times during the channel swim when we have to swim with the boat sheltering us from wind and waves... which means that we need to be comfortable breathing both to the left and to the right. Just seems to have seamlessly incorporated this into her swimming, whereas years of being a lolloping one sided distance swimmer as a youngster seems to be making it tricky for me to pick up bilateral breathing and maintain it. As soon as i get tired i find myself breathing every stroke and slipping back into my lollop!

Training for the half marathon continues... this week has been another hard one and i'm in need of a rest day soon... lucky for Just.. she's off on her holiberries soon.. jealous... moi?!!!!!

catch you soon

k

Thank you!

I attended the South Nottingham College Student Awards on Friday - it was a fantastic event and congratulations to all of the students that were shortlisted for awards. It was also a really successful night for Channeling Positivity as we managed to raise approximately £600 in the form of a raffle.........a big big big thank you from Kate and I for your support.

So I guess Channeling Positivity is slowly getting into the public domain which makes matters all the more real for Kate and I. The official launch will happen once our charity has been decided. Currently staff and students at the college are voting for their preferred charity via the college portal.

The training is going really well and we pulled out 2800 metres in the pool this morning. We're boxing as usual tomorrow morning; Emma our trainer has mapped out a hideous session which involves speed and endurance of our arm muscles predominantly...oh and we throw in an equally painful plank triangle at the end.........maybe you could try it:

30 seconds of plank followed by 30 sessions of crunches - 10 seconds rest
45 seconds of plank followed by 45 seconds of crunches - 10 seconds rest
1 minute of plank followed by 1 minute of crunches - 10 seconds rest
1 minute of plank followed by 1 minute of crunches - 10 seconds rest
45 seconds of plank followed by 45 seconds of crunches - 10 seconds rest
30 seconds of plank followed by 30 sessions of crunches - 10 seconds rest

Let us know how you got on.............remember pain is strength and pain is your friend!!!

eugh....

I think we have 'swimmers itch'...

Jayne at Absolute Tri has done a spot of investigation and this seems the most likely cause!

nice!

Consequences!

And there are always consequences. Mine are a complete pain in the arse.......in fact there are many on my arse! I was eaten alive. I will find these creatures and I will seek revenge. When we looked there were none.......



How wrong were we! Just is currently seeking sponsorship from Germolene Anticeptic Cream.

Outdoor Swimming Again!

Friday 2nd July - Kate and I embark on another 2000 metres or so at Holme Pierrepont regatta lake.....in bathers again whilst every other normal swimmer around us is dressed in a wetsuit. This always gets my back up! I'm particularly apprehensive because the weather has been unusually dry and sunny which has caused a truly amazing amount of weed build up in the lake.

The following pics sum up my mood perfectly! Anyway, we just get on with it...again in true Just and Kate style and I attempt to hang onto turbo charged Kate, who is swimming like a demon at the moment...go on Kate!


href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_-YEIel7ca3G2D7Nd1xtPSLA49MlTz0H4VFasWaGaXwHXyftvrzhSSLEMxzmhWko6lXJWuxjE4Tn9sC6nIbKXlnfJCU94ERrWY_BBETFm_LZF4mS7lTuxomsVz7uKnlB19JMdpULq58m/s1600/IMG_0186.JPG">



The great thing is that we had moral support on the embankment in the form of Dave, Emma, Mai and Efan. Both Kate and I found this very comforting despite my near drowning episode with the biggest and most flee invested clump of weed, going unnoticed. How rude! Anyway the water was warm and the swimming was fairly pleasant. The feedback from our onlookers although suggested that I need some form of SAT NAV to keep me going in a straight line and Kate could do with improving her bilateral breathing....Dave's suggestion Kate....but what does he know!


So all in all and a can on coke later, to neutralise the wonders of the Trent, along with a few cheeky glasses of red wine much much later, we live to tell the tale. RESPECT Kate!

Training Update

We're both training hard, completing a 3.7km swim this morning in the pool. The Magic Watch reliably informs me that this is approximately 1024 calories burnt... burgers for breakfast anyone?!

We are planning another trip to Holme Pierrepont on Friday to revisit the scene of the flesh eating bugs... I, for one, can't wait! We will be testing out Avon So Soft, which apparently also repels bugs and fingers crossed, will stop us getting devoured!

I have also been keeping an eye on the temperature of the sea... its a positively tropical 14.9 degrees today!

Robin Hood...

We have decided to run The 2010 Robin Hood Half Marathon in September to kick start our fundraising campaign. Rumour has it we may well be sporting swimming costumes... hats .. and goggles for the full 13.1 miles!

EATEN ALIVE!

In addition to Justine's report i would like to add that i have been eaten alive by God knows what whilst swimming at HP! 174 bites at the last count...!

I am currently looking into ways of avoiding this in the future so any top tips then just throw them this way.

I've had myself one itchy weekend!!

Kate

Swimming without wetsuits!

Kate and I decided that we have to embark on some cold water outdoor training. We have tried to ignore the fact that we're swimming in the sea and not a pool but every good thing comes to an end. So rather hideously we donned our bathers, red hats and goggles and foolishly jumped into Holme Pierrepont regatta lake with a number of other swimmers (in full wetsuits!) to embark on some outdoor distant swimming.

To be honest I was scared. My thoughts preceding the swim focused on:
What if I swim into a swan? What injuries will I sustain from a swan beak and wings - haven't people died in a human and swan dual?
Will I catch Viles disease?
Is there an equivalent of the Loch Ness monster? Stupid I know but it did cross my mind.
And weed. Lots of weed. How will I swim through weed?

Anyway, we survived. Kate was like a rocket and I took things a little more steady until I dealt with the above. The experience was strangely enjoyable but it was hard! My arms we're throbbing and I had a touch of cramp in my thigh and calf. I'm thinking that this could have been down to the cold or more poor technique at the start of the session. But training with Kate is great and a real motivation. We swam just over 2000 metres which is a good start and we were in the water for about 50 minutes. So same time next week?

Channelling Positively begins..........

So it's confirmed we're actually going to do this! Kate and I are swimming the channel from England to France in July 2011 in the form of a 2 person relay. This means one of us swims for an hour whilst the other is on a boat and then we change over; this continues until we reach the otherside. And of course we have every intention of doing this!

The reality is a little frightening but we're going to achieve this....by hook or by crook! Both Kate and I felt that we still had a swimming challenge left in us, maybe the thought of turning 40 in the not so distant future gave us an added boost! Anyway we have some sponsorship and we have a little, but very dedicated team of helpers or supporters. There's Carrie, who basically organises us and liaises with our sponsor and Emma who is the trainer - she's rock hard and uses phrases such as "pain equals results!". We do exactly what she says!

But more importantly we're going to raise money for charity whilst promoting the fact that any Tom, Dick or Debbie can engage in a challenge, no matter how big or small and without turning your life upside down. Kate and I are just everyday people, with partners, kids, cats and full time jobs as major priorities and we're going to achieve our channel swim with exactly that in mind.

So, we'll use our blog to tell you about our trials and tribulations over the year and how we attempt to prepare ourselves for the big swim! I'm guessing they'll be lots of laughs and maybe a few woes but we'll do our best to be honest and hopefully entertaining.

Keswick Mountain Festival

Dipping my toe into my first ever Open Water event, I headed over to The Lakes this weekend for the Keswick Mountain Festival.



The weather was amazing.. the water temperature was a positively tropical 16 degrees on the saturday and then a slightly chillier 12-13 degrees on the sunday. The atmosphere was brilliant and i am SO relieved that i loved the swim... or else the Channel Swim would have been taking on an even more terrifying form than it is already!

Because of algae the course was changed 3 times, and i had NO idea where i was going thanks to the slight delay in the organizers putting out a second buoy to swim around... but a bit of audience participation (spectators shouting at me and frantically pointing!) I got back on track and finished the mile swim feeling comfortable and not too cold!

I even jumped back in to go round again to help out my new friend Martin, who wanted to have a go at swimming it without his wetsuit and needed a buddy to go with him!

Here are some photos from the weekend!



...trying to 'work' the cap and goggles combo...



... trying to remember how to swim...



... personal trainer on hand to offer support and directional shouting...



...and i'm done!

We must be mad...

Ok... So it really looks like this is could happen! We're really swimming the channel in 2011!

Training has started and is going well so its just securing some sponsorship and getting things organized (stocking up on goose fat etc!)

We'll be keeping you posted on our progress so watch this space for any updates or events that may tickle your fancy!