Sink or Swim?

Last week we entered into our biggest training week since we set off on our challenge. In April we will be paddling approximately 35 miles for 3 consecutive days with the final day of 17 miles down the Thames tideway. This week we completed 3 consecutive days of 20 miles per day - the longest we have ever paddled for and we did it without too many aches and pains!

Friday involved paddling on the canal going up, down and up again! We added some interesting portages in to keep our legs working and experienced our first "bush wee"! Unfortunately at 15 miles we realised we were 5 miles from home and only had 1 hour before school pick up so had to get a shimmy on to make

sure we fulfilled our responsibilities as mothers and not just our need to paddle!

Saturday saw 18 miles on the Trent and canal avoiding the rowers who seemed to be out in force with the sunshine. Justine had left me in the early hours of Saturday morning with "don't forget Claire, there is never a traffic jam on the extra mile". Liz and I pondered this over our 4hours on Saturday but still weren't sure we understood th

e relevance - any suggestions gratefully received!!

Sunday we went to Pewsey and raced in Waterside C. 23 miles on the Kennnet and Avon canal. The event is part of a series of 4 races on parts of the Devizesto Westminster course. Along side the 23 miles we had a total of 35 portages to complete - that is not a typo, the challenge of the course, so I am told, is the 35 locks you have to portage round, so our portage practice on the canal was invaluable.

What we had not factored into our training was kayaking through a tunnel. On the course there is a 516 meter tunnel - how hard can it be we thought?

Well the answer was VERY!

We entered the tunnel with the marshal shouting to inform us there were "swimmers in the tunnel". Up until that moment it hadn't entered my head that you might fall in in the tunnel! With that thought looming in our minds and the threat of a fast k2 immediately behind us, the dark and narrowness of the tunnel got the better of us and we too became "swimmers in the tunnel"!

So there we were, wet, in the dark and looking at either end of the tunnel thinking which end was closer to swim to - thankfully my brain was still working and as I looked backwards, which was slightly closer, I remembered that if we swam back to the start we would still need to paddle through it again - forwards it was then! Our hero, Jack, came to rescue us in his Canadian canoe and while Liz climbed in I continued to walk through the tunnel with the boat. 20 minutes later we arrived back in the sunlight! Once we climbed back into our boat and paddled on we decided that nothing else that day could be as bad so although we were colder we were invincible!!

We completed our 23 miles including our tunnel swim in 5hours 20 minutes. Not the fastest time on record but we finished! Both Liz and I managed to end up in the water at other points in our journey. For Liz, much to the amusement of a balcony full of people enjoying a Sunday lunchtime pint in the sunshine - the man who took that video needs to donate his £250 from "You've been framed" to Teenage Cancer Trust!!

So, our big weekend of preparation was completed- not without drama and certainly not without enjoyment! We learned a lot to help us in 4 week's time, least of all don't capsize in a tunnel.

Don't forget to visit our justgiving page, see the link just to the right, and make sure you keep our spirits high by donating anything you can.