Amphibian!

It's the end of week one of the Channel swim challenge and I've now completed 120 lengths, which is somewhere around the 2 mile mark. That puts me on target to complete the full 22 miles in 12 weeks. And means I only have 6 miles left to complete my share of the team's distance!!!

I'm hoping I'll be able to break it down into shorter sessions over the next few weeks as 80 today was challenging mentally as well as physically. Somewhere around the 68 mark I really started to have to push myself to carry on and by 75 I had a proper thousand yard stare going. I think 40 is a nice number for one session - and this is now taking 33 minutes so I've knocked another 2 mins off my average time. 

Other things to report...not much really. My ever-decreasing boobage means tumble turns now need some thrilling heroics to ensure I don't reveal my bangers to the rest of the pool users but I take it all as part and parcel of the challenge. And losing pounds while raising pounds is the motto of the team. Or it might be if we started having a motto. Anyway, I think, for me, it's going good! Bring on the rest of the distance!!!  

First laps on the clock

This is Saira checking in at the end of day one. 

Unlike the other RFGRers I won't be taking my challenge further than Derby so I thought I may as well get started and I've put 40 lengths on the clock for the team so we are underway! 

While doing this I have managed to confuse myself about whether we are doing 22 miles between us or 22 miles each. I must check this at the soonest as option one means I have completed my share for this week and option two means I still have 78 lengths to complete in week one alone. 

Anyway, technicalities of the challenge aside day one went a little like this: forgot swimming hat (bad times); increased swim speed so 40 lengths now coming in at 35 minutes (good times). I can also report that Monday night is most definitely boys night in the spa. Jeez, do those regulation hotties like to steam...

So, swimming my 40 for the team gave me the sense of achievement and self-worth sadly elusive the rest of the day (if I'm gonna, I'll blog elsewhere about that). 

But where is the sponsorship??? Come on people...

THE CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN!

Today is kickoff for our channel swim, that's 22 miles of sweat, tears and water inhalation to come over the next 12 weeks.....

Wisely i've actually done no swimming to train for this event, odd you may say and you'd be right, i've just been lazy. But i have been getting into quite a sweat at the gym thrice weekly in the bid to increase my cardio and stamina. However, the exciting part for me is that I've decided to combine this crazy feat with my holiday to Marrakech next week. I'll be attempting to swim my 8 miles in the luxury of the 4 star pool. Only problem i envisage is there being a bar at the end of every lap. Wish me luck i shall need it, oh and yes i'll be sure to get Sarah Bibb my holiday companion to record my splutterings from poolside where she'll be working on a mean tan!

Remember we're doing this crazy challenge for Aspire, the UK’s leading spinal injury charity. Please help them by sponsoring us whatever you can, see us in person or give online at ....
http://www.justgiving.com/teamrfgr
http://www.aspire.org.uk/channelswim/default.html

Training resumes

After a short summer break to enable us to go to Leeds (Sarahs) / Reading (Lauren) and then recover (festival plague gets worse each year) training is about to resume.
There is just under two weeks now until the Aspire challenge begins and we've made some headway towards our modest £60 fundraising target. Any donations you wish to make would be gratefully received - widget to do so online over on the left.
I am pleased with my own progress so far - currently swimming around 30 lengths in 30 minutes and hope to maintain this speed and just extend the quantity now.
Anyway - just a quick update for you as an excuse to post this picture of Lauren combining the joy of wearing a swimming hat with the thrill of Reading festival. Good work!