Chris

The 3 hour swim is a problem as far as I would be concerned because you are not setting yourself a good target. You can stop and start and plod along thinking you are doing well because you have managed to stay wet for 180 mins without your feet on the bottom.

Swim for 3 hours with a set distance to achieve and make it one you have to work hard for. Or note the distance then the next time you swim for 3 hours make sure you travel further and work harder.

Apply the same ideas to swimming as you do to cycling. That's A to B within a time slot but as fast as possible to achieve your position in the field. I never heard of a race that is on time interval only with the cyclist going around in circles watching the clock while eating cakes.

It's no good doing the Tour De France if you can not keep up the pace. You certainly can not do the training in your bedroom on a machine while watch the birds out of the window and reading a book.

Kick yourself into touch and sort out your stroke - your speed - your distance - your mental state. When you can put together a training programme without being given a list by someone else you will be over the first hurdle. Having help is one thing - being lead by the nose another.

Set yourself up to do your best every time - log it - make sure the next time you do that exercise you do it faster and you will feel better when you have finished. Run a log/diary of everything you do. It stops those little lies creeping in, allows you to see how you are progressing and gives you the option of a "pat on the back" or "a kick up the rear". 

It's not rocket science just hard work and self discipline.

A club might help. It's better than nothing and you will get some hands on advise plus company on club nights.

Moving to Dover might help but plodding up and down the harbour is not that exciting. It's also dangerous without a partner or shore cover and it is not over challenging for improving your speed or stroke. It will also be to cold to set up any distance until June arrives (at the earliest).

Tunnel vision is a strange thing that tends to end up in disaster if you apply it to something that requires multi tasking.

Marcy McDonald put up some good training sets on the old site.

Are you reading this Marcy - make this guy work hard, post one of your "light !!" training programs.

If Marcy is to busy on the golf course how about someone else putting the fear of Christ into him and tell him what  he should be doing. I will see if I can find one of Marcy's old e-mails in my files.

Ali you have a copy don't you?

As an example and to explain what I am trying to say I am often asked what sort of Gym work would I recommend for inclusion in TBC training. 

My answer is lots arm and leg exercises with light weights. Inevitably the next question is "how many should I do". 

My answer is around 42,000 to start with - that's the number of arm strokes you will do if your swim takes 10 hours and your stroke rate is 70.  

Your Channel swim will be around the 38,000 yard (35,000 metre mark) for the 19 nautical miles it is across.

That's 1400 lengths of a 25 metre pool.

Try a warm up of 10 lengths -

4 x 100 metre sprints watching the clock (16 lengths)

short rest - until you are fit (4/5 mins max) - followed by a timed swim of 75 lengths (about a nautical mile)

short rest (4/5 mins max) - 200 metre sprint (8 lengths)

short rest (4/5 mins max) - wind down swim of 250 metres (10 lengths)

total 109 lengths x 25 = 2725 metres or 1.47 nautical miles

2725 metres ÷ by 3 (you have swum for at least 45 mins and rested for a maximum of 15 mins) x 4 = 3633 metres or 1.96 nautical miles for the equivalent of 60 mins non stop swimming.

See how close to the hour you can do it in. (this is about an hours exercise when you can drop the rest periods and about right for a guide to about 10 hour Channel swim)

If you want to continue then swim for an hour and note the distance you have covered. It will be a reasonable indication as to your hourly Channel swim rate and you can use the distance to get an idea of how long your swim will take. (see below)  all you need to know is some simple maths and some facts and figures.

1 nautical mile is 2000 yards or 1852 metres.

The Channel is 19 nautical miles across from England to France or Visa versa.

19 nm is 38,000 yards or 35,188 metres.

Just divide your hourly distance into the figures above to get your approximate swim time - then add an hour or 2 for feeding, sea conditions, slowing down and thinking aloud.

35,188 metres ÷ 3,633 = 9 hours 40 mins + feeding = 10.5 to 11 hours.

At this swim rate every minute you waste feeding will cost you around 60 metres

2 feeds an hour at say 2 mins a feed is 240 metres an hour = 2400 metres in 10 hours. That's 1.3 nautical miles ---- a 2 minute feeds are good fast feeds when you count swimming into the boat and getting back into your stroke afterwards.

That short training programme took a couple of minutes to put together while I was trying this e-mail.

 

Personally I do not rate "total immersion" swimming but know a lot of swimmers who do. The point is the choice is yours. Don't read about it put it into practice and see if you like it.

I'm getting on now - my 60th birthday is coming up soon. When I was competition swimming and long distance swimming way back in early 60's we did not have all the help and instruction that is available today. We had to imprecise and get on with it.

Tell him about the old days Charlie.

There is no "shouldn't be doing this and "don't do that" it's just a case of getting started and feeling your way. You can teach a blind man to use a stick but in the end he has to walk the streets alone.

Don't wait around to get "spoon feed" - get going - get working - get wet.

Regards

Mike

----- Original Message -----

From: chris pountney

To: michaeloram@...

Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 12:52 PM

Subject: RE: [NEW Channel Group] Re: Advice - probably crap, but it's all mine!

Hi Mike

First of all, thank you for your message. I really appreciate all the advice
I'm getting from everyone here.

In what way do you think my approach might be a problem? The reason why I
wrote the post about giving up everything for this swim was in response to
an earlier post from Laura which suggested I wasn't taking the swim
seriously enough. I am taking the swim seriously, and the fact that you say
it is 80% mental is great news for me, because I am really really determined
to make this happen. I do enjoy swimming and I do have a positive attitude.
And as far as planning my next venture, as soon as this adventure is over I
am onto training for the next one, cycling the tour de france in 2008
(www.theultimatetriathlon.co.uk) so I don't think I'll be going into
depression afterwards, although I can appreciate how this could happen.

Now, in the Sprin g I am going to move down to Dover to train in the harbour
over the summer and get all the expert help I can to make this a success.
What I need to know is exactly what I should be doing between now and then?
If I shouldn't be aiming for long pool swims (e.g. 3 hours by end of January
etc) and I shouldnt worry about cold water training yet, presumably I should
focus on improving my technique and speed with drills and interval training?
What is the best way to do this? I still do not at present have a coach.
Would joining a local swimming club be my best first course of action? I
have been advised by some to try 'total immersion' swimming and am reading a
book about this. Would you recomend this as a good technique for channel
swimmers? Sorry if I sound like a complete novice, but in many ways that is
what I am, and I need some direction to make sure I am doing the right
training.

Many thanks

Chris

www.ultimatetriathlon.co.uk




>From: "michaeloram" <michaeloram@...>
>Reply-To: michaeloram@...
>To: "Google chat site Channel_swimmers"
><channel_swimmers@googlegroups.com>, <chrispountney@...>
>Subject: [NEW Channel Group] Re: Advice - probably crap, but it's all mine!
>Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 10:38:13 -0000
>
>Chris
>The last thing you want to do is give everything up. Your keenness is good
>but your approach might be a bit of a problem. Firstly if you are willing
>to put in the training you should be able to physically do the swim.
>------- Unfortunately 80% + of the swim is mental attitude. That part you
>n e ed to get into perspective.
>The advantage of getting advise from members of the group is that you can
>tailor it to suit you, drop the bits you do not like and add a few bits of
>your own along the way.
>My "2 peneth" as we say is simple. First you need to enjoy what you are
>doing and maintain a positive attitude.
>Next you need to plan your next venture (the goal after you have swum the
>Channel) before your attempt. I have seen a lot of successful swimmers go
>into depression after they walk up the beach in France. You need something
>in the back of your mind to fill the void of success.
>Choose your training method carefully to fit into what you enjoy and what
>pushes you to your limits - and beyond.
>As I regularly say to swimmers "Know your limitations before you exceed
>them".
>The other important factor is -- "Never lie to yourself - lie to everyone
>else but never to yours el f".
>Give yourself a regular talking to and assess yourself on a day to day
>basis.
>Personally I believe in TBC training - That's "Total Body Confusion"
>training.
>If the body is pushed hard and on a regular planned program it becomes
>accustomed to that program. To do a successful Channel swim on conventional
>terms you would need to regularly swim the Channel while in training. (Like
>Alison & Kevin do along with quite a few other "multicrossing swimmers")
>TBC training requires you to do a lot of different things at random and
>work hard at all of it. Push yourself to your limits and beyond. Sprint -
>medium distance - sets - a little plodding - weight lifting (light weights)
>- gym work. Mix it all up like a good curry and add a little more to the
>recipe to "hot it up" until it all becomes natural. Train on an empty
>stomach so that you can reach the body energy conversion&nb sp; period quicker
>and you get to know what to expect when the body starts to use it's fat and
>muscle for energy. Get your feeding sorted out early and make sure it works
>over a long period (15 to 20 hours). Read the labels and understand what
>you are consuming - multifeeds with electrolyte mixed in can cause a big
>problem when you add up what you are putting into your body over a long
>period. Use the feed on a daily basis to up your intake. you will need all
>the help it can give on the swim. " By the end of January you hope to be
>able to complete a 3 hour pool swim" What do you mean by that? Not what I
>would call a good thought process or recommend. 3 hours plodding about in
>25/27°C in a pool should not be a target - it will give you a false sense
>of achievement.
>People walk from one end of Britain to the other. Some will run a 25 miles
>or complete in marathons. Some will sprint for 100, 200, 400 or more
>metres. These are all targets that they set themselves then concentrate on
>improving. One person does not usually do all of them however. You are
>going to be swimming in 16 to 18°C (60 to 65°F) for anything up to 20 hours
>or more. During your swim you will need to push yourself at regular
>intervals, do the occasional sprint and last the distance. Try pushing
>yourself hard with a distance in mind that you can improve on - not a
>period of time to survive in the water for. Set targets and break them -
>"Know your limitations before you exceed them".
>Enjoy the pressure you put yourself under - enjoy the success when you
>improve your performance - then have a pint and a good meal or an evening
>in front of the tele. Do not worry about the cold water training until the
>season is right for it.  Take cold showers - wear a t-shirt instead of a
>jumper - sleep wi tho ut the central heating on and under a light quilt or
>sheet. There are lots of way to get the body used to less heat, and you
>will be doing your bit for the environment at the same time.
>Do not worry about putting on weight - worry if you are putting on weight.
>The amount of training you seem to be keen to do should use up all the
>extra calories you are adding. The weight can be added in the final couple
>of months. Final bit of advice for now Don't overdo it - give yourself at
>least one day a week off to indulge in your luxuries of life. Enjoy what
>you do and stay happy. Take little steps and build towards your target. the
>distance looks and sounds a lot less if you say "I've only got to do 20 1
>mile sprints to get to France".
>Regards Mike
>
>
>----- Original Message -----  From: chrispountney@...  To: Channel &g t;Swimmers  Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 4:02 PM
>  Subject: [NEW Channel Group] Re: Advice - probably crap, but it's all
>mine!
>
>
>
>  Thank you to everyone who has posted in reply to my questions. Yes,
>  some of them have been a bit of a wake-up call for me. My approach may
>  be a little late in starting, I may not have the most comprehensive
>  swimming background, but rest-assured I am going to give this
>  everything I have got. I'm giving up alcohol, giving up TV, giving up
>  my life for the next 9 months. For the next 9 months, everything I do
>  will be devoted to this swim: 6 a.m. gym / pool visits, early nights,
>  I'm self-employed so I can take time off anytime I need to fit in
>  longer swims, and I am considering relocating in the spring to the
>  coast. By the end of January I hope to be able to compl ete a 3-h our
>  pool swim and to have started some open-water swimming. In light of
>  some of your comments, I will be looking to complete a minimum of a
>  10-hour open water swim before the channel attempt. Priority at the
>  moment is to find a good coach with open water experience. I will
>  continue returning here regularly for advice. As some of you have said,
>  this isnt something you can do alone, so you guys are going to be sick
>  of hearing from me over the next nine months. Thank you all for your
>  help so far and enjoy your christmas and new year
>  Chris