Countdown...English Channel Swim 2010

The Big Swim

2010-08-02T15:22:00.022-06:00

We awoke at midnight on August 2 and packed our bags and trekked to the Marina. It was raining and cloudy but the wind was calm.

The boat went out and then our lead swimmer, Chris, with the cool glow sticks on his goggles had to swim back to the shore in the pitch black, get out, and stand on the beach. Then the official time started once Chris started swimming from the pebble beach. His first swim was very choppy and very dark. Chris got sick once in the water but did an incredible job getting us off the shore.

Then Susan jumped into the dark and rough sea and thought.. this is going to be hard, but she had no problem going fast. Jeff followed as the sun came up and at the end was swimming into the English shipping lanes. Shelle & Marcia followed and swam thru the English shipping lanes and encountered a lot of tankers, ships, etc. We finished the first round and Chris was back in for his second swim. Chris and Shelle spent most of the time on the boat in the "infirmary" or with their heads over the side of the boat:) Chris felt better on his second swim and kept us going. Susan had no problems with her second swim and got us thru the dead zone. Jeff and Shelle motored thru the French shipping lanes on their second swims. Then Marcia was off on her second swim, which she describes as a carnival ride, it was big swells and 3.8mph current. Chris was off on his third swim, he swears the last 10 minutes seemed like an hour.

Susan was the one to bring us to France. They idle the boat and take the dingy off to follow Susan into the shore. It was a difficult swim due to breaking thru the currents. It was amazing watching Susan get to the shore and we were ecstatic. This was an experience of a lifetime.

Here is the team at the end of the day with our wonderful crew from the "Anastasia".

Highlights from the deck. Or the low lights from Shelle and Chris in the "infirmary".

Watching Jeff in his "when pig's fly" pants on the deck.
Watching our official observer (Martin) puke over the side of the boat.
Minimal trash and jellyfish, except Shelle almost got hit buy a wood door floating around
The dolphins and sailboats when we were close to France
Being surprised of the fans cheering for Susan at the Cap De Griz, France from the top of the cliffs
Chris and Shelle never seeing much of the outside world and never standing up unless they were getting up to get in the water.
Greg helping with all the unexciting chores. especially in the "infirmary"

The tradition after crossing the channel is going to the White Horse Pub and signing our names on the wall... with a pint in hand.

Below is the gps map of our swim from Dover, England (top) to Cap Gris-Nez, France (bottom).

Thanks to Greg and Virginia for joining us in England. Also, thanks to all our friends and families for all the encouragement and support.

We have crossed the English Channel

2010-08-02T10:30:00.003-06:00

We crossed the channel today in 11 hours and 39 minutes.:) We are all very excited and exhausted. I will update the blog tomorrow with pictures and stories from our big day.

Thanks everyone for all your support.

We r off & going:)

2010-08-01T19:16:00.000-06:00

All SYSTEMS ARE GO

2010-08-01T12:59:00.007-06:00

We just got the last update and we will meet at the boat at 1:30am and our swim will start at 2:30am, 7:30pm Colorado time Sunday Night. Yipppeee. The order of swimmers is Chris, Susan, Jeff, Shelle, and Marcia.

to follow our boat, the website is:

http://www.ais-doverstraits.co.uk/

Then click on our boat Anastasia

Update

2010-08-01T03:28:00.006-06:00

The Captain called and said it is a bit "lumpy" (must be an English word). On the beaufort scale the weather is up to a 5 which means winds at 18-24 mph, wave height 6-9 feet and many white caps. They don't usually take swimmers out unless it is below a 5. The water is suppose to be better tonight (around a 2, 3 on the beaufort scale), soooo our new time is 2:30 a.m. tonight, which is 7:30 p.m on Sunday night in Denver (MST). We are headed down to the harbour to get a swim in and then hopefully a nap before we swim tonight. We will keep you posted.

We have arrived in Dover, England

2010-07-31T14:05:00.006-06:00

Okay, funny story. Our team flew all night and got to hotel about 5p.m. We got a text from the boat captain telling us we would be starting our crossing at 2a.m. tonight! I'm pretty sure we were all in shock. We ate some food, got our swimming bags ready, went to the grocery to get food for the journey, in record time...Then, we were going back to the hotel to sleep 4 hours when we got the text to (stand down). The weather was too harsh and that we should be ready to start our crossing tomorrow afternoon at 1p.m. (subject to weather). We are happy we can get a good night sleep before swimming tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that we get out tomorrow.

The picture above is in front of the Dover harbour.

The swim is almost here:)

2010-07-30T09:23:00.006-06:00

The team is crossing the pond to London today and then off to the White Cliffs of Dover. We have packed our glow sticks (for swimming in the dark), space blankets, heat warmers, and sea sick medicine :-( We will be updating the blog when we arrive. The first chance we could do the swim is Monday, although there is a small chance on Sunday. We are all excited and ready to take on the challenge. We hope for good weather, winds, etc. and that we get off the shore in the first couple days.

Visiting with the Mile High Chunnel Toppers

2010-07-26T10:37:00.006-06:00

We were so fortunate to meet with the "Mile High Chunnel Toppers" for dinner on Monday night. Their team, top picture, from left: Jennifer Rocke, Holden Bank, Stacey Tobey, Carolyn Roche, Wendy Bank, John Polansky (not pictured). and the support person in the front, Wendy and Holden's daughter Karolina. They successfully swam the English Channel on June 25th with an incredibly fast time of 10 hours and 48 minutes (the fastest relay time this year)! They battled very cold water temps. of 50.2 degrees. BRRRR. jellyfish, strong tides, and swam thru some actual trash, including a laundry basket, etc.:) They gave us some great tips and it was very inspiring to hear about their swim. The adrenaline is pumping now. We are leaving in a couple days.

Green Mountain Reservoir, Frisco

2010-07-24T19:55:00.006-06:00

It was one of our last swims today at Green Mountain:( It was a very busy day at the reservoir, we had to dodge a few boats. Thanks to J.P. (a.k.a. mussel man) for helping notify the boats that there were some crazy swimmers out in the water! We are going to miss swimming up there...beautiful views, great water, a lot of nice people. We will head back up there for our last swim on Tuesday before leaving for England at the end of the week. The reality is setting in:)

Green Mountain via Georgetown

2010-07-21T19:47:00.004-06:00

We went up to Georgetown tonight and the water temp. was 47 degrees. Too crazy. So we drove up to Green Mountain, where it was a balmy 61-62 degrees:) We swam until the sun went down and it was beautiful. We are getting down to our last swims before leaving and getting excited.

Green Mountain Reservoir, Frisco

2010-07-18T19:21:00.008-06:00

Top picture from left to right: Shelle, Mussel man, Marcia, Susan, Chris, and Jeff. Second picture: The team from left to right (Chris, Susan, Marcia, Jeff, and Shelle). We did a swim in the morning in 63 degree water for over an hour. Great swim, a lot of boat traffic this morning. The first picture, second from the left, is our new friend (mussel man) who works at the reservoir checking the boats for zebra mussels. He is always there to welcome us into the water and cheer us on. The water is getting a little warm so we are thinking of heading to Georgetown this week where the water temp. is 55 degrees at the most.

Green Mountain Reservoir, Frisco

2010-07-17T19:09:00.002-06:00

Back up to Green Mtn. Reservoir (8,000 ft. altitude). We did the first hour swim in the afternoon. Then we did a night swim around 10p.m. We had glow sticks attached to our goggles and Greg put glow sticks on the kayak. It was fun swimming in the dark but had no idea where we were. Note for next time (put glow sticks where we entered the water to find our way out) :)

Newport Beach, CA 2 Mile Pier to Pier Swim

2010-07-10T16:28:00.001-06:00

1st picture: From left to right. Jeff, Marcia, Shelle, Paula, and Kelley.

2nd picture: Jeff finishing his race and getting a pat on the back:)

Newport Beach, CA 2 Mile Pier to Pier Swim

2010-07-10T16:06:00.003-06:00

Shelle, Marcia, and Jeff packed up and went to California for the Balboa to Newport Pier swim. We met up with Marcia's friend Paula and her daughter Kelley (from Texas). Race day was overcast and in the 60's, water temp. was 63 degrees, and the sea was angry that day my friends:) The race start was typical craziness, 350 swimmers running into the water at the same time. Once the swim got going and everyone spread out it was great. All 5 of us finished with flying colors and Marcia finished 1st in her age group:). Marcia won a gift card which we promptly spent on margaritas.

4th of July weekend mountain swimming trip

2010-07-04T17:32:00.005-06:00

4th of July. Chris, Susan, and Marcia braved the colder water, 58 degrees for 1:10 today and they were joined by Craig Lenning (who will be doing his solo swim of the English Channel the same week we are in England).

4th of July weekend mountain swimming trip

2010-07-03T17:20:00.004-06:00

Second swim of the day we swam 1:10, water temp 59 degrees. We had the pleasure of swimming with Nick Levine (training for his solo crossing of the English Channel in late August), and Julia from Chaparral High School. The weather was beautiful and we had a great day. Picture from left to right. Jeff, Virginia, Greg, Shelle, Susan, Marcia, Chris, Nick, Mike, and in front giving us tips on doggie paddle is Vince.

4th of July weekend mountain swimming trip

2010-07-03T17:15:00.003-06:00

The whole team packed up and went to Green Mtn. Reservoir for the weekend. Some stayed in campers, tents, and hotels:) First swim of the day was 1:07 in 59 degree water, we all did great. Thanks to Greg for kayaking next to us.

Green Mountain Reservoir, Frisco

2010-06-29T13:22:00.006-06:00

Another great swim at Green Mountain. Marcia and Shelle swam 1 hour...Jeff swam 1 hour and 2 minutes:). Water temperature was 54.0. There were some colder spots in the deepest water. It was so cold we did not have full use of our hands and fingers for about 10 minutes after the swim. This is the view from the water, beautiful.

Cold water found:) Marcia, Shelle, and Jeff

2010-06-26T19:18:00.011-06:00

Marcia, Shelle, and Jeff went to Green Mountain Reservoir (in the mountains by Frisco). The water temperature was 55.0 (Marcia carried the thermometer in her suit:). It was great training in the cold water and we swam 43 minutes. It was a beautiful day and we even had some fan support from strangers on boats and on the shore. Back to Green Mountain on Tuesday. Reminder to Shelle, bring a mouth guard for all the teeth chattering!

Susan and Marcia: Windsor, Colorado

2010-06-19T09:33:00.005-06:00

On Saturday the 19th of June, Susan came through for the team by completing the 6K National Championship race in Windsor, Colorado. Marcia, on the other hand, proved that at 65 she is a slow learner. Having proved to herself at Nationals that she could not breathe in a Blue Seventy, she was convinced to give it another try in a different suit. It did not take long for her to realize that she still could not breathe. Being prudent, she decided to return to the start and change suits and start over. But the race organizers were not sure what to do with her, so they had her wait until the completion of loop 1, and then she completed 3 loops or 4.5K of the race. She accomplished her goal to get in a good training swim, and gave away her Blue Seventy upon returning home. Be thankful that no one is going to try to convince her that it would be great in the channel! And congrats to Susan for doing a super job on the 6K. Both had a super time and the race was well run and well attended.

Shelle: Hong Kong

2010-06-18T05:49:00.000-06:00

Shelle swimming on her layover in Hong Kong at (Repulse Bay). It is so beautiful here, the scenery is incredible. Water temp. was like a bathtub, but still got a good workout in:)

Marcia: Lake Berryessa

2010-06-12T19:58:00.003-06:00

Marcia ventured out to Reno to meet up with her friend Linda Shoenberger and drove along with Linda's swimming partner Martine and her daughter-in-law Christine to Davis California for two open water swims in Lake Barryessa. Although it is hard to tell from this photo, the lake was extremely rough. This photo of Linda and Marcia was taken prior to the 2 mile race, which was closely followed by a 1 mile race. Fighting the chop was a "good experience" for Marcia, or so she has convinced herself. Water temperature was around 70, too warm, but overall a great weekend.

Day 4: Marcia and Shelle at La Jolla Cove

2010-06-07T10:58:00.002-06:00

Last day of our swimming trip:( Marcia and I swam 1 hour, water temp. 63 degrees (toasty) What a great trip, soooo much fun & great swimming.

Day 3: Coronado Island

2010-06-06T17:14:00.008-06:00

Marcia and Shelle swam at Coronado Island. What an incredible place. We swam 1 hour, water temp. 61 degrees. 10 foot swells and 4 foot chop:) It was a rough water swim. We swallowed a lot of salt water. We can't wait to get back to Chatfield... NOT :)

San Diego Swim Trip. Day 2: La Jolla Shores

2010-06-05T22:25:00.012-06:00

Marcia and Shelle did 2 (1 hour swims) 4 hours apart. The ocean was very choppy but the swims went well. Greg accompanied us in a kayak on our second swim today. Water temp. 62 degrees. Did a little body surfing coming in with the waves:)

San Diego Swim Trip. Day 1: La Jolla Cove

2010-06-04T20:39:00.011-06:00

Day one: Met up with Chris Hashimoto and swam in La Jolla Cove. Water Temp. 62 Degrees for 55 minutes. Beautiful. Passed some seals, pelicans, and a lot of kelp:) Pictures from the swim and the carbo loading afterwards.

Shelle finishes the 2 hour qualifying swim. Chris does his second 2 hour swim. Marcia swam the first hour. Water temp. 61 degrees or so.

2010-05-31T20:58:00.003-06:00

Pictures (top to bottom). Marcia, Susan, Chris & Jeff after the 2 hour qualifying swim at Chatfield:) Water Temp. 60 degrees. Awesome

2010-05-29T16:49:00.014-06:00

The Whole Team...

2010-05-29T16:37:00.005-06:00

Jeff, Marcia, Shelle, Chris, and Susan.

Susan and Shelle

2010-05-17T19:35:00.007-06:00

Chatfield. We swam across and back. It was windy but nice temp. outside. We went 38 minutes and the water temp. was around 58 degrees.

Chris, Shelle, and Susan

2010-05-10T20:12:00.008-06:00

Chatfield. We made it all the way across the lake and back. 41 minutes, water temp. 57 degrees. We all felt great. (The picture was taken after we got done, my teeth were chattering)

Marcia, Susan, Chris & Shelle

2010-05-03T21:44:00.010-06:00

Our first day at Chatfield Reservoir. Water temp. 54.7 degrees...Brrrrr. We made it out to the sandbar and back.