Up again at 02:30 for the drive down to Dover, but this time I know it's the last big weekend before I taper for the main event. Freda asks me what I want to do, and I say whatever she thinks best, so I'm given a 7 hour, which I was dreading, but hoping for at the same time. Everyone else on my tide gets a 4 hour as they are already tapering. I know she's right to push me at this point, so I decide to give it some beans for the whole 7 hours. We hop into the water on the stroke of 9, and after a warm up down to the wall, I wind the pace up keeping with some of the faster swimmers and passing a few along the way. The conditions are flat calm and as I motor along, I wish I was in the Channel as everything is perfect. I feed quckly and easily, I'm not sick and I'm not cold. The 7 hours soon pass and although I'm very tired and my arms are aching I feel great with no pain.
Sunday dawns with another gloriously sunny day and I'm aching all over but ready for a 6 hour, which Freda duly hands me. Off we go again and I think that I should take it a little steadier today. However, the wind soon picked up and the swim from the East Wall to the Clocktower became "challenging". I decided to work hard into the wind and surf back down, stopping for a feed on the way back. This seemed to work well and, once again the time passed quickly. Despite swallowing a goodly amount of water, my tummy retained it's contents which was the most rewarding part of the weekend!!!
I do hope that's a cadbury's mini roll!!
Freda, Irene and Ruth in the sun.
Budgie smuggling on Dover beach!!
Warm up before my Sunday 6 hour!!
Now it's time to back off, with some shorter sessions at Criccieth next weekend and then we're off to Dover, to await the call from Ali Streeter.
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