swim the channel

I am training to make an attempt at swimming the english channel in September 2008. You can read about my progress at my website www.ultimatetriathlon.co.uk and find out more about how to make the swim through various links on the links page.

And no you aren’t allowed to use flippers or snorkelling gear! In fact you arent allowed anything that aids in warmth or bouyancy at all, just a swimsuit, cap and goggles

Chris

but nobody online seems to have done it. Does anyone know if you can use flippers for this or snorkling gear as it would make it a lot easier?

in a 50 metre outdoor pool in Nightcliff on Tuesday and boy was it hard. I managed 1000 metres (only 43,000 or so more to get across the channel), but the wind and the sun made it harder than swimming indoors and also the 50 metre length gave me less rests than usual, but if I do it for real there won’t be any walls to push off. Will be taking goggles and hopefully a swimming hat and maybe some speedo’s in future to get a better swim next time.

I can do this, I know I can, but organising it and training will not be easy, especially since the furthest I’ve ever swum is 5km – about 3 miles so I have another 18 to go and then its in the sea which means you have waves as well and there is no kicking off the walls at the end of every length, plus the fact that I swum the 5k doing breaststroke and that takes a long time. I think about 35 years old is optimum age for distance running/swimming so I have a few years left to get better before worrying about being too old, anyone live near Calais and have a place I could stay the night?

This gives the best idea of what its about.
I spent a year training for this, before injury.
It helps to have a training partner(s)
Cold showers every morning are torture ;)