Week 16 - While the cat's away....
Weekly Review
NB Please scroll to the bottom for a selection of the photos taken
While the cat’s away….
You still do amazingly!
I started coming to Dover every weekend in 2007 when I started training for my first channel solo. I didn’t do the whole season that year as I got my weekends back when my swim was done. However, that may be the last time that I did that.
Even in the years when I wasn’t training for a swim, I was there every weekend unless I was ill, on a swim or at a planned event.
So this weekend was a treat for me as I took the weekend off to celebrate my daughter’s 30th birthday. I also had friends round on the Saturday. I got to remember what it’s like to be ‘normal’! I even got some cleaning in!
What was just as nice was being able to do that in the knowledge that Mandi & Rich are amazing and would run the beach just as well as I could ever hope to.
Thank you!
So what did my sources on the beach tell me?
The beaches were packed with members of the public enjoying the warm weather and being in and on the water. SUPs are the big craze and they were everywhere, making it hard for swimmers to find the beach for feeds at times, but somehow you managed it (there’s nothing like a bit of motivation to help).
There were no long heroic swims this weekend, with everyone either on a recovery week, or a ramp up or tapering down for the big day. For the beach crew, short weekends are a bit weird. Still, it made for time to sit on the beach and enjoy each other's company after training.
A few relay swimmers sampled the joys of a feed for a longer than usual swim on a glorious day. Which gave me an idea……
Stepping up sample….
One of three things happen when swimmers have completed their first relay:
They sit back and reflect on the experience, hopefully with happy memories, and move back to their normal life or next challenge
They enjoy it so much they want to do another relay, maybe with a different team size or even a different body of water
They wonder what it would be like to do a solo swim, anything from a short event to the English Channel
It’s that third category that I’m thinking about, the one when they are thinking about stepping up….
With that in mind, I’d like to invite any of our regular relay swimmers to step it up this weekend and stay in long enough for a feed. This is on us. You book a relay slot and you can extend your normal 2 hour swim up to 3 hours if you would like.
Saturday or Sunday - you choose.
Are you ready to step it up?
Maybe hang around and chat after your swim about ideas for your next swimming step (or stroke). There are so many swims as you’ve seen from these blogs. We can find the right shape and size just for you.
Shout outs
Training
Congratulations to:
Nina and Nicola, both stepping it up and experiencing their first feeds.
Channel swimmer on the beach
We continue to have swims taking place far and wide. Apologies if I missed your swim - please message me and I’ll edit!!
There’s lots to shout about, here’s what I saw (in no particular order):
Paul Cross for his Windermere solo on 8th August in a time of 8hrs 25mins
Peter Whitehead for his Sealand to Felixstowe solo on 8th August in a time of 5hrs 4mins
Sarah Philpott for her North Channel solo on 9th August in a time of 16hrs 21mins
Elizabeth Culcay (first lady in skins), Sophie Franks, Annabel Maggs (DCT alumni), Robert Copsey (DCT alumni), Kristen Smith and Kev Beale (DCT alumni) for their One Way Windermere swim on 13th August 2022
Drew George for his 20 Bridges solo on 14th August
Gina Harden (DCT alumni) for her Catalina solo (and completing her triple crown) on 10th August in a time of 22hrs 37mins and in doing so achieving her triple crown 👸👸👸
Melanie Tyrrell for her Catalina solo (and completing her triple crown) on 11th August in a time of 19hrs 19mins 👸👸👸
Rob Sisley, Laura Sharpe, Philip Brice, Julia Maguire, Polly Downes, Alaine Berry and Drew Fobbester for their Thames marathon swims.
Tom Knight (1st man - skins) and Tulasi Chaitanya for their Lake Zurich Marathon swims.
Aspire Leopards for their channel relay on 14th August in a time of 14hrs 45mins
Kenneth Morrison for his Round Jersey solo on 14th August in a time of 11hrs 11mins.
There were also some swims that ended with unfinished business. Feel free to come and chat it through, if we can help you unpick it all, we’d be happy to help.
Louisa Bell - Channel Soloist
Sarah Philpott - North Channel soloist
Swim stats
Note: Water temperature taken during the swim session in the harbour. Air temperature, wind direction & wind speed taken from the Port of Dover app. Please remember that we get a lot of shelter in the harbour thanks to the walls.
Saturday:
Swimmers: 15
Water temperature: 20.5C
Air temperature: 29C
Conditions: F1-2
Sunday:
Swimmers: 14
Water temperature: 21.0C
Air temperature: 30C
Conditions: F1
Volunteers & beach crew
Let me start with a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Mandi & Rich for covering the beach all weekend so that I could take time out with my family. It was wonderful to be able to focus on that in the full knowledge that all the swimmers were in good hands.
Thank you to everyone else who helped out this weekend - either a little or a lot. We continue to be a fab team.
If you want to join the fun, why not pick a date and book your space through the booking system. You’ll see things from a whole new perspective.
The adventures of Dover Dave
Dover Dave continues to live his best life. This week he spent time with Dotty and Amanda and learned yet more new skills. He must be one of the most diversely trained people ever.
Dave is off to spend the week with Keith - I hope he gets on some swims and doesn’t eat all of Eric’s jelly babies.
Paddlefish Ponderings - Reframing
“We can’t solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Sometimes, things just don’t go to plan.
Have you ever noticed how some people bounce back from the tough stuff easier than others? Often those who bounce back easier have found a positive in amongst all the negative.
This is the essence of reframing.
Would it be useful for you to have tool that helped you get into the reframing mindset? A tool that helps you be more flexible with your thinking.
Start small and test it out with a small thing.
Reframing is something that I find myself doing all the time, with myself and in my work on the beach and with my one to one clients.
Here’s an example: in 2013 I was out of the water for 13 weeks following some major surgery that had complications. I could have chosen to see all the negatives with that. Instead I saw the advantage - dampened muscle memory that made it easier to improve my technique when I was able to get back in the water by focusing heavily on drills. I had my best ever swim in 2014! The same was true when we came back from the first Covid-19 lockdown. Lockdown had kept us out of the water. My masters coach brought us back up to full hours gradually and carefully, focusing on technique in those early weeks. He also knew the advantage of a forced break. The whole squad benefited from that approach.
Alternatively, come and chat with us on the beach or join one of our community calls and we can help you through our challenge.
Reminders
Bookings can be made up to 48 hours ahead and be cancelled or rescheduled up to 48 hours ahead also. The system doesn’t arrange automatic refunds, so if you would like a refund, please check out our refund policy and get in touch if you would like a refund.
If you miss this deadline then I’ll book you in if I have the available time and I have your disclaimer. There is an admin fee if you don’t use the self-service option.
Arrive on time
Wear the right colour hat - red for soloists, yellow for relay swimmers
Attend the mandatory safety briefing
Those of you who are members, please remember to cancel your membership when you no longer want it. You can do that within a membership period and still have all the benefits of it, this will prevent it from auto renewing next year. You can do this within your account, by following the link in the confirmation email when you took out your membership, or by asking me to do it for you.
Looking ahead
On Tour
Please remember that we brought our August ‘On Tour’ date forwards. We now have just one ‘On Tour’ date left for the season
Saturday 17th September
The location will be either Ramsgate or Hythe and the location will be decided on the Thursday before the swim.
End of season celebration
It’s become a bit of a tradition that, rather than fade away as the season progresses that we get together for an end of season celebration on the last weekend of training. So mark the date in your calendar - Saturday 24th September - bring a picnic. We’ll bring inflatables!!
We now have a theme - Grease! Make of that what you will - I’m looking forward to some fun & creative outfits.
Chilli Dips
We’ll be starting up our monthly Chilli Dips again from October. Like last year, we’ll aim to visit a number of locations. We’re also toying with the idea of having an inland option too - a river near me in Surrey - who’s up for that?
Halloween(ish) Fright Night
We’re planning on doing a night swim / bob in October - those who don’t like swimming in the dark need not apply!!
This won’t be a training session, just a bit of fun. We’ll do our very best to make you jump in the water - definitely one where you should expect the unexpected.
Watch this space for a date in October.
Piling works in the harbour
A note for those who train in the harbour outside of our hours of operation....
Dover Harbour Board is doing further work to the new marina and this involves piling works. Anyone training in 2017 would remember that this kept us out of the harbour as the sound under water is unsafe for swimmers.
Piling work will be taking place Monday to Saturday for the rest of the season. The bit that's dangerous for swimmers will be limited to 8am - 10am.
AS A RESULT, TRAINING IS PROHIBITED BETWEEN 8AM-10AM MONDAY TO SATURDAY.
They have since informed me that the duration of piling is very short in those periods, but given you could be 20 mins from the beach, that isn't particularly helpful.
Swimming at any other time is fine.
Unfortunately that means that we won't be able to support early starts, nor will you be able to do an early start outside of the group.
If you're training independently from Monday to Saturday, please ensure you're done by 8am or don't start before 10am.
Spotlight in the shop
New stock of our hieroglyphics t-shirts and polo shirts have arrived. Our polo shirts have a new design on the back and are in a light weight quick dry material - great for these hot days.
This polo shirt is manufactured with NeotericÍ textured fabric with inherent wickability which means it's fast drying from its deeply textured surface.
A Classic three button, straight hem polo shirt able to be washed and worn repeatedly with no ironing and with no significant colour loss.
The self - fabric collar lies flat and ensures that this ultra comfortable shirt always looks good and suitable for the smartest casual occasions, the workplace and for sport. This polo shirt is breathable and stylish.
The self-fabric taped back neck collar lies flat and ensures that this ultra comfortable shirt always looks good and suitable for many occasions, and for sport.
This polo has a printed back neck, a set in sleeve design and is made with twin needle stitching which provides added strength to the garment and therefore improves durability.
Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certified production.
Fabric: 100% polyester.
Weight: 140 gsm.
Photos
A few photos from the weekend….
If you’d consider leaving a review of your training experience, it would help those who are deciding on where to do their training for future years. Nothing means more than the voice of someone who’s used the service.