So, I've just got back from a training swim, sunburnt! Summer must be here finally! I've been training now for about 60 days, learning how to swim better, and gradually building my fitness. Today I swam 9km in the ocean, and next week I will swim my first proper preparation event - 9km in Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.
It's taken me this 60 days to build the courage to write this post (despite no-one being likely to read it)! First-off I'm not a blogger! My wife and a few others I know are, but I'm not. Frankly, anything public and self-revealing makes me nervous! Anyway, here we are. I'm taking this step of going public, and really putting myself on the line, because I'm passionate about my cause. Hopefully if I can bring myself to regularly share the stresses and strains I'm going through (and believe me it's a daily challenge), then my friends will share my challenge with their friends, and together we'll form a community willing me to succeed.
Since deciding to do this challenge, the universe has conspired to surround me with wonderful people helping me. I have faith that this will continue, and when I drag myself out of bed before 5am ever morning, it's the support of friends, family, and the universe which spurs me on. I believe that if we rally together, we can achieve the $50k target for Opportunity International. This money will help hundreds of people learn how to work their way out of abject poverty. Their suffering is far greater than anything I can inflict on myself.
My suffering this week involved joining a new swim squad, with a crazy eastern European coach (Vlad). I went in thinking that I'd come a long way with my stroke. After all, I've moved up a lane at Tatt's, am now front third at the Bold & Beautiful, and have knocked more than 30 seconds of the time it takes me to sprint 100m (now 1m 30sec)! However, I got in Vlad's squad, and I'm struggling to maintain my place a the back of his slower lane! All the other "channel swimmers" and "rotto group" are much faster than me..................slightly depressing!
Anyway, there is hope. I have proved to myself it's not too late to learn, I'm open to it (in fact desperate for it), and I'm throwing myself into it. We shall see. I have 307 days left until my window for the channel opens, and I'm going to need every one of them.
Thanks in advance for your support. I'm sure going to need it. If you can, please share this challenge with friends and let's build a community willing me to succeed. It's certainly not going to be easy, but as the great man (Captain Webb) said - "nothing great is easy". This is the mantra for every Channel Swimmer, and I intend to live and breathe it! Ben
It's taken me this 60 days to build the courage to write this post (despite no-one being likely to read it)! First-off I'm not a blogger! My wife and a few others I know are, but I'm not. Frankly, anything public and self-revealing makes me nervous! Anyway, here we are. I'm taking this step of going public, and really putting myself on the line, because I'm passionate about my cause. Hopefully if I can bring myself to regularly share the stresses and strains I'm going through (and believe me it's a daily challenge), then my friends will share my challenge with their friends, and together we'll form a community willing me to succeed.
Since deciding to do this challenge, the universe has conspired to surround me with wonderful people helping me. I have faith that this will continue, and when I drag myself out of bed before 5am ever morning, it's the support of friends, family, and the universe which spurs me on. I believe that if we rally together, we can achieve the $50k target for Opportunity International. This money will help hundreds of people learn how to work their way out of abject poverty. Their suffering is far greater than anything I can inflict on myself.
My suffering this week involved joining a new swim squad, with a crazy eastern European coach (Vlad). I went in thinking that I'd come a long way with my stroke. After all, I've moved up a lane at Tatt's, am now front third at the Bold & Beautiful, and have knocked more than 30 seconds of the time it takes me to sprint 100m (now 1m 30sec)! However, I got in Vlad's squad, and I'm struggling to maintain my place a the back of his slower lane! All the other "channel swimmers" and "rotto group" are much faster than me..................slightly depressing!
Anyway, there is hope. I have proved to myself it's not too late to learn, I'm open to it (in fact desperate for it), and I'm throwing myself into it. We shall see. I have 307 days left until my window for the channel opens, and I'm going to need every one of them.
Thanks in advance for your support. I'm sure going to need it. If you can, please share this challenge with friends and let's build a community willing me to succeed. It's certainly not going to be easy, but as the great man (Captain Webb) said - "nothing great is easy". This is the mantra for every Channel Swimmer, and I intend to live and breathe it! Ben