Emma France’s tales of Channel Swims (in her own words!)
Background
The journey for my solo started in 2005 after a very enjoyable relay swim in conditions that were, quite frankly, unbelievable perfect. I don’t know about you but if I ever entertain the thought ‘I wonder if I could…..’ I normally end up having a go to find out. After that day I wondered if I could do a solo.
In 2007 I signed up to one of the SwimTrek Gozo training camps and had my qualifying swim nicely tucked under my belt before the Dover season started, which is just as well as had I just turned up in Dover that first Saturday in May I don’t think I’d ever had come back – it felt so cold!!! I just had to hang on to the thought that I’d be able to handle it once the weather improved which I did, physically, although mentally it was a real struggle and I can’t say that I learned to love it that year. I did attempt a solo that year, it was not successful. I concluded that there were a few things that I could improve on which may make the difference – one was repairing the shoulder that I damaged the week before the swim, another was to look at my feeding (I had some nasty sickness as one point on the attempt).
So in 2008 I started seeing a rehab specialist who I have worked with ever since for some personal training designed firstly around resolving the shoulder injury and then around building core strength and conditioning as well as swimming specific conditioning. I enjoyed my training in Dover much more in this year although I still struggled mentally quite a bit, I managed to get through the season injury free and finished it off with a 3 person relay – now that was a really fun day out – I loved every minute of it.
So to the here and now, 2009. I now absolutely adore my weekends in Dover, the beach crew are as good as family and it has become a home from home, however, training was really variable. There were some days when I enjoyed training so much I’d high 5 anyone who stopped to say hello, there were even a couple of days when I asked to stay in longer than I’d been asked to do, yet other days when I was a crumpled heap of tears and simply couldn’t cope with it all. During the season it became apparent that feeding was still a big issue and I switched feeds to see if it would improve – it didn’t. I attempted Lake Zurich and although it was a huge confidence boost in terms of it being a long training swim and I proved that I could swim for longer than I ever had before, it completely destroyed my confidence due to the issues that remained with feeding. At this point there was only 4 weeks until the start of my tide and we tried everything from Ginger tea to porridge, it just seemed to get worse and worse.
I was booked on the tide between 16-23rd August and watched it get blown out. I then watched the next tide get blown out too. Throughout all of this I carefully collected and stored all the additional demons and the self doubt became larger and larger. I almost bottled it on many occasions, eventually I did bottle it and decided to defer the swim until next year and told everyone who had helped and supported me of this decision.
My pilot, Alison, had other ideas and pointed out the weakness in my argument and I was convinced to give it a go. The good thing of course was that now nobody knew I was going to attempt it and we agreed to keep it that way, just to reduce the pressure. The whole swim also seemed just too big to comprehend so we agreed that I was just going on a long training swim, no hope or agenda and no promises. All that said at just after 4am on Sunday morning when we were heading for Shakey beach I was very, very nervous.
So here’s how the swim went from my perspective
At 0425 precisely the horn on the boat sounded and I walked into the sea and set off on my training swim. I deliberately started out quite hard and strong as I know that I struggle to pick up pace once set and I wanted to set a pace that could get me across rather than just plod. I did get quite a bit of cramp in my legs in the first couple of hours – perhaps that was just due to the tension easing off which it did, at which point I starting really enjoying myself. I decided to feed on the hour rather than every half hour. This was for a couple of reasons – firstly to minimise the amount of feed that I was taking in to prevent sickness and secondly to enable me to really make some progress between feeds.
We had agreed before the swim that I would be told when I had reached significant milestones. I was absolutely gob smacked when Andy told me at my 4 hour feed that we had entered the SW lane about 20 minutes ago. Fantastic!! I’d already achieved more than last time. The next few hours just flew by. I felt strong and fast, the conditions were perfect, the water was calm and flat and I even had a bit of a tail wind which was helping me surf across. Somewhere around this point I also heard that Ros had successfully completed her swim, simply brilliant! A couple of hours after that the boat she was on came alongside and gave me a cheer. It was fantastic to see them and the extra support was a great boost.
At some point I was also told I was keeping up with another team that had also started before us on Gallivant. Being a bit competitive it was nice to have Gallivant to try and chase all the way across.
The next shock was when I stopped for my 7 hour feed to be told that I only had 100m to go until I left the separation zone. Wow, wow, wow – I didn’t know how that was even possible. I remember saying something like ‘you’re kidding’ to be told to look up and sure as anything there were ships in front of me going in the direction of the NE lane.
My motivation, strength and determination were at an all time high. I started to think that I might actually be able to do this. At 8 hours I pointed out to Andy and Alison that this was as long as I lasted last time, and here I was in the 2nd shipping lane. Each hourly segment felt strong and solid and constant swimming. More importantly I hadn’t felt sick and that normally happens between 3-5.5 hours. I was starting to notice some discomfort and had some painkillers, when Andy asked where it was hurting I reeled off, between the shoulder blades, back, neck, forearms, knees, ankles….. to which Alison replied ‘the usual then’ – absolutely!! Nothing serious just my body knowing that it was doing something quite significant.
It was all good until about 11 hours when my energy levels (physical and motivational) started to drop, my stroke whilst maintaining the same stroke rate throughout started become a little less effective and I was starting to feel the signs of dehydration. All in all the wheels were starting to come off. We switched to 30 minute feeds to boost the energy levels again which worked, but everything after this became tough, very tough. Doubt started to creep back in.
It took forever to get out of the shipping lane and even when I had there was still a mighty long way to go. Around this time I deliberately stopped counting how long I’d been in the water as I figured that it wasn’t helpful and would only do my head in further. Eventually the sun went down and it was dark and getting cold again. Gallivant remained in sight and although I wasn’t closing in on them, they weren’t pulling away much either, that really helped me hang in there.
Everything was hurting at this point, particularly my forearms / wrists. My knees and ankles were almost locked in their positions. Slowly but surely I got closer and closer to Cap Gris Nez. I was terrified that we would miss it and I’d end up swimming for lots more hours as the tide swept us away. Gallivant finished their swim before me and also came alongside to cheer me on – again a great boost at just the right time. Eventually after what seemed like forever I heard those words you long to hear ‘you’ve got 300m to go and this is your last feed’. I couldn’t face any more feeds and declined it.
My landing point was just round the corner from Cap Gris Nez on some boulders. As I closed in I started seeing the water get shallower. I had to clamber over some rocks in the water and assumed that I could keep clambering until I got out, but that would have been too easy! No – it got deeper again and right by the final boulder that I would climb out on it was deeper than I am tall, so it was a bit like trying to get out of the deep end of a pool without a ladder – I never could do that, and certainly not after over 17 hours of swimming. Eventually I managed to coordinate my clambering with a wave coming in and launched myself out of the water and on top of the rock, cutting my legs to shreds in the process. I didn’t care – it was over!! I don’t know what I was expecting to feel when I finished. The only emotion I was capable of was relief – huge relief. I had finished (I have to keep saying that as it still hasn’t really sunk in).
After 17 hours and 37 minutes of swimming I had become a channel swimmer!!!
So my message for anyone who’s thinking about taking this challenge ‘Dare to believe’.
What next – 2010 is the year of the beach bum!
Finally after several aborted attempts we did it – on 31st July 2009. It took 15 hours and 45 minutes – shorter than the 20 hours we thought. Helen, Chris, Carole and Vanessa all swam 3 times and Clare and I twice – Vanessa was the one to stand on French sand. We set off at 5.30am with a good weather window ahead of us and finished at 9.30pm in the dark on a beach near Calais. We took lots of seasickness tablets and they worked. It was very hard both physically and mentally – although our training was good it is hard to replicate the sea swell and sheer toughness of it.
Our second hour swims were easier – we were veterans now although Vanessa got cramp in her legs and Helen stomach cramps. We cheered each other on. For our 3rd swim our pilot Paul said that even though we were so close it might take us up to 10 hours. We were exhausted by now but put in some really big swims and got there quicker than expected. Vanessa had to wear glowsticks in her costume so we could see her in the dark. 1 ½ hours later we were back in Dover to celebrate with champagne.
Then on Sunday 2nd Aug we managed to get onto ITVs London Tonight programme – Vanessa and Helen live and Chris on Meridian TV.
Thank you all so much for your kind donations – we’ve raised £9000 and are on our way to our target for CHASE Children’s Hospice.
Jackie, Clare, Helen, Vanessa, Chris and Carol
I’d heard good things about Hampton “Lido”, although I am advised they don’t particularly like to call it a Lido and insist on calling it, rather obviously, “Hampton Pool”. Any thoughts on this? Arriving at the pool on a balmy Saturday evening the first thing that struck me was the quality of the entrance hall. A fully functional reception, with swim kit on sale, notice boards showing the range of activities. What a great impression it gives – nothing “Spartan” about this place, warm and welcoming.
And so to the changing rooms. None of your draughty cubicles here. Small yes, but also modern, clean, compact, cosy. Lockers you can open and close yourself. It would have seemed churlish not to check out the loos and, as far as the male side goes, the facilities were again just as smart as any indoor pool I have visited.
Now for the pool itself. To one end you have a couple of mini, kiddie, pools maybe no more than a couple of feet deep, apparently they are warm enough to teach in. The main pool itself is 36m, in fact built as 40 yards, long and accommodates six slightly narrow lanes due to the total width being only 14.5m. As the evening went on the light dimmed and on came the mini floodlights. The pool is open to 9pm each evening – that’s a long day as they open from 6am.
Plenty of café space on the first floor roof of the changing block. As we gathered after the water polo for the presentations we enjoyed beer and wine sold by the pool albeit in plastic glasses. We had time to survey the roof-top café area, on top of the changing block, which would also serve as a great spectator gallery too for any event. A barbeque, manned by the organisers of the water polo tournament, was facilitated by a purpose built, brick-built barbeque area.
Did I go home feeling hard-done-by at Guildford? Well no. Not when I look at our pool and see this amazing ten lane 50m pool. Two or three training lanes in Hampton? We could have four or five, and still have a pool larger than Hampton for the rest of the punters to swim in.
OK so it’s a warmer pool? Yes, at 28C its 3-4C warmer than Guildford. Necessary? I’m not the best judge of that, but its better, for sure, for kids and lessons. Interesting that they cover the pool to maintain the temperature as best as they can at night. Guildford, being three times larger makes covering a bigger challenge – but has anyone ever looked into how it could be done? Whats the financial hit from running at the higher temperature? Can’t be that dramatic as they open ALL YEAR round……..
Well is it more family friendly than Guildford? Yes, I could probably agree with that, but does that make Guildford family unfriendly? The answer is “no”, but only if we use and improve the family facilities to the full. No sign of teaching nor paddling pools having been drained and out of action at Hampton.
When looking for some facts on Hampton I found the website full of information. So much is going on in this “open all day, all week, all year” facility. Go read it for yourself. And yet we own (we are the taxpayers) a bigger, more beautiful pool with far more picturesque grounds, which languish shut, underused and unavailable to its owners for the majority of the year’s daylight hours.
Those who prefer to compare and contrast will tell me that Hampton is the model, the end game, the “how its done”. Maybe it is. But ask me which one I feel more excited by. Hampton Pool is the classy runner, smooth, co-ordinated and clearly way ahead in the race. I see Guildford as the gangly, untrained athlete, maybe a bit wayward in its formative years, but you see the raw, unrefined basics and you see the potential just waiting to happen, for example:
Lessons? We could do this, plenty of room to rope off 2 lanes at one side, any time you like.
Catering? How much room is needed for this? We have plenty. Licence to serve alcohol? Well why not? We have a hotel across the road with trained bar staff. Synergy to be exploited. Excvellent food? Why not.
Longer Hours? We know there’s big demand.
Functions? That great big area of grass? Why cant we do the range of concerts and shows that Hampton do? Don’t we have established theatres in the area to call upon? Is Guildford any more art-phobic than SW London? Course it isn’t.
It wont happen without hard work, nor indeed teamwork, but our Lido’s potential, location and physical state mean there is only one way we should be pushing this amazing facility. Once our pool closes on 6th September that’s it until April next year. If you have time, go swim at Hampton Pool and come back and tell us what you think!
Jim Boucher, FOGL Interim Committe member
Dana Haugli receiving her award
FOGL members take part in Lake Zurich Marathon Swim
The weekend of 25th July saw 5 FOGL members take part in the 26.4km Rapperswil to Lake Zurich Marathon Swim. Swimming for Guildford Lido Legends, FOGL member Dana Haugli took 3rd place in the Ladies over 40s category, finishing in 9 hours 12 minutes. A brilliant achievement.
Emma France was there as part of her Channel solo training. She got within 2km of the finish but according to the rules of the swim, she was asked to finish her swim at the 12 hour cut-off. She certainly had the finish in sight. However, 24.4km is Emma’s furthest swim so far and serves as excellent training and a brilliant accomplishment on her way to a shot at the big one!
The Guildford Lido Legends Relay Team comprising Ali Pereira, Ellery McGowan and Jim Boucher finished in 10 hours 31 minutes.
Guildford Lido Legends in Cork
The Lido Legends swam in the wonderfully organished Vibes & Scribes Cork Masters River Lee swim in 2006, returning in 2008 and again this year. For an idea of what it’s like see the Lido Legends video on YouTube.
