Been reading a lot about swimming the English Channel recently. Mostly due to H2Open having an English Channel issue. But also because I've been thinking of marathon swimming, true "beyond 10K" marathon swimming, lately.
Looks so small...
Some swimmers take part in a relay English Channel crossing as a way of experiencing the channel before doing their solo. So...I thought...who would I want to swim with?
I came up with 5 swimmers, counting me of course. I'd start out with Evan, winner of Tampa (pdf) and Ederle, third in MIMS. In fact, I'd start him out first in the crossing. Perhaps he'd get us far enough ahead the rest of us would each just have to swim one hour?
Then there's Rob. The guy is a swimmer, and as far as I can tell, don't much care what he swims (check out his Recent Events on the right side of his blog). He'll swim pool pentathlons, or 12+ mile ocean swims that require a jog on the beach 8 times. He's gotta be in my relay.
Katie, better known as WaterGirl, will be in my relay. She's gotten terribly fast recently, but even more important than that, she swims every day. I'm sure her shoulders could handle the channel.
Gords will have to be in the group. The guy swims 1000's of yards a day, and swims in OW a lot. In fact, I think he'll be swimming the channel solo next summer, so a relay? Easy stuff.
And me. Not the fastest of the group, certainly. But, if I'm organizing it, I get to come along. Otherwise, I'll take my football and go home.
But that leaves one more swimmer, one more OWS to complete our team. Who will it be?
A blogger relay... sweet! I would be honored to lead off. May as well round out the 6 with Donal Buckley of Lone Swimmer fame.
Posted by: Evan | 23 October 2011 at 04:00
I'm honored!
Posted by: Katie | 23 October 2011 at 10:49
rad! so you're paying right? :p and I second Evan's nomination
Posted by: Rob D. | 23 October 2011 at 22:53
Haha! For EC relays it's all about 2 things: ability to get swimming if you've been puking on the boat for 5 hours, and team dynamics, i.e. when you want to kill someone else on the team, when you take off your top in Dover and they're pasty white when they should be tanned.
I recommend a double relay, although I fancy a triple or quadruple, all a touch expensive... The record is a 6 way relay! Our pilot for the double (Dave Whyte, now retired) piloted the 6 way! Map was insane. Bloody crazy Aussies.
Posted by: Loneswimmer | 24 October 2011 at 14:30
LS, welcome to the blog! Glad Evan recommended you; love your blog.
I'd be game for a double. That might guarantee I'd get to swim more than twice, what with all you fast swimmers I loaded my dream team with!
Posted by: IronMike | 24 October 2011 at 14:37
I'm ashamed to admit I've only been on a couple cruise ships on the ocean and that's it. Not sure I would do well on a wobbly boat like LS warns.
Thanks for the invite. Except after paying for my solo trip in August, I won't be able to afford it till probably 2015.
Posted by: Gordon Gridley | 24 October 2011 at 15:37
Completely understand Gords, it was a dream team after all.
And you've got, what?, 7 or 8 kids that you're responsible for, too! I don't know how you do it.
Posted by: IronMike | 25 October 2011 at 05:05