A journey of 21 1/2 miles begins with getting in the water. Samphire Hoe, England, 11:14 a.m. local time, Saturday, September 19.
The beginning on video.
The crew: from left to right, Nathan, the official observer from the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation, Dave, the first mate, and Eddie, the pilot extraordinaire.
The white cliffs: looking back while swimming I could see them for about the first two hours.
Swimming along. Yes, it was uphill the whole way!
A typical feeding. I drank "Maxim" the whole way - a great energy drink for when you do not need electrolyte replacement.
I thought this boat was a lot bigger and a lot further away. No wonder Eddie had the sirens blasting. Apparently we had the right of way. He wasn't too happy.
Swimming at night. That green dot (if you can even see it) is me. Actually, it wasn't like that. Most of the time Henry was shining a spot light just in front of me, and the boat was a little closer than this picture implies.
I made it. Wissant, France, 12:45 a.m. local time, Sunday, September 20.
More narrative later.
13 comments:
Great stuff! Can't wait for the narrative...
BTW -- your right elbow looks great during the recovery, but you are throwing your left hand out a little wide. Maybe we can work on this before your next Channel crossing...
With pictures, twitter, and this blog, it has been like being right there with you.
I am so happy for you Mike!
awesome!!! great job! it was so fun to follow your progress with the sat. tracker. Congratulations on a job well done!!!
Great stuff! congrats, we had fun following your progress. I'm guessing following you was much easier than the actual swim:) Hope you recover quickly and easily. See you soon.
Frank & Di
Great photos to chronicle your "Brilliant" swim. Many many people you don't even know were following your swim and sending helpful energy your way. GBY. Hoping you feel rested soon... Love You!!
I want to echo the comment that it really felt like we were right there with you. It was so much fun to watch that tracker move and how cool is that to see these white cliffs of Dover (just like the song!). That beginning video of you getting in the water, knowing that you had 13 hours+ ahead of you was enthralling! You'll have to edit it with juiced-up music and impassioned play-by-play for home viewing! You know how professionals always make a sport activity look easy? You did that with this one! Congrats on setting a goal and reaching it. I retweeted your progress on twitter continuously.
excellent
where did you get the cap Mike
with the chin strap I mean
best
Mark
Wow, thanks Coach McGufficke! I'll work on that the next time I begin training - NOT! The next Channel crossing is yours, not mine. If you decide to do it, you'll rock it - you were a fabulous distance man already. I was a mediocre sprint breaststroker.
Thanks everyone! You're support has been wonderful!
Got to work on that more detailed narrative now....
Hey Mark,
I can't remember where exactly I got it - some random internet site that sells caps for "old ladies." I experimented with about five different caps and always came back to the "old ladies'" one with the chin strap. I couldn't find a regular one that would stay on properly (insert jokes about a big head here!), and I hated pulling my cap down all the time! Just google for swim caps chin strap and you'll find something. I never did find the ideal cap, though. That would be one that both has a chin strap and is made of modern silicone, which, as I am sure you know, is very comfortable. Mine was made of rubber, not silicone, and you can't see it in the pictures, but it has little flowers on it!
WRITE MIKE WRITE!
Well done Mike. Channel swimmer! Revel in your glory! Cheers. Hoffy.
Post a Comment