Monday 6 February 2012

A Challenging Morning in Arctic Conditions!

On Saturday I renewed my British Long Distance Swimming Association membership with the intention of competing in the 2012 Grand Prix as part of my efforts to complete 212 miles to raise £2,012 for The Stroke Association. The final events for 2012 haven't yet been finalised, but Vince Classen, the BLDSA membership secretary e-mailed me last year's championship races which were as follows:-

Wykeham - 5KM
Champion of Champions (Dover Harbour) - 9 Miles
Torbay - 8 Miles
Llyn Tegid - 6 Miles
Coniston - 5.25 Miles
Ullswater - 7 Miles
Derwentwater - 5 Miles
Lake Winermere - 10.5 Miles
Lynn Regis - 3 Miles

So at present, that is my preliminary plan. To complete all of these races in the championship. I will post when I know the 2012 final plan.

So today I had planned to get back in the pool at Culford Sports and Tennis Centre at 7am. It didn't go exactly to plan, but I managed to get 70 lengths (1,750 Metres) in - eventually. Due to the heavy snow yesterday, I hadn't been out in the car, so I hadn't allowed enough time to dig it out of the snow! Having eventually completed the dig, I then had to clear the driveway to get the gate open! I finally arrived at the pool at 7.00am only to find the car slipping backwards down a very snowy slope near the pool. I therefore parked it in front of the main school building and ran up to the pool, finally getting in at just before 7:15am.

Above: The driveway leading up to the Culford Sports and Tennis Centre swimming pool this morning at about 07:10am.

I was focused on building up my training to raise the money for The Stroke Association and of course for my dear mum, who after one week in hospital is not any better at all. Below is a picture of her with her feed which is going through a tube in her nose. To date she has had no food or drink properly due to not being able to swallow. I am doing these swims for her.
Above: My dad caring for my mum in hospital. He is still in shock at the entire experience, especially how sudden and out of the blue it all was.

In the time available I completed my swim, and for the last 15 minutes, I had the entire pool to myself. Just the lifeguard watching from her platform.

Above: My training ground this morning. 8 lanes wide, 25 Metres long and no one in it but me!
I returned to the changing rooms looking forward to a nice warm shower, only it wasn't warm. It was absolutely freezing! I may as well have gone outside and rolled naked in the snow, only I may have been arrested for doing so. So I had a cold shower. Great cold water acclimatisation session.

So I now have a provisional plan, and have completed a total of 10,650 Metres (6.6 Miles). Only 205.4 Miles to go!

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far. Please continue to do so so that I can raise as much money as possible for The Stroke Association:-

Thursday 2 February 2012

Swimming for my mum - 212 Miles in 2012 to raise £2,012 for The Stroke Association

Above: Mum and Dad at the Bury St Edmunds Constitutional Club on Saturday January 21, 2012.

Above: Dad with Mum in the stroke ward of West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds on Monday January 30, 2012.

In the early hours of Monday January 31, 2012, my 88 year old dad telephoned me to say that my 90 year old mum had fallen over and he couldn't pick her up. I got out of bed, quickly dressed and drove round to find a doctor and ambulance crew putting her on a stretcher. They informed me that she had probably had a stroke. I was dumbstruck. Not my mum I thought. She's invincible. Never had a day's illness or complained. As the night progressed, our worse fears were confirmed, the whole of her left side had been affected. She is currently in the stroke ward in hospital. It is awful to see. It has totally changed our entire lives in one instant.

Mum is a carer for my dad who has also suffered two strokes. She also regularly looks after our two young boys when we attend meetings and work etc. It was a life changing moment, not just for her, but for my dad and for us also. I have to do something to help her.

As an Open Water Swimmer, I have therefore decided to swim at least 212 miles both in the pool and Open Water Races/Training in 2012, to raise a minimum of £2,012 for The Stroke Association. I really don't know what else to do as I feel so hopeless. She has always been there for me, and this is the only way I know how to help her.


Thank you in advance.

Hoffy.