Our Life In Miles

Background

I started to learn to swim in 2022. Loved the sport so kept setting milestones after milestones and ticking them off. When I started looking for ‘what next’ after my 10K swim in 2023 and a few other milestones in endurance events, I set a rather ambitious goal next – to swim the English Channel in 2024!
Check out this blog to know more about my swim journey

My strengths & weaknesses

I decided and booked a slot by end of 2023 to be honest – in November 2023. I felt like I had a lot of time – 7 months. But I had to work on both speed and endurance, and cold water acclimatisation on top of it. I was not a fast swimmer yet, with just 2 years of swim experience. I believed it might go hand in hand and one might aid another. While I was able to build a good enough endurance, my speed almost remained the same – at longer distances at least. I did a couple of 6 hour swims and one 11 hour swim in cold water by the end of training phase and I was set on the cold water acclimatisation and the endurance bit. And left speed to luck, to be honest. I know there have been swimmers who have swum the channel in 20+ hours, the longest swim being a 29 hour one, and I consoled myself by looking at their examples. ‘So what if I don’t have speed on my side, I have endurance. I will fight it out for 20+ hours, till I reach the French shores’. This one was an impulse attempt for me. To push my boundaries and see if I can make it with such little swim background, and set an example of ‘you can do whatever you set your mind to’ if I do succeed.

My Channel attempt(s)

Attempt No 1 – I attempted to swim the English Channel on 19th July 2024. I failed. I failed because 19th was the end of the neap tide, so it had stronger tides being the beginning of the spring. Tides which I was not fast enough to cut through. Which made me drift towards Calais region which is an area not permitted to swimmers due to it being a busy port with fast moving ships. I was told to abort my swim after swimming for 14hrs 45mins. It was 17 degrees in the water that day. 5/6 swims (solo + relay) were completed successfully the same day. 1 failed – mine
Endurance ✅ Cold Water Acclimatisation ✅ Speed ❌

After this swim, I was told, I can make it if I got to swim on weaker tides. Luck was not on my side, today. So I decided to try again.

Attempt No 2 – I attempted another swim on 29th August 2024. I failed, again! This time the tides was ‘supposed’ to be weak but turned out to be stronger than the forecast. And the weather turned very bad from my 9th hour into the swim with Force6 winds ~25mph for the rest of the day. I was told to abort the swim after swimming for 12 hours because conditions turned very unsafe – for me as well as on the boat. 8/11 swims (solo+relay) were completed successfully the same day. It was 19 degrees in the water that day.
Endurance ✅ Cold Water Acclimatisation ✅ Speed ❌

After the swim, I was told, the tides weren’t supposed to be so strong as per the forecast, weather wasn’t supposed to be so rough, as per the forecast. Luck was not on my side, today.

Luck is a concept invented by the weak to explain their failures

– Ron Swanson (Parks & Recreation)

But the other 8 swimmers who succeeded were faster than me. They were able to reach the shelter at Wissant by the time the weather turned worse.

After my first swim attempt I was given a few pointers to focus on for my next attempt
1. Go on a weaker tide
2. Minor stroke improvements
3. Work on upper body strength to improve the stroke
4. Align the pilot with a longer swim expectation

I did all 4. Yet, I failed. While many others succeeded in the same conditions. The only difference between me and them – Speed

My learnings

I still believe I could’ve made it to France on a ‘good day’. But now, I must prepare for being able to cross the Channel even on a bad day.

I can write off the first 2 attempts in 2024 as that of passion and junoon. I wanted to push my boundaries and see if I can make it with luck on my side where the weather, the tides and the pilot are all in alignment.

That’s what a slow swimmer needs, honestly to have a chance at a successful English Channel crossing – luck. And luck wasn’t on my side, both the times.

I still believe I could’ve made it to France on a ‘good day’.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result

– Albert Einstein

But now, I must prepare for being able to cross the Channel even on a bad day.

I can’t repeat a similar attempt immediately next year. Another 7 months might not be enough to bring my speed up to the mark that is needed to defy luck. To go on a high tide, bad weather day with any pilot and still make it because you are that strong a swimmer. Which all the other swimmers who swam successfully on the days of my failure were.

My next attempt can’t be another half-assed one with marginal speed improvements hoping for a slow swimmer supportive pilot to allow me to pick the weakest tide forecast day with the best weather forecast and on top of that, hope for the forecast to hold true.

My plan

My plan is to do it the right way. Give this monument of a challenge, the time it deserves. English Channel is not called the Mt Everest of Open Water swimming for nothing.

I will first focus on building up my strength and speed. And when I am sufficiently fast and ‘fully’ ready to take on the Channel on the merit of my preparation, I will then attempt again.

I need to be able to hold a speed of 3+ kms / hour for more than 12 hours. I can say I am ‘fully’ ready when I hit that.

I have learnt that I can take care of endurance, cold water acclimatisation, logistics & planning on a shorter time frame. I have seen that I have the will power and the mental strength to go on in the face of adversity. What I lack is speed. So that is what I will work on. For as long as it takes.