I thought I would put a little update on for the New Year. Training is going very well and I can feel myself getting fitter & faster. My times have come down per mile / km and I'm feeling very strong. Gym is obviously helping, and possibly the fact that I've stopped drinking!
Christmas was a little quiet as I wanted to spend some quality time with family before this hectic year of training. However, I did manage to get to the Albert Dock on Boxing Day and do about a 40second swim! - it was apparently 3.5Degrees Celsius so it was not really a 'swim', but more of a dip for people who wanted a 'kick'! It was good fun & actually not that cold because of the amount of time spent in the water. Unfortunately Mark was (selfishly!!!) really sick on Christmas Day & Boxing Day, so my designated photographer wasn't there!!! However, I managed to get some pictures from another source that was there photographing for her website, she managed to get me in one!
Me on the very right, contemplating the dip - I did get in I promise!
A nice clear winters day.
Plunging into nearly freezing water...
It might have been sunny but it was cold!Otherwise, I'm busy planning my dairy for the year! - it doesn't look like there is going to be a free weekend for a few months. Hopefully it will all fall in to place and as soon as the open water season starts I'll be back in Salford Quays every Thursday evening, and the Albert Dock every Sunday morning. Along with my other 3 nights a week of swimming, every day cycling & gym work, I'm hoping this will be sufficient for my crossing! At the moment I'm managing to swim about 12/13miles a week, cycle about 15miles a week, and about 30mins of gym 4 times a week. Along with sit-ups & my physio exercises at night, this is about all the time I have spare! At the moment I get home at about 8, eat dinner, sit down for half an hour then go to bed! Ready to get up at 5.30 to cycle, then sort the kids out for nursery, get to work, finish work, straight to gym... and the circle repeats itself! Luckily I'm still working four days a week so I manage to get a nice quality day on Friday with the boys, otherwise I would feel like I never see them. Josh is really sweet and knows that I'm going to try and swim to France soon.... I took them swimming the other day and told him 'this is where mummy does all her swimming' and he asked me 'so is this France'! IF ONLY!
I'm really enjoying it at the moment and am loving feeling so fit. The putting on weight thing is going quite well. I'm a few kg's heavier than before Christmas, however, it's not as easy as you'd think with all the exercise.... never thought I'd be allowed to eat so much in a day.
Will keep this up to date & will make sure I post new news when I get any!
Thanks again everyone for your support.
Jacqui
