Fundraising news...

Been organising a few fundraising events for during the year. Will keep you posted. Don't forget you can donate here.

Still alive!

The 8 hour swim went surprisingly well on Friday. I swam with the 6 other lads that are booked in to do solo crossings this summer, Rob Bohane, Liam Maher, Ciarán Byrne, Donal Buckley, Danny Walsh and Gabor Molnar (who was battered and bruised). We all had a laugh and managed the sessions that Eilís set out for us. Was expecting to be completely wrecked but was buzzing afterwards.

Getting ready for Rotto

Hi there,

Been a while again, I know. Have been training consistently, getting stronger and going for longer. I must admit that this week I'm fairly shattered. Have found the whole balance between training, family and work a bit all over the place for the last couple of weeks. Have taken the last couple of days off to recharge and the attitude is now good looking forward to next week. Have a big 8 hour swim coming up on Friday which I'm a little concerned about, but will use it as a practice run for Rottnest which is only 4 weeks away. Looking forward to seeing all my family and friends in Perth, and getting a bit of heat into the bones, and am also looking forward to doing the Rottnest Channel Swim on Feb 20. My goal this time around is to make the celebrations after the awards. Last year I was lucky to make it back to the boat I was staying on and pass out!

I'll be in Perth for a couple of weeks after the swim and plan to enjoy some non swimming related activities with the family and refresh the body and brain for my return to Ireland. Once I'm back I'll have to focus on organising the logistics of the English Channel Swim, and get moving on raising some money for my charity, Barretstown, in Co Wicklow.

Will try and post more from Perth after the swim!

Training, training, training.......

It's been a while, I know. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I hate computers and am broadband deficient, secondly, I have been training more seriously and have been left at the end of each week with the inability to lift my arms, let alone type!
October was a good month for me. As suspected I was the only swimmer training with Eilís to be behind in training after September, but I managed to turn things around slightly to cover all of her sessions for last month. Just as I was easing into a bit of a system and thinking that the training wouldn't be so hard, and would easily fit into my already busy schedule, we had our November meeting and all my illusions came crashing down around me. Although Eilís had mentioned that our training would keep at the same pace until after Christmas, she upped it considerably for the month of November.
After the initial panic following a review of her sessions, I sat down with Mick and worked out how on earth I was going to manage to complete the extra mileage. I was glad to have been up to date with the previous month as my head was in a good place, and so far I am doing well, although my arms have been constantly aching for the past couple of weeks. Last week was my biggest week and I went to bed on Friday night barely able to lie on my side, but happy in the knowledge that I had completed the week and had two days off to recuperate before my final week of the month next week. Today I am feeling a lot better and ready for the water again from tomorrow.
A few interesting things have happened along the way over the past couple of months, some good, some a bit frightening, namely the improvement showing in my support swimmer, Derek (16) and Niamh (9). Even though I am training hard and getting stronger by the week, so are they and I find I am hard pushed to stay ahead of them both :) I even had to leave Niamh pass me out on Friday as she was annoying me by touching my toes!! Caelan (8) is also flying and loving the fact that he is helping his mum training by jumping in the lane when I'm getting tired.
Also, I have registered to swim the Rottnest Channel Swim again in Feb next year as we are heading out to see family anyway. It's amazing how differently I think the Rotto swim this time around. It was my swimming goal for this year, but now a training swim for next year... Really looking forward to getting back to Rottnest Island though-it really is a magical place. Oh yes, and it will be nice to see the family and friends too!
Earlier in the month, we went to the Cork Masters Swimming Club 30th Birthday party at Maryborough House in Douglas, where I discovered that tequila and training were not going to work. Since then the social life has been on hold and will probably stay that way until Christmas...
So that's the story so far, will try and be a bit more disciplined with updating my progress. I guess it's not that hard once you get going. Finally, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Christine in Leisureworld, Bishopstown for her support.

Just beginning.....

Hi there, just starting my second month's training with Eilís Burns. Eilís has coached 8 soloists from Cork successfully across the English Channel, and her most recent success story is Lisa Cummins who just completed a two way crossing. So, there's no pressure really!! I'm doing the same training programme as Rob Bohane, Ciarán Byrne, Danny Walsh, Liam Maher and Donal Buckley who are all swimming the Channel next year. We met last week with Eilís to report on how we were all getting on with our training sessions and get the sessions for the month ahead. So far all the lads are up to date, with every metre completed. I, on the other hand am currently approximately 37km behind....oops-time to get the act together.

All jokes aside, things are running a lot smoother for the last few weeks. I have a great support network behind me which so far includes my husband Mick, kayaker extraordinaire and amazing omelette cook, and all of our kids who against their better judgement have taken on more chores. Niamh (9) and Caelan (8) have kept me company in the pool, while Derek (16) has been actively improving his swimming in order to be one of my support swimmers with John Conroy for my Channel crossing. Ryan (12), Liadh (19) and her boyfriend Chris have been enthusiastic with the others in coming up wth ideas for fundraising for Barretstown. My friends Martin Walsh, Gobnait O'Leary and Alex Taylor have all also been helping by kayaking for me in Inchigeela.

I've been doing most of my training in the open water as I know it'll be getting too cold for long swims soon. I was feeling very sorry for myself last week as I was suffering from a head cold, but was determined to get my training back on track, so for the first time in ages I put my wetsuit back on. Any notions I had that it was a bad idea were quickly erased from my mind as I plunged into the freezing cold lakes of Inchigeela. Went down to Sandycove in Kinsale on Friday for a double lap of the island and was nervous about going without my wetsuit again, but luckily the water was gorgeous, and Liz Buckley patiently swam around with me. So all in all, feeling good but tired, and enjoying my day off today.

Me and Alex starting out at Loch Allua, Ballingeary