[UPDATE] We took the ferry to France. It took around 2 hours. During the whole trip I just gazed out the window. I could not believe how wide and rough the channel looked. It still doesn’t seem real to either of us that we swam that huge distance just two days ago.

A shout-out to Best Western Hotel Du Parc and Celine Delaplace who did so much to make us feel at home. This hotel has gorgeous grounds, a sunny outdoor pool, and a top-notch restaurant. We recommend the ostrich, it’s delic.

14 hours 23 minutes

We made it! Everyone helped! It was awesome!

It was a gorgeous day for a swim from England to France. The middle map pretty well tells the story of our relay swim across the English Channel. We started the morning off strong on Shakespeare Beach and finished the day cold and weary just as the sun was dipping below the ocean horizon. Aches, pains, cold, and sea sickness took their toll, but they all disappeared as I walked up on the shores of France. Stay tuned for a longer trip log with more color. For now we are working through all these wonderfully supportive emails from loved ones and sponsors. Thanks for your warm vibes, we felt them in the cold channel!

A shout-out to Suunto, especially our friend Martin Schamboeck, Sports Marketing Manager. Adam swam with a T6 and Neal swam with a Core. Whether we’re defending presidents (as Adam has) or climbing Everest (as Neal has), Suunto is on our wrists. They also have this really cool software that we used during our bike rides to chart heart rate, speed and distance.

• Leeds to Nottingham
• 75 miles
• 1800 feet climbed
• 1000 sheep. Some cows. 63 pigs.
• 2 nuclear reactors

Our route took us through Sherwood Forest, which was fun for me. It’s hard not to feel like a kid again riding through Sherwood Forest into Nottingham!

Today was a pretty nice day.  It’s a shame that as we come further south our surroundings are less desolate and the roadways are much more populated.  As a result, we spend more time concentrating and less time enjoying our environment.  Weather today was beautiful.  Winds were calm most of the day, and there was only a 15 minute patch of rain that we unintentionally but fortunately avoided on our lunch break.

To say these last 3 days have been tough would be an understatement.  Mentally, there were a lot of obstacles to overcome.  Physically the back-to-back-to-back days of punishing terrain and distance were difficult.  I can’t tell you how many times over the past several months, I’ve cursed the name of Mike Kuhn, our coach (another link) as I opened the dreaded email that laid out the workout for the day.  “Tell me again why I’m riding 6 hrs today  I just did 4 yesterday.”  Today it’s clear.  This guy isn’t just a sadist. He had a method to his madness.  It was good to finish this segment of the ride and still feel pretty strong (and injury free!)

Tomorrow we’ll rest up and take care of some minor aches and pains and then it’s on to Cambridge.

• Perth to Edinburg
• 60 miles
• 3000 feet climbed
• 1 huge bridge
• 1500 sheep

Our blog today will come in the form of 3 videos.  We’re too tired to blog.  Short version…Ride today was scheduled to be 40 miles.  Arrived at Edinburgh bridge (5 miles to hotel) at 2 PM.  Arrived at hotel just after 4 PM.  We saw a lot of Edinburgh.  It’s a beautiful city.  I would have rather seen it on foot.

Tomorrow is a rest day in the capital city of Edinburgh.  We’re looking forward to it.

A shout-out to Bellwether Clothing Line, especially the awesome and honest Barry Smith, Marketing Director. The weather here is extremely temperamental. Just today we went from cold (50′s) to rain to warm (70′s). The gear has been fantastic. The chamois technology is layered and padded perfectly (FYI: chamois = butt pad) and the jerseys have awesome finishing touches like rubber gussets on the sleeves and waist to keep it from slipping. It’s gorgeous stuff, and it’s all we wear.

• Bonar Bridge to Inverness
• 60 miles
• 3500 feet climbed
• 3000 sheep

Today began beautifully.  The sun shining and there was little wind.  We decided to put the Bellwether rain coats away and head south.

The first part of the journey was phenomenal.  We were almost alone on the road, and even though the climbs were tough, we were looking out over plush green fields, tons of farm animals, lochs, rivers, and waterfalls.

The second half of the ride was another story.  The wind speeds picked up, directly at our face, and we made a turn onto a road that, while characterized as small on the map, turned out to be a major thoroughfare.  Included in this part of the journey were two spanning bridges (Bonar Bridge and Kessock Bridge).  Both bridges had crosswinds that nearly put is in the water.  There was also a major climb that took nearly 45 minutes.  We were stoked to see the finish line in Inverness!

Swimming Loch Ness

We decided that we couldn’t make a trip to Inverness without a swim in Loch Ness!  Our support crew picked us up and we headed 10 miles south to try and find a good place to enter the Loch. The water temp was 49 degrees, so our swim was limited, but it was fun to be able to get in.  There was a cruise boat of tourists leaving a nearby dock dressed in sweaters and winter coats.  Two guys walking into the water in Speedos got plenty of attention. It was a good time, and brightened up our spirits and loosened up our muscles after the windy ride. We didn’t seeNessy, but the water was eerily black

The town of Nairn

After our swim we walked around the town of Nairn, which has a section called Fishertown (an old fishing outpost) where the houses are simple, quant and crazy close together. We walked around the town and had a blast, until we got so hungry that Neal almost passed out.  So we decided to stop with all the athletic activity and hop over to our hotel. Tonight we stayed in the Best Western Windsor Hotel in Nairn (our wonderful sponsor). The folks there are great. The old-style dining hall has all these awesome old war pictures and the English-style varnished wood bar has a huge scotch selection and great desserts – we recommend “sticky toffee pudding”.

Tomorrow we head to Ballater.  The rides start to get longer from here on out.

A shout-out to the Best Western Windsor Hotel in Nairn, especially the manager Jagdeep Sandhu. We really enjoyed the town of Nairn and this hotel is located right in the middle of it, and very near the sea. The sea breeze and the neighboring park was wonderful, and this place has a seriously awesome dining room with artwork of Brits kicking the crap out of french military guys on horseback. The rich wood in the classically British styled pub was a nice touch too. It was an awesome stay. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, the front desk clerk let us know she was nursing a bird with an injured wing — aww.

Yesterday Neal and I jumped in for a 2 hour swim. We were a little disconcerted to look down at the Suunto and see that the water temperature had risen to a balmy 63 degrees over the last week! Aakk! We’re getting coddled here in the states! Mark Robson and the rest of the gang over in the UK will have some ammo to lob at us now that they’ve been organizing Dover swims that are still in the 50′s. In our favor, though, is the fact that we were swimming up stream against a mighty current. The stone bridge supports pictured are about 10-15 yards in width. Without exaggeration, it took 2 1/2 minutes to pass the supports. I think I was moving backwards at times. I literally felt as if I was working out in one of those endless pools. Every breath I took, I was looking at the same stone as the breath before. Take that, Brits! (Disclaimer: There are no head currents during the Channel swim so this workout actually gives us no describable advantage).

Incidentally there have been several conversations across both swimming and multi-sport message boards regarding watches. My 2 cents: I love the Suunto. I have the T6. If you are looking for a simple, no-nonsense watch this is probably not the watch for you. The T6 is good because I can use it with everything. Temperature is great for the water. It syncs with an HR belt to keep track of my heart rate and can be set to keep me in zone. It syncs with my bike and measures speed/distance etc. It syncs with my GPS and can track speed/distance/altitude etc. This feature is more useful for mapping out hikes or mountain bike trips. It also syncs with a “Foot Pod” and tracks speed and distance of the run workouts. All workouts are saved to the watch and can be uploaded to a computer in seconds with a maneuverable and graphical output for easy analysis. I’ll try to put a full review together in the near future.

Here’s my poolside review.

And a video of the player in action.

So as you can see from the review we think Finis is pretty awesome. They’ve wonderfully offered to lend us extra players if we wear them during our 15 hour swim across the English Channel. I suppose it’ll be the first time that anyone has had the opportunity to rock-out during a channel crossing.

[UPDATE] The Channel Swimming and Piloting Association (the org that certifies channel swims) voted in 2007 to ban MP3 players on official swims of the English Channel. I think the Association’s decision is overly nostalgic, but c’est la vie. At least I can use the Finis during my training swims. The vote from the association’s minutes looks like this:

MOTION 3 “The use of MP3 players shall not be allowed by the swimmer while swimming during any English Channel swim attempt” Prop. – D Carter, sec. – C. Golding. 15 for, 2 against, 3 abstain – carried)

Step 1: Organize a fan base.
20 minutes on the telephone.
Lauren asked her good friend MacLean to run with her. My Ironman friend Jonathan volunteered to ride bikes with me to setup refreshment stations and guide the runners.

Step 2: Buy supplies.
20 minutes shopping time.
1- Cap gun & noise makers
2- GU hydration/gels & dixie cups. 1 gel + 2 cups per 45-minutes
3- Face sponges (not from the sink!) in discarded Chinese delivery food container
4- Chalk for making sidewalk cheers
5- Knee brace, just in case
6- Finish line: orange crape paper, collapsible tent pole, 72 balloons, scotch tape
7- Map of event, printed using Google Pedometer. Here’s our link.
8- Ice cream for post-race party
9- Replica runner “chips”, to mimic the RFID tracking chips used at organized races

Step 3: Build finish line
2 hours assembly time.
Blow-up balloons. Find a flexible pole that works (I used a tent pole from a Mountain Hardwear tent because it is light and has a natural bend at the top). Scotch tape balloons to the pole. The result is pretty fabulous and eye-catching.

Step 4: Start runners, guide runners, refresh runners and CHEER!
2 hours during the race.
The race began with a cap gun and a crape paper. Jonathan and I biked ahead and every mile or so offered refreshments and cheers. We had water and GU hydration juices. At mile 8 we offered GU and sponges to wash the salt from their faces. At the end of the race we held the balloon finish line and they broke through the crepe paper. It was all pretty rad.

Good Cheers: “Yeaaah Lauren & MacLean!”, “Looking good!”, “Yippee!”. The louder the better.

Bad Cheers (aka. cheers to avoid): “You are almost there!”, “Right around the corner!”, “Just about finished!”, “You are not going to make it!”, and booing, hissing, or cursing.

Step 5: Host post-race party
We kicked it Ben & Jerry’s style.
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In the end… Lauren and McLean finished the half-mile with 9:24 minute miles, which is pretty fast! The whole thing cost around $20 ($35 including the ice cream), which is less than the entrance price for most half-marathons.

Do different… If I had it to do over again I’d involve music from a boom box and bib numbers.

Upside… It was almost more fun to host our own event than to participate in an organized event. Organizing our own meant we could pick the best route and the best weather day.

Full resolution images are here.

10 tips to liven-up your (crusty old) swim workout:

1. Listen to music while swimming. We like the waterproof mp3 player called Swimp3.
2. Eat a mid-swim snack. I swim harder if I have a delicious mid-swim snack. We like bananas and Gu Energy Gel.
3. Bring toys. Is it just me or are swim hand paddles a ton of fun?! I feel like a speed racer when I use them. We like the stuff from Tyr.
4. Count your laps. We like this simple little $24 lap counter from SportCount.
5. Vary that workout. Here are 50 workouts to test out.
6. Bring a friend. I swim harder and longer if Adam, Lauren or Jenn is swimming with me. Or, if you’re me you can even be so lucky as to meet your girlfriend in the pool!
7. Join a team. I joined the Penn Masters Swim Club and is has been a lot of fun.
8. Go outside. There are great outdoor swim places near Philadelphia. Be mindful of the water temperatures.
9. Get a coach. Improving your technique gives you something to think about. We sought advice from the Head Coach of Penn’s Varsity Swim Team.
10. Be held accountable. Tell your significant other and family how you plan to train. They will keep you on track. I can’t tell you how many times this has been the only thing that got me out of bed at 630AM!

Hope this helps. Have a good workout!

Here is one particular email that stood out to us from a well-seasoned open-water swimmer. It was so good we had to post it for every one to benefit. It’s well worth your time to read it to the end.

Email Excerpt.

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ADAM & NEAL –
Fascinating project! I’m sure you’re having a blast coordinating your efforts and travel plans. You’ve certainly captured my imagination with all the possibilities….

Here’s one swimmer’s thought about escort pilots in the English Channel: IT BARELY MATTERS WHO YOU CHOOSE.

ANY of the certified English Channel pilots will steer you across. You could swim it a dozen times, under each one of them, and discover the
success of your crossing relies… upon you.

It’s up to you to be the successful swimmer. If you’ve trained properly, acclimated to cold water, learned to consume enough fuel while treading water, learned how to keep that fuel in your stomach while floating in a horizontal position, and built your open water endurance, you’ll be able to swim the English Channel. No matter which certified pilot you select. In fact, they’ll be thrilled to have 2 swimmers who’ve done the arduous — but necessary — training. Their job becomes relatively simple: Pick the right day and guide the swimmer from point A to B.

Therefore a “successful swim” relies 100% on the swimmer’s shoulders. Literally and figuratively. Likewise, a swimmer who doesn’t make it must take a look in the mirror. There is NO ONE else to blame.

Your pilot’s fee goes toward their knowledge of negotiating the currents and choosing the proper day to make an attempt. The tidal currents are strong, but your pilot will account for this as s/he guides you. Again, any of the dozen English Channel pilots are fully capable. They are well-trained and experienced in handling swimmers in the open water. With negotiating the shipping lanes. And knowing when to “pull” a swimmer.

Swimmers don’t make it across for 5 reasons. Illness (nausea), Injury (shoulder – cramps), Hypothermia (core body temp drops leading to
confusion), Exhaustion, and a collapse of mental fortitute. In other words, THEY QUIT.

***
I encourage you to pursue your dreams. I think they’re magnificent. So place that deposit with one of the Dover pilots – NOW. Actually you’ll need two pilots for two swimmers. Or one pilot escorting you on separate days. Then, for the next 6 months, don’t think about your pilot(s) — not even once.

Instead, focus on these 5 marathon swim training essentials. I trust you know how to train for a multi-day 1200-mile cycle… I am clueless
there. But I know a few things about how to prepare for a long swim:

PACE– It’s imperative you swim your first mile at the same speed as your final mile. Your pilot steers based upon a steady pace. If it deteriorates, so does your chance at success. Like a triathlon, your goal is to conserve your energy! The currents near France are the worst. You’ll need to muster even more effort to succeed in those final miles. MANY swimmers don’t and fail.

COLD– Hypothermia is a very serious issue in the English Channel and official crossings are without a wetsuit. It is REQUIRED you swim non-stop for at least 6 hours in 60-degree water well in advance of your attempt. There is no skipping this “test swim”. It is for your safety!
Some marathon swimmers “grow” additional layers of insulation by over-eating. This could become a challenge, considering you’re training
for a long-distance cycle and marathon swim. Still, try to carry as much excess weight as you can tolerate. Skinny swimmers usually don’t make it, unless they’re super-fast. To avoid hypothermia, you’ll need to train months in frigid waters. Eventually, your body acclimates and protects against painful & potentially deadly drops in core body temperatures. The warmest the Channel becomes is 64 degrees (Late August). The cold days are 58 degrees (early July & October).

FUEL– Marathon swimming brings a unique challenge for fueling. Not only are you tossed on the waves but a swimmer’s body position causes your stomach & mouth to be on the same horizontal plane. It’s very simple for the fuels you pour “down” your mouth to travel back the WRONG direction. Vomiting is commonplace. Therefore, your fuel must taste decent both directions. Find an endurance fuel drink. Train on it as if your life depended upon it. Like a triathlon, an English Channel swim is as much an eating competition as an athletic event.

FEED– Different category of the same problem. Swimmers can’t touch the boat and supporters can’t touch the swimmers. So FEEDING becomes a unique problem to marathon swimming. How will your support team deliver your fuel from the boat to water level? Some use rope tied around a bottle. Others use a basket attached to a pole. I have used a fishing pole. My liter bottle, half-filled with fuel, is lowered to water level. As I chug and drift with the currents, the fishing line is free to unfurl. As soon as I finish, I drop my Nalgene bottle in the water and my support member reels her in. Like any endurance event, quickly feeding is essential. The currents are not working in your favor in the English Channel. Every minute wasted while feeding is another 100+ meters of swimming. Over the course of a dozen hours, this becomes a serious disadvantage.

TRAIN– Nearly 1000 swimmers have crossed the English Channel. I suspect they’ve done it 1000 different ways. Find your path. Tailor your days, weeks, months to your school schedule and lifestyle. Make and KEEP your priorities. I am a proponent of swimming the “Channel distance” every single week. I suggest 40,000 meters. In addition, once a month, you’ll want to choose one day to swim non-stop an increasing distance. Starting this month, until a few weeks before your scheduled crossing. Make that final training swim at least 16-miles
straight. Ideally, under similar conditions: cold, open water, escort boat with fuel and feeding device. We’re in November, and I’m guessing you’ll swim July 2008. That requires 4-miles non-stop this month, 6 miles in Dec, 8 in January, 10 Feb, 12 March, 14 April, 16 miles in May. June you’ve started your cycling challenge. July cross the Channel!

Does your February 10-mile training swim become your REQUIRED “test swim”? That’s a brilliant way to double-dip. IF you spend at least 6 hours in 60-degree water. I cannot stress enough: This REQUIRED test swim is for your safety. Hypothermia is likely in the English Channel. Do not discount its effect. It is potentially deadly.

I hope this helps. You’re asking the right questions. You’re obviously smart enough and strong enough to surmount the challenge you’ve laid before you.
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What Motivates Us

We asked each other what we wanted from an adventure:

• I said I wanted it to have a defined goal, which basically meant it couldn’t just be a hike. I like things that are measurable and have defined ends. I like the sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing a project. Mountains are pretty good that way. The summit is the goal, so you know when you’re done. And you know when to celebrate.

• Adam said he wanted a project that let him see the world at his own pace. I got the sense that his travels with our nation’s military allowed him to see the world, but he didn’t get to choose when he came and went (and I’m projecting here, so it might not be totally accurate). I’ll addend this blog story after I ask him if this is how he actually feels about his military travels.

Swimming the English Channel

We both liked the idea of swimming the English Channel. It is a 21 mile swim in 56-degree water. Swimming the channel traces its history back to 1875 when Matthew Webb (a naval captain). Wearing a wetsuit is considered “unclassy”, as is taking more than 20 hours to complete the swim. Only 811 people have swum the channel.

Biking 1000 Miles

Somehow we got to thinking that swimming the channel was a good start, but couldn’t be the whole adventure. Firstly, it’s only 20 hours. Secondly, it didn’t fulfill Adam’s desire to “see the world”.

I’ve always had a personal fascination with Edinburgh. It is such a green city, and the home of the world’s first medical school. I knew I wanted to visit it again. So I asked Adam if adding a hugely long bicycle tour to our expedition would be a clever idea. He thought it sounded crazy, and fun.

We were almost all the way there…

Naming Our Baby

Adam noticed that the northern most part of Scotland was at the 58th Latitude, and Paris was at the 48th Latitude. That was 10 Degrees of Latitude. We thought to ourselves, wow that is pretty cool.
Together we decided to name our expedition 10 Degrees of Latitude. The name stuck.

10 Degrees of Latitude visits the 7 Continents

As some of you might know I set out a number of years ago to climb the tallest mountain on all seven continents. I finished this goal in 2005, after climbing Mount Everest. It was an amazing journey, and one that I would love to repeat, with a twist (and with Adam).

Every year 10 Degrees of Latitude will be visiting a new continent. Our first continent is Europe in 2008. Every year we will invite more participants to join us in our journey. We will raise money for important causes on each continent, visit with locals, and experience the world’s cultures first hand. Join us!

One Last Thought

It is fascinating to think we will be traversing distances that are so vast that they are visible on a map. Makes me shiver.