Liverpool FC Forum

Two weeks ago I swam the 'Clean Half' Marathon Swim: 15kms from Stanley on the southern end of Hong Kong island round a headland then up the other side into Deep Water Bay. Unknown to us innocents there were to be stronger than normal tidal currents for at least half distance after the recent full moon, with an ebb as fast as some of us could swim.


The race started well, 2k to the first buoy then a 4.5k leg down to the base of the headland where large satellite dishes helped visual spotting. The 1k swim round the bottom of the headland was expected to be rough but fortunately wasn't though I was nearly hit by a speedboat accompanying a relay team as they picked their swimmer out of the water (all looking at the swimmer, no one looking out front).

The problems started as we turned up the 4.5k leg on the west side of the headland into a strong current. In short it was a brutal swim, stroking as hard as possible whilst aware of little progress, for 2-3 hours. I eventually made it to an island after which we'd get out of the main ebb however I couldn't round it, the tidal stream was too fast. A terrible realisation I couldn't beat the current and was going to have to stop. My paddlers would hear nothing of it, urging me on. I was joined by another swimmer, equally stuck and together we took heart and pushed through. 'Only 3k to go!' I was told, 'Another hour+ of mechanical windmilling into a lesser tidal stream' thought I.

That 3k was drudgery. I knew I'd finish but still had to go through the motions. The highlight was passing a 50 metre motor yacht with a gorgeous dollybird on deck. My paddler shouted across what I was was doing and she started to jump up and down and cheer which very nearly put me off my stroke. And then I was walking out of the water, finished. I anticipated doing the swim in 5.30 to 6.00 hours but it took 7.03.48 for a measly 15k!! The tide had cost me an hour+ and it felt like it.

In summary:
A great day, my planning worked out, correct feeding despite going to 7 hours and the weight/gym work I'd done made it possible to keep battling the current. Downside, I wish I was 30 years younger and 30 kilos lighter! I came up with the word 'brutal' during the race and I maintain that, arriving at the tidal gate when I did meant I had to do it the hard way. It was a necessary eye opener to realise marathon swimming is not all flat water and weak currents which also highlighted the importance of a safety paddler - lesson learned.
++
That's why I don't watch tv!

There's keeping fit and there's self abuse, not sure which one you were aiming for   

More seriously, well done Reg, as you said it sounds fking brutal !

Wow, takes some doing that Reg! That's a long, long way to swim in open water. Personally I wouldn't dip my toe in to any tropical ocean never mind swim 15k's (I went the pictures in 1976 to see Jaws  )

Woof, believe me it is self abuse. I did a 10k swim back in July but 15k was far, far harder, it's the running equivalent of 70k. It takes some training though, six days a week, twice on two of those days (gym at lunch, swim in the evening). I did many 8-10k training swims which now makes a 10k race seem rather tame!

The reason I like it though is there's no hills...... 

Reg » Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:22 am wrote:Woof, believe me it is self abuse. I did a 10k swim back in July but 15k was far, far harder, it's the running equivalent of 70k. It takes some training though, six days a week, twice on two of those days (gym at lunch, swim in the evening). I did many 8-10k training swims which now makes a 10k race seem rather tame!

The reason I like it though is there's no hills...... 

No mate... no hills...

Just sharks and jelly fish...

That's pretty impressive mate. I consider myself fit but I doubt I'd be able to endure that.

It's 50% training and 50% in the mind.   The latter is why folks might pack in mid race, rarely a lack of training.

impressive that, reg. well done.

over the last couple of years i've been turned my old occasional jogging outings into mountain running. i'm up to marathon distances now with about 7000m of combined climb and descent. i can do it in just under 9 hours and its bloody tough. but swimming though... blurgh!! i'll keep the hills thanks. i swim in the sea regularly but i'm generally knackered after about 15 minutes. my technique (if i even have any) is probably rubbish but there's something about swimming that i just find exhausting, and trying to make headway against a current is just demoralising.

Good work Reginald, very impressive!

Use a boat next time, it'll be quicker, I assure you.

Hey Andy, well done mate, runners are even crazier than swimmers! My neighbour got bored with Ironman triathlons so now does 100k Ultra marathons, mostly cross country, hill marathons etc.. which to me is going over onto the dark side. He runs 30k before work, which y'know is a bit  '...hello...'   

He's done the 100k Blue Mountains cross country run twice which is as tough as hell, so steep there are 2-3,000 steps cut into the mountain side along the way. The first time was his first ultra and had to give up after 70k as he simply hadn't realised how tough the step section was going to be. He sat at the side of the road and cried his heart out (54 years old?) but went back this year and completed the full race. Loony. See the following   http://www.lazyrunner.com/australian-ultra-marathons

Swimming is not difficult, you have to glide. Pigs aren't good swimmers. Also a massive part is aerobic fitness, your heart and lungs have to be in top condition as swimming is about managing oxygen starvation. You can inhale twice a second running but swimming is a lot more restricted. My resting pulse is 42. I smoked 20 a day until the kids were born 12 years ago so there's hope for everyone.

Kenneth, you should be as fit as a butcher's dog living in your climate, if nowt else for chasing the totty!

What sports do others do?

look at it this way. swimming is monotonous. all you have is the slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, of your hands cutting into the water and nothing else really changes. the scenery is essentially the same and your there is nothing totake your mind of the exertion. road running is the same. all you have is the slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, of your feet hitting the tarmac, mile after mile after mile.

running in the mountains is great. over 45km you'll spend some time running over well worn tracks, then maybe you'll have a section of technical rocky scrambling, then maybe you'll descend a while through a beech forest with mud and twigs to negotiate, then maybe there's a 600m climb which ends up on a mountain crest at over 2000m. there's wild flowers, all kinds of birds, and cows and horses. you regularly get rewarded with the kinds of vies i have in my sig. the kms just fly by!! its true that after being on your feet for some hours already being faced with a long, steep climb is kind of tough, but you know there'll be a reward at the top of it.

Bloody hell Reg I was still buggered  reading your cycling exploits last time and now this
I stick to 20 km hikes in bush and hours snorkelling here in the south west of Oz even if the Great whites have taken a few more divers then normal in last couple of years

You're all absolutely bonkers as far as I am concerned 

It's a pain in the backside running on the football pitch, never mind running for running sake, fair play to you all though, takes real drive and determination to do stuff like that. If any of you want to do it for charity lymphoma and leukemia research is a good one 

Hoping to do a Marathon myself when I get out

Stu the Red » Fri Oct 31, 2014 10:30 am wrote:
It's a pain in the backside running on the football pitch,

you and mario have certain points of view in common then

andy_g » Thu Oct 30, 2014 4:49 pm wrote:look at it this way. swimming is monotonous. all you have is the slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, of your hands cutting into the water and nothing else really changes. the scenery is essentially the same and your there is nothing totake your mind of the exertion. road running is the same. all you have is the slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, of your feet hitting the tarmac, mile after mile after mile.

running in the mountains is great. over 45km you'll spend some time running over well worn tracks, then maybe you'll have a section of technical rocky scrambling, then maybe you'll descend a while through a beech forest with mud and twigs to negotiate, then maybe there's a 600m climb which ends up on a mountain crest at over 2000m. there's wild flowers, all kinds of birds, and cows and horses. you regularly get rewarded with the kinds of vies i have in my sig. the kms just fly by!! its true that after being on your feet for some hours already being faced with a long, steep climb is kind of tough, but you know there'll be a reward at the top of it.

Very eloquently put Andy, that is indeed the joy of running however I can't run anymore, my knees packed in years ago. I ran 5k yesterday and am in agony today.

Yes swimming is boring in that respect but the challenge is not. I couldn't just swim for the sake of it, I need a challenge so every time I swim in a pool or off a beach I have my latest  challenge swim in mind. So ploughing up and down picturing the swim in Hong Kong, imagining the problems, issues, the willpower needed to keep moving etc.. So you're right but the mental process is part of the training. I'd like to row the atlantic at some stage, another mind over matter jobby that would take the best part of 60-70 days. The missus has already refused to come with me.