Massive breakthrough, but also a massive amount of work. I spent all day going through responses to my post to the Channel Swimmers Google Group. I posted two questions – first, what cold water swim camp should I go to? and second, where should I live and train in England?
To all of the amazing people who responded to my questions – thank you!
I got about 30 (usually very detailed) responses, and it inspired me to do something that would have been really helpful from the beginning. I created a spreadsheet with different tabs for different aspects of my preparation so that now I have a one stop shop for my own Channel information. I was keeping notes in a word document (and in this blog) (oh, and on random sticky notes and pieces of paper) before, and the spreadsheet is a much more organized way to look at all of my information. And I’ll be posting the more organized parts of it – the best one being the swim camp comparison chart. I sooo wish I had had this back in November, instead of fumbling around in the dark.
I talked in person (over FB) to Ned Denison today – what a fantastic individual. I’m not sure it’s in the cards for me to live in Ireland and train with his group as he suggests, but maybe I’ll at least get a chance to go up there and swim with them. It’s too bad (though unsurprising) that his 2020 camp is full.
Speaking of organized Channel information, I want to give a shout out to Julian Critchlow’s blog, a really fun and in-depth look at English Channel swimming. Here’s my favorite page so far.
My brain is really happy about all of the responses, but emotionally* it is overwhelming… and I am definitely suffering from decision-making overload (which boat to keep, which camp to go to, where to live in England). And so expensive! There is a direct correlation for me between the expensiveness of a decision and how hard it is to make.
*I cringed while writing the word “emotionally,” but when I tried to edit it I realized that I do, in fact, have emotions. Sometimes. Don’t tell.
