How do I swim the English channel? training tips please.?

Question

I have always been a go getter and now I want to swim the channel! however i'm not the strongest swimmer at the mo but want to attempt it in two years, I am dedicated and will train every day if need be so:

Do you know any swim workouts? how did the unfunny one from little britain go about training for it? any useful websites for training drills etc?

Thanks guys it will be for charity so wish me luck, cheers

Answer 1

Bloody hell Mr Walliams, it's taken a hell of a long time for your question to come through . . well done tho'

Good luck tho :)

Answer 2

If you don't have any experience swimming open water you need to get some! Swimming and training in the pool are useful but for this endeavour you need some serious open water training!

I'd get a coach if I were you. Or join a local Masters team or an open water club. Without proper professional guidance you're putting yourself in a very vulnerable position! You'll need a boat and a spotter, a trainer, a nutritionist and plenty of moral support as well.

Good luck buddy!

Answer 3

Swimming the English channel not only involves being in shape and being able to swim that distance but remember: the water temperature is very cold and you'll also likely have some seaweed to deal with as well and a lot of things can go wrong during the swim.

As for the training, you're going to have to focus on long distance stuff obviously. Don't waste your time swimming 100 meter sets (since your swimming the English channel where they use the metric system I'll give you measurements in it but I'm not too familiar with the conversions) during your training either. You can use a kickboard and pull buoy but I would cut down on them a little bit since you really just need to be constantly swimming and able to constantly swim without stopping and being comfortable doing it. I'd advise you to do flip turns as these will greatly increase your body's oxygen retention levels and will likely help you in the long run in the cold water.

As for the elements in the channel itself you're not only going to have to plan for what to wear and everything but you're also going to need to be prepared for an emergency. You should look into this stuff as soon as you can and since you'll be crossing a major body of water you'll also likely need permits since ship traffic must be diverted to make sure nothing bad happens and the planning of this stuff can go on for a long time and plans like this might even be changed on swim day. You'll need a boat to go alongside you with an emergency crew and you'll also need a good reliable suit as well. Before you swim the channel you should swim with the suit that you're going to wear and check it for any uncomfortable feelings or anything that you feel is poking you or might upset you over the long run.

As for other miscelleneous stuff you'll need you should also learn to be able to cut off water intake for a while and then suddenly start drinking again. Things like this can ruin English channel swimmers because you're just swimming for a long time. You should also learn to pull a Yukon sled dog: the world is your bathroom. You should also have some sort of communications system set up with your ship and yourself should something suddenly come up that needs to be dealt with.

Answer 4

Your brave if you want to swim the length of the channel in those freezing cold waters.

I suggest going to your local swimming pool, and swimming as many lengths as you can. Build it up gradually over time. This will help you to control your breathing.

Go to the gym and do some workout on your arms and legs. You need to stregthen these muscles.

And finally, you need to do some training in the sea, so go and get in the sea and get a feel of the water.

Answer 5

I ran my first marathon on 3 weeks of instructing. Longest i had run before the marathon replaced right into a 13 miler in approximately 2 hours. I experienced approximately three times a week at approximately 20 miles/week. Ran the full marathon in approximately 5 hours. i replaced into working lower back 5 days after the marathon. i actually enjoyed the 1st 17-18 miles, however the previous couple of miles have been very painful. Your final 5 miles would be very stressful nevertheless. So that's defintiely attainable. no longer recommened, yet attainable.

Answer 6

Ok then:
1. Train daily for about 7-8 hours for about 6 months build your fitness and visit the swimming pool REGUARLY
2. Join a state of the art gym
3.Try to do it for charity maybe get mates to sponser you
4. Expect one hell of a swim
Hope this helps become a legend! :)

Answer 7

dont over traine iy is not good but I would do at least four or five workouts a week you know when to stop dont over do it and when you ar swimming I recomend rubbing vaseline or something all over your body it is a good insulator

Answer 8

You could look to David Walliams for inspiration and tips.It's a hard slog, and I hope you do well.You will need to train a lot, and often.
http://www.sportrelief.com/superswim/

Answer 9

Definitely get a coach, to make sure you are training correctly. It doesn't cost much either - check here:

www.trainingsmartonline.com

Answer 10

try swimming in the sea on your local beach, you need to climatize for the cold water.