The final push…
Saturday
So the time had finally come for 10+10 (10 hours on Saturday; 10 on Sunday). This was effectively back-to-back channel crossings for a fast swimmer – or 75% in my case! Up at 4:15am on a weekend; depart at 4:45; arrive in Hythe and change at 5:45; enter water at 6am. Then down the coast past the red hat, the hotel, to the 2nd steps and back. 10 times and you are done.
The first couple of hours went well (helped by a contraband feed!). The weather was cloudy but the wind low. The tide was flowing against us for the swim to the steps but then was behind us on the way home. Until 9:30am when it reversed, tempting swimmers to go beyond the steps but then forcing them to crawl back along the shore for a feed.
The Beach Crew, on fine form as always (joined by Sarah from 11am), kept my feeds interesting by requiring each feed to be in a different vessel: a plastic cup; a mug; a milk container; a large drinking bottle; a tea pot; a flower pot; a children’s drinking cup; and a dogs bowl! It was a pink theme – in honour of Breast Cancer and Suva’s new colours – so all the treats were suitably pink themed from pink wafer biscuits, to pink pig sweets, to unfrozen raspberries (a bit tart was the swimmer consensus!).
All would have been well except for the jelly fish. On the 9th hour circuit, I got stung everywhere: back of the neck; right elbow; back of the calf. My annual allowance of swear words was used as the feeling of a massive electric shock were followed by continuous extreme irritation. The first time across the neck I thought that I had been caught by a fish hook from one of the sea fishermen. The jelly fish quite ruined what would otherwise have been a very successful swim – and then went on to itch all night, only abating under a cold wet towel wrapped tightly around my arm….
Sunday
We had stayed down in the harbour front Premier Inn to be as close as possible to the water…meaning a 5:15am alarm call, a quick porridge, shower and shave, then down to the beach. There was a group of swimmers keen to get in early…some for long swims, some just so they could be out early! Catharine Colwill said that she would join me for the first 6 hours but we were without Emma who was out with Kevin Mullarkey for his solo swim.
The shoulders felt tired but fine. I started slowly to let them warm up. The tide was way out making the harbour shallow and with no wind the water is flat and transparent. So we could see the bottom, the sand and the reefs (such as they are!). It also meant we whistled around the harbour. After 1 hour at 7am, I had a sneaky chocolate “contraband” feed in honour of Kevin “Fudge packer” Mullarkey and soon the 8am feed was upon us.
Sarah ably signed swimmers in and feeds returned to a normal pattern. At the 3 hour feed, I requested a full meat-free breakfast…but was told by the new officious “Signer-In” where to go – and I was duly disappointed to receive nothing but a regular feed at 4 hours. Although by hour #5, they had taken pity on me and Sarah arrived from the shops bearing a cheese and onion bap, along with tea for Cathy. Hour #6 produced another cheese and olive sandwich, served in my now traditional dog’s bowl with a full beer tankard of CMP!
As we swam in for Cathy to complete her 6 hours, I bumped into a full unopened pack of Burger Bites floating in the harbour. I attached these to my goggles and swam them in to the Beach Crew. Given how starving I was, I took this as evidence of a God. Given it was beef flavoured Burger Bites and I am vegetarian, I also concluded that s/he had a warped sense of humour!!
During the hours, we had already experienced a few jelly stings but it got really bad for hours 7 & 8 with stings on my left arm to balance the right; right calf; and then most painfully of all right down my face stinging nose and lips. It was like playing Russian Roulette with a 1/6 probability of being stung each length. We varied the track from the buoys (lots of stings) to the shore (just as many stings) to the middle (less stings…until in the 10th hour a jelly wrapped itself around my right wrist as a parting gift!). Only my left leg remained unstung!
Other than the expletives, my main concern was that they would itch through my long flight to Perth when I hoped to recover from 10+10. A visit to Sevenoaks Minor Injuries resulted in a somewhat surreal conversation: Julian: “Can you tell me where I might find an out-of-hours pharmacy?“; Receptionist [looking at my tan]: “First I have to take your details. Did you get stung abroad on holiday?“; “No“; “Did you get stung in Sevenoaks?“; “No, I was swimming in Dover“; “So why are you in Sevenoaks not Dover?“; “Because I live in Sevenoaks and was hoping you could just tell me where there is an out-of-hours Pharmacy to get some ointment or spray?“; “I am afraid I can’t answer that – you will have to speak to a nurse! She should be with you in 30-60 minutes“; “Okay…thanks but I have to leave now for my flight to Australia!“. Looking at the stings all down my arms, I am certain she thought I was mad flying in that condition – although I am sure they have had stranger in Minor Injuries on a Sunday!
Luckily a trip to the Airport Boots and I smelt beautifully of “eau d’ammonia”. The itching declined…and I was on my way to a flat bed. This was one flight that I would have no trouble sleeping right through!