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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To tell want to tell a load of strangers...

121 replies

edwinbear · 03/09/2017 22:52

About the fact I swam the English Channel as part of a relay yesterday!! Lifetime goal, which my Dad (who died in 2008) always encouraged me to do. And I did it!

OP posts:
UrsulaPandress · 03/09/2017 22:53

Wow. Go you. Congratulations.

MrsBungle · 03/09/2017 22:54

Wow, what an achievement! 👍 Well done you.

allegretto · 03/09/2017 22:54

Wow! Tell us more.

Fuckoffee · 03/09/2017 22:55

Congratulations, what an awesome achievement!

RegisterNow · 03/09/2017 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DramaAlpaca · 03/09/2017 22:55

Well done! No way could I do that, hats off to you.

MrJohnsonAteMyCustard · 03/09/2017 22:55

Bloody hell, that's brilliant!

Hope it wasn't too cold Grin

PatriciaHolm · 03/09/2017 22:56

I'd be shouting that from the rooftops! Well
Done!

ladygracie · 03/09/2017 22:56

That's brilliant - well done. You are awesome.

Penfold007 · 03/09/2017 22:57

No!!!!!! Well done, tell us more.

SecretLimonadeDrinker · 03/09/2017 22:58

Huge congratulations, what an amazing achievement 🥂

Maelstrop · 03/09/2017 22:58

Omg, that is one hell of an achievement! Bloody well done, OP! Was it freezing? I'd love to hear more about this. How the heck did you swim so far?!

reallyyesreally · 03/09/2017 22:58

Amazing. Well done!

antimatter · 03/09/2017 22:59

Well done! I would never.be able to do it!!!

OliviaStabler · 03/09/2017 22:59

Well done!

Whitecurrants · 03/09/2017 22:59

Amazing - go you!

Original poster
edwinbear · 03/09/2017 23:00

Two years of training, 10km a week, 3 hour swims in the pool on a Friday night after work and driving to Dover for cold water training every weekend. We tried for the first time 3 weeks ago and had an accident on the boat, which meant we had to turn back after 4 hours with one of our team fitting and vomiting. My wonderful DH has had to do more than his fair share of looking after the kids whilst I train and we couldn't book a holiday for this Summer because I was in standby to swim when the weather was good. And we did it!

OP posts:
WonderWhippet · 03/09/2017 23:03

Well done. We need more I do though please e.g. how long have you trained for it, was it freezing, did you use lard on your body, were you too knackered to feel elated at the end? ... I'm fascinated, it's simply brilliant. Flipping well done!

WonderWhippet · 03/09/2017 23:03

X post Smile

SaltMarshPirate · 03/09/2017 23:04

Bloody well done! What an achievement for your whole family, especially for you. What a strong mindset you must have had, I grumble getting up for the school run.
You celebrate what you did.

Original poster
edwinbear · 03/09/2017 23:08

It is bloody cold - we start swimming in the sea in May when it's about 12 degrees. It was about 18 yesterday so if you've done the training it was OK. We were a team of 6, everyone does an hour each in rotation, the first 2 swims are OK, by the third you are tired, hungry and not quite warmed up. But you jump in regardless. You get stung by jellyfish, swim alongside ferries and oil tankers - and it's brilliant when it's done. We had a 16 year old and 17 year old on our team and they were incredible.

OP posts:
GrockleBocs · 03/09/2017 23:08

Wow! A lot of hard work and a big achievement. I used to swim competitively but I couldn't cope with long distance sea swimming.
Star

nameohnameohname · 03/09/2017 23:11

Well done, what a massive achievement!

Original poster
edwinbear · 03/09/2017 23:13

Well done. We need more I do though please e.g. how long have you trained for it, was it freezing, did you use lard on your body, were you too knackered to feel elated at the end? ... I'm fascinated, it's simply brilliant. Flipping well done!

Lard, is an urban myth. Swimmers use Vaseline to stop chaffing, if you swim for a long time your swimsuit straps can rub and make you sore. It's not to prevent the cold. We were all knackered at the end but managed to share a bottle of prosecco on the boat, of which we all had half a sip then fell asleep on deck whilst the boat captain took us back to Dover.Grin

OP posts:
WhichJob · 03/09/2017 23:13

Congratulations! It was one of my childhood dreams to swim the Channel but I'm not sure I fancy it now, I'm much less hardy these days! I'm in awe of you all.