1000lb = 453kg ≈ 5RM: 405kg total

• Deadlift 165kg x5 ≈ 1RM: 185kg
• Squat 140kg x5 ≈ 1RM: 157.5kg
• Bench 100kg x5 ≈ 1RM: 112.5kg

• 2 easy runs/swims per week
• 1 VO2 max run per week
• Limit processed food

• Weekly ski conditioning session on a Thursday

During the 10 weeks, I ran 20 times, strength trained 16 times, and swam twice. I fell a bit short of my goal, partly due to having to take off a week with flu followed by norovirus.

Generally, I enjoyed having a slightly looser structure focused around 2 strength sessions, 2 easy aerobic sessions, and 1 hard aerobic session. Towards the end of the 10 weeks, I ramped up the frequency of strength training and decreased cardio slightly.

I made good progress on my strength training, setting new PRs in deadlift (3x5@155kg) and squat (3x3@130kg), and an annual record in bench (3x3 @ 100kg).

I built my swim volume throughout the 6 weeks of training and more frequently swam in cold open water. With two weeks to go, I came down to Dover for a practise swim in the harbour, which surprised me with how well adapted to the cold I felt and how easy I found swimming for over an hour. My overall base fitness and training effort, particularly focusing on swim technique, had clearly helped.

On 11th June at just after midnight, we boarded Rowena, the support boat that would run alongside the swimmer, and set sail for Samphire Hoe - a beach between Dover and Folkestone that all channel swimmers depart from. We arrived about an hour later and Jack jumped into the water, with just two flashing lights adorned for us to follow in the pitch black. The sea was relatively calm but a few of us had already started to feel seasick and Frazer quickly became the first to succumb to the rocking boat.

At 3:15am, it was my turn to swim. I jumped into the dark water and swapped with Frazer who had taken the second leg. The seasickness had become so severe that I was actually quite glad to be getting in. The swimming itself was quite steady, with the only complication being having to constantly sight the boat to my right, meaning I was restricted to only breathing to my right - something I'm not used to. The swims were enjoyable, and only became challenging after 45 minutes as the cold, tiredness and boredom set in. I encountered a few jellyfish on my swims but wasn't stung badly enough to notice. I was lucky enough to be swimming at maritime twilight so had the pleasure of watching the first bit of light brighten up the sea. After my first hour was up, I clambered back onto deck, tried to dry myself off as best I could and wrap myself in 5 layers + a sleeping bag. My stomach was incapable of holding anything down, so even black tea and a bite of Snickers proved too much and saw me ejecting the contents of my stomach over the side. I rested as best I could for 3 hours while the other guys swam and, before I knew it, it was my turn to dive back.

My second swim was much like my first, although now it was daylight and I was swimming across the separation zone - the central reservation of the Channel seperating the two shipping lanes. I could sense the tide had turned against me and, although I was exerting a similar amount of effort, I didn't make nearly as much progress as my first leg. The water had begun to warm slightly so it took longer to feel the cold, but I noticed tiredness kicking in earlier in this leg due to the lack of food.

My third and final swim started as the French coast began to come into clear view, albeit still a few hours swimming away. Again I noticed a perceptible change in the tide and, after just 20 minutes of swimming, I'd already travelled further than the prior hour. Despite still having been unable to consume any food or fluid, I didn't struggle with energy. For the first time, however, after about 40 minutes of swimming, I felt strong pangs of hunger and began thinking of the peanut butter and jam sandwich I'd be able to eat when back on board.

After 13 hours and 8 minutes, we landed on French soil (pebbles). Frazer was the swimmer that crossed the proverbial line and, after a quick celebratory photo, was brought back to the boat and off we motored back to Blighty.

In total I covered 3.8km, 2.8km and 5.5km across my three swims, with no difference in perceived effort or heart rate. I thoroughly enjoyed the swimming itself, along with the ceremony that inevitably comes with a challenge like this, but the seasickness (and creeping tiredness) had taken its toll. The swim has made me even more interested in similar challenges, and I've already started to look at swimming the breadth of Lake Geneva, but I will avoid anything that requires me to spend time on a boat being buffeted by wind and waves.

https://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/swim/5710/the-remaining-three

Sadly, I did not come close to achieving this goal. I started out well by swimming ~7k across 3 sessions in week 1, but picked up a rotator cuff injury that made me reign the swim volume back significantly. This was the correct decision given the circumstances but has meant my swim-specific training is behind where I’d like it to be. This, combined with my return to work, has meant I only averaged one swim per week throughout the block. Not ideal!

I did, however, start open water swimming. Getting out into Sparth (my local reservoir) has been good training and a great family activity. Despite the cold, Laura also made it in for a quick dip.

I finish this block with a month until the Channel. Accepting that I don’t have the luxury of training daily, my focus now is on sessions that will directly prepare me for it. This means as much open water training as I can fit in, and lots of ‘long’ intervals in the pool.

Similar story to above. The rotator cuff injury really impacted my strength training. It’s (un)surprising how many lifts require shoulder stability. As a result, I switched my focus to just maintaining strength and using the gym as a way to get a quick, effective workout in, rather than an area of progression.

My squat came on nicely this block, culminating in 4x5@110kg (probably equivalent to 3x3@120kg). Being able to use my office gym also means I get access to higher quality weights, and it helps when you’re not worried about the bar snapping mid-squat.

The other lifts were fine but didn’t progress notably. I didn’t MP/OHP at all in this block but will re-introduce it going forwards.

With the other 2 goals largely being failures, I was at least able to maintain my general fitness. We purchased a running buggy in April which, for the first time, has allowed me to simultaneously train and look after Lottie. In early April, my run volumes reached the dizzying heights of over 35km in a week. Sadly, cycling is not a priority at the moment—particularly given how time-intensive it can be.

Garmin thinks my VO2 max has fallen sharply, because it doesn’t realize my runs now include lugging a child in a buggy with me, but my perception is I’m either as fit or fitter than I was 6 weeks ago.

The start of this block coincided with 20 weeks to go until the Channel, so my main focus was to build swim endurance and fitness. I averaged swimming twice per week and lengthened the sessions & reps through the weeks. For example, my first swim of the block was 2.2 km with relatively short reps, and my penultimate pool swim was 3.4k with 5x500m as main set. I didn't swim as frequently as I would have liked (my aim was 3 times/week) but I was happy with my overall progress. Sessions & reps that felt hard in January were feeling easy by mid-March. I also met up with Frazer during this block for a bracing dip in Dosthill Quarry; we didn’t swim far but bloody hell was it chilly.

To 'qualify' as a participant in a channel swim relay you must prove you can swim for 2 hours in 15 degree water prior to the end of March. I attempted this in Puerto Pollensa on 18th March. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve started a ‘challenge’ and genuinely been unsure on whether I could complete it; exciting but probably reveals I could have prepared better. One of my father’s favourite mottos was running through my mind on a loop ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’.

I surprised myself slightly when the swim went really well and, after initially finding the water a bit cold, I got into a great rhythm. I was swimming solo, with Laura opting to stay at the villa with Lottie, so I was conscious of safety and chose to swim between two points (roughly 1km apart), close to the shore and with a swim buoy. I found the swim itself relatively easy from a fitness perspective and didn’t find it particularly taxing either muscularly or aerobically. I almost forgot I was swimming a few times, with the front crawl stroke becoming an unconscious repetitive pattern and my mind switching to auto-pilot. I did struggle slightly with chafing on the outside of my armpit, and could have done a better job of managing hydration and nutrition. I, foolishly, didn’t bring any water and only had a banana for food - which was inside the swim buoy so inaccessible. Generally though, I feel very positive about swimming longer distances now and it lifted my confidence levels significantly. I have even started daydreaming of a solo channel swim but, like eating an elephant, we must do this one bite at a time.

Sadly, one of my fellow relay participants broke his neck this week and, although seems to be recovering well, is now ruled out of the swim. This leaves 3 of us in the relay now - a much stiffer challenge than when we had 5!

Verdict: 8/10 - achieved goal but didn’t train as consistently as I’d have liked. In future, I will get better at planning in sessions; if I want to swim thrice per week, book it in the diary.

With such a clear swim goal, my other training took a back seat but, as I don’t want to lose overall fitness, I still kept training up in running biking and lifting. I had a couple of weeks where I had to back off training due to illness but, but on the whole, I was able to maintain a respectable level of training.

I aimed to be more consistent about the purpose of sessions, especially focussing on having 1 or 2 clear workouts per week. These were predominantly VO2 max sessions on the bike or running. If you believe what Garmin claims re VO2 Max, I maintained 60 ml/kg/min across the block.

I am slightly concerned that my 2 periods of illness immediately followed hard sessions, implying I may not be able to handle the load (even though I perceive the sessions to be manageable).

I was also broadly able to maintain my strength standards throughout the block but struggled towards the end due to 2 successful bouts of illness and a 2 week holiday leaving me out of the gym.

Verdict: 7/10 - data tells my I achieved my goal but my perception is I slightly regressed on run & strength

After a fairly heavy bulk in Q4 last year which saw me increase my bodyweight from 84kg to 94kg, I wanted to drop back under 90kg to improve overall body comp and help a bit with my cardio. Apart from being slightly more mindful about only eating when hungry, really the only change I made here was being intentional about minimising intake of processed food. As you can see from the weight data below, this made a pretty immediate and significant difference. I also subjectively feel like I’m in the best physique shape of my life.

I also had a BUPA screening this block which includes a measure/estimation of my body fat at 13.8% (down c5% from 2 years ago).

Verdict: 9/10 - achieved goal without significant compromise.