For 9 months we have been doing nothing but focus on swimming The English Channel .focusing on the 19th and 20 th July 2011....as that is when the attemp will take place,Well that date is now only 6 days away..... .!!!! This is a short walk down memory lane as to what adventures we have been through as a team to get ready to Swim..enjoy...
November 2010 ( click to see all Big Ricks November blog archives )
(27/11/12).. its 6.30 Saturday Morning, its showing -5 in the Car, and its Snowing...!!
But Nothing will stop The Channel Training.!!
But Nothing will stop The Channel Training.!!
December 2011 click to see all Big Ricks December blog archives
Pauls short video on the 4/12/10...its a bit snowy
The 1st team training session took place at Walsall's Gala Swimming Baths..5 of the team braved the cold water and began the start of the long road to fitness and hopefully glory in 9 months time .!and after today's swim, the road is more like a motorway ..but we will get there one way or another.!!..( blog 20/11/10 )
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| Captain Cash already for 9 months of hard work 4/12/10 |
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| Ricks Got great support of an old mate from Walsall SC days Nick Gillingham ( dec 2010 ) |
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| Big Ricks Xmas Party January 2011click link to see All Big Ricks January blogs archives We have managed to do 4 ( 1 and 1/2 hour ) sessions this week, the extra session has been secured with the help of Perry Beaches Sutton Swim Squad who have very kindly given us time (and a lane) on Sunday afternoons' to train, so a 'Big Ricks Team' Thank You must go to Helen, Mandy, Gary and Keith and everyone involved at Perry Beaches for there amazing support. |
This Weeks Sessions..
Monday 10/01/11 & Thursday 13/01/01
Warm Up...
X 2 ( 400 FC 10r, 300 Back as 100`s K,D,S 10r after 300.) (1400m)
Pre Main..
12x 1 Fly Kick Underwater (33m pool) with fins.. Rest Heart rate + 50% (400M)
Main Set..
3 X 1000 FC...30r.....(3000M)
Swim Down..
400 Gentle FC and Back.
Wednesday 12/01/11
Warm UP..
300 FC, 200FC,100FC..3 x(4X1 Medleys), 100 easy swim (1000m)
Drill Work.
5x 100 backstroke . 1st V catch up, 2nd arm by side Catch up,3rd spin out back,4th twist back with fc 5 stroke back turn on your front 5 fc and so on. 5th ( 4x1`s) sprint kick.
5x100s fc ( broke down into 4x1s of 25 second per len, 4th 1 choice..)15r per 100. (1000m)
Main Set
3X 300 FC of 4.15 .. good even paced swim.
followed by easy 100 recover (1000)
Sprints.
4 x 50 choice..race pace of Starting blocks...times to be taken and Noted..!!100% effort.(200)
Warm Down
200 easy Back.(200)
Saturday 15/01/11
warm up
400 fc/back gentle work out (400m)
Main Set..
1hour 15 minutes straight swim..( working on an even paced..its a hard swim to do) (5000m)
Warm Down.
easy gentle 400m choice (400m)
Sunday 16/01/11
Warm up..
200 easy FC followed by 4 x 100 ( broken down into 50 at 50% effort, 50 at 75% effort) (600)
Kick
8 x 50 ( alternate 50 at 100% effort, 50 at 75% effort) (400m)
Pre main
4x 50`s ( 25 easy 25 100%)
4x 50`s ( 25 100% 25 easy) ( 400m)
Main Set..
4x 500 ( 50 at 100%, 200 at even race pace , 50 at 100% hard, 200 at even race pace)
this is a hard swim if done right..looking to hard of race pace...! then recover back then 100% again) (2000m)
Swim Down
400 gentle Back and FC....
HARD WEEK..!! over 20,000m done..but we did it ,!
February 2011 click link to see ( All Big Ricks February blog archives)
March...Big Ricks March blog archives
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| channel forms signed and sealed.. France here we come..!!!! |
Big Ricks Team have been challenged..!!
Well it seems like Big Ricks Team have been challenged ..!!!, Well i love a challenge ,as do most , especially in this Team...!!!
.see attached email from The Swimming Times.Editor...Peter
well i see in this month's edition that a team of six is chasing an
"unofficial" record for a six-person team with an average age over 40years.....
I am sure we have a statistician who'd know the answer, but at the
risk of causing upset to what is, in any case, a very worthy cause,
I'd throw in the 9hr 40 of the Lido Legends, August 2005 (Seafarer,
Chris Osmond) as one swim that clearly beats the record.
The average age of the team was 45 and would have been much higher if
it were not for the youthful Emma France. With other ladies from the
team being correspondents on this group, a full listing of ages is
available only by private email should documentary proof be requested!
So, can anyone beat that?
If not we'll hang on to the record until further notice then....
I’m sure they will see it if you put some sort of reply in the piece in Swimming Times
Thanks
Peter
"unofficial" record for a six-person team with an average age over 40years.....
I am sure we have a statistician who'd know the answer, but at the
risk of causing upset to what is, in any case, a very worthy cause,
I'd throw in the 9hr 40 of the Lido Legends, August 2005 (Seafarer,
Chris Osmond) as one swim that clearly beats the record.
The average age of the team was 45 and would have been much higher if
it were not for the youthful Emma France. With other ladies from the
team being correspondents on this group, a full listing of ages is
available only by private email should documentary proof be requested!
So, can anyone beat that?
If not we'll hang on to the record until further notice then....
I’m sure they will see it if you put some sort of reply in the piece in Swimming Times
Thanks
Peter
Swimming Times Editor
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| The Magnificent Seven Nicky,Richard,Rob,Paul,Gary, Stuart ,Darran |
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1st Open water swim 3/4/2011 at Swan Pool Birmingham Paul,Rob,Dan( Channel God)Nicky,Gary,Richard |
okay...so Dan gave us all a 10 minutes briefing before we got in the water.. all about safety and how we would freeze like a ice cream if we went to far the first time , you all the normal jokes one uses , just to make us feel that little be more worried than we all ready were.. but seriously Dan gave us great advice, he could see we were worried, but with a few well chosen words he gave us all the confidence that we would be okay !!
Dan would not let us just go off and do laps of the lake, as we thought we would easily do ,, as he knew full well we would not make it half way round the lap at best, ..so we kept in simple...swim close to shore..., between the 2 closest buoys ( about 25m apart ) that way if we had any problems we could get out no problem..!
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| Captain in pain |
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| Doug with the only safely whistle |
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| Royal Wedding Swim @ The Swan Friday 29th April |
This has to be watched....Its Nickys Royal walk of Shame out of the Swan 29/4/11
May..Big Ricks May blog archives
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| All Smiles after the 3 hour Channel test swim is Over.!! Apart from Gary, who i think has fallen asleep standing up. |
Sunday the 22nd of May was the day of Big Ricks channel test swim... we planned to do three x, one hour swims with an hour rest in between each, if was planned like this to see if we were all up to the challenge of the swimming an hour then trying to get warm before having to swim another, just like we will have to do come July in the Channel..!
Conditions on arrival at Swan pool at 8.30am were far from ideal as you can see in the Video above.., but as Ricks channel coach 'The Mighty Dan Earthquake' told us ..these conditions would be seen as normal in the channel..!! think he was trying to cheer us up , as some of the team were looking a bit nervous...!!
we did it....over 3 hours , for 18 laps , getting on for 15k swam and god did it feel further...everyone in the team swam great, if it was never in doubt that we were fit enough to swim the channel but now having swam this test i know we are mentally ready to swim for hours and hours if needed
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| The Boys in their very fetching Dressing gowns are all smiles after finishing the test.. it was a job well done. |
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| Big Ricks Night Swim @ The Swan.. ( 10.15 at night ,froze but we can still smile ) |
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| still another hour to wait |
June..Big Ricks June Blog Archives
to be continued asap
Only 3 days To Go.......
Big Ricks team are swimming the channel in aid of Cancer Research UK and The British Heart Foundation . If you wish to Support us in anyway ,then just click link below and Please give what you can. Every penny you give will go to help save Lives..!!
