swimming buddy...

for the 1st time today I had a swimming buddy, Gords came to do some lengths with me. I managed a whopping 42

total now: 1322

only 678 to go!

Gords did 40...not sure if they can count towards the official total as I didn't actually swim them, so lets keep them in reserve in case the total gets to be a long way off as we head to CNY.

I still really need to do around 100 lengths a week, eek...and there's christmas in the way.

xx

32 minutes...

I am officially now quite sad when it comes to my swim! Had to go to the fancy pool which has the advantage of a digital clock, so I timed myself 32 minutes to do 40 lengths, but boy did I have to do laps 28 - 38 at a faster than normal pace.

Have rewarded myself with some treacle tart!

so 1280 done

720 to go, should be doable by 14 Feb!

xx

free swim...coolio....

By signing a piece of paper last week at the pool they offered me a free swim...saving me a whole £2.25...wahooooo...

anyway despite thinking I am coming down with a cold I managed another 40...

1240 done

760 to go

might just make it by Chinese New Year...the year of the tiger...grrrr....

xx

40 more..

phew...1200 done 800 to go...pressure's still on!

x

swimmers envy...

swam today alongside the youth team, they are seriously good and fast. Was a bit envious of their lean-ness!

But on the plus side I can now do 40 lengths in 32 minutes...wahoo!

1160 done

only 840 to go ;-)

xx

lengths 29 & 35 were particularly good!

wow...there are a lot of hard-core sunday swimmers in googles and caps!

No way could I have made it in the fast lane today.

Another 40 done, 1120 done...

wahooooooooo 880 to go!

Have decided to work on the Chinese calender so 2010 doesn't really start until 14 Feb, so I have a bit more time. Phew.

x

...back to the palace...

So much nicer swimming in the much cheaper and slightly scuffier National Sports Centre!

I don't think an hour from eating cheese on toast and a few maltesers is enough time, the first few lengths were heavy going. Must remember to leave at least 2 hours :-)

Have rewarded myself, post swim with a chocolate pudding and icecream and the last few minutes of The Wizard of Oz...is that wrong?

1080 done

920 to go....

eek...still feels a bit impossible, might have to stretch the deadline to Chinese New Year.

xx

oh yes I'm back!

Today I learnt a few things at the pool

1) don't go at 6pm, as it is full of kids learning to swim who are much faster then me, and the lanes are chocka

2) when it says to take your outdoor footwear off, take socks off too, as the floor is basically wet - doh!

3) 1 in 4 adults can't swim...that was on a poster :-)

4) I am not really fast enough for the fast lane...I survived about 15 lengths and then down graded myself.

So 40 done...only 960 to go wahoooooooooo

xx

oh my...I am going to have to swim alot!

So am finally back to the pool this week. Am a little scared as there are actually only 9 weeks of the year left, which means an average of 111.11111111 lengths a week. So basically I need to swim every other day pretty much and do 40 lengths a go....arse!

Has definitely become a challenge now!

xx

1000!!!!

...got to 1000 lengths today...here's a picture of my reward! Yum.

Calculated that I need to swim 71 lengths every week til the end of the year to make the 2000. Hmmm...its looking unlikely.

1000 done.

1000 to go!

xx

...day off!

No work for me today so a chance to nip down the pool. Very pleasant swimming with the over 60's and mums and babies, nice and chilled. Even had the lane to myself for a few lengths!

Anyway clocked up another 40....so 960 done...which means the last one on the next go will be half-way...yippeeeeeeeeeee

only 1040 to go.

Lx

...phew over 900

40 again today.

920

1080 to go...can't believe nearly half-way...not sure I can make the 2000 by the end of the year though...eek!

another 40...

...clocked up another 40 on sunday and then went and bought lots of chocolate to compensate!

880 done

1120 to go.

nearly half way...wahooooooooooo...and its only September ;-)

xx

...hmmm tea and cake...

well managed to clock up another 40...was tempted to do 50 but couldn't stop thinking about a nice cup of tea and a piece of cake! There has to be a way of sustaining me...

Luckily I had just got out of the pool when a small boy sicked up and everyone had to evacuate. Lets hope chlorine kills off germs!

total: 840

to go: 1160

Oh, and my prediction for referral from China has gone up to February 2015!!!!

Ridiculous.

x

80 to add in...

forgot to post about about Thursday 40 and did another 40 today...so that makes 800! Wa-hoooooooo

only 1200 left!...thats only like 300 a month for the rest of the year. Gulp.

xx

broken the 700!

Squeezed in another 40 today...so up to 720...am scarily behind schedule for 2000 by the end of the year, will have to try and up it to 120 lengths per week for a while. Eek!

only 1280 to go...

x

friday 14th!

Tried to swim yesterday...tried 4 pools and gave up! First pool had wrong timetable online, so was aqua aerobics and no swimming...second pool closed for refurbishment for 18 months, third pool closed for refurbishment for a year...finally got to Crystal Palace pool and my swim partner for the night felt poorly so we went home!!!

anyway managed to do the quickest 40 lengths ever (for me A PB!) as the pool was going to close, always nice to be on home turf in the palace training pool.

680 done

1320 to go....eek and its almost September. The final quarter is going to have to involve me being very wet ;-)

x

...42...

knocked up 42 today back at my home turf at the Palace...which makes a grand total of

640 lengths...

only 1360 to go....

xx

another 1k...

bit slow on posting up...was worried yesterday that I had swine flu...I haven't!

Saturday I managed another 40...which makes 598...wa-hoooooooo

On the downside, my predicted referral from China due to the hideous backlog is now at Feb 2015. There is rumour of a speed up, so hopefully that will start to happen in the autumn.

And I seriously need to get some more lengths in...over half-way through the year...I should be much nearer to 1000 lengths by now...eek

xx

34 this time!!

thought it was time for another photo! proof that I do actually swim...yes I look very glamourous!

34 lengths at the expensive pool.

Had to swim between the torpedo fast children in the swimming club and the show-offs in the fast lane.

total now 558, slow and steady....

fish'n'chips

30 lengths on wednesday back at the spa in Beckenham, slighty more bearable as less busy. Impressed myself by swimming as fast a man in the fast lane :-) only for one length though.

Have swum over 500 now! 524 lengths completed.

yippeeee!

Have to say spent most of the time thinking about eating fish'n'chips when I got home, out of the freezer, not take-away!!! yum....

I should probably be thinking about China.

I'll do that next time.

Plus think about what I'm going to eat when I get home.

That seems fair.

xx

back to the old pool...

...great managed to get back to the old training pool at the palace...home turf...as a special treat I did an extra 2 lengths, so 42 today!

494 in total now

hmmm...considering its already June, I should surely be at 1000 by now??? Think I need to get kicking.

x

...tested out a new pool...

managed a measley 32 lengths yesterday....Beckenham Spa is not a great experience, very expensive and sooooooooo noisy.  I couldn't bear it for more than the 30 lengths.

Need to test out a couple more pools - so annoying that the Crystal Palace training pool isn't always open...that was perfect. Grrrr...

Total lengths so far: 452

oh yes, I've gone super size!

well...the crystal palace national sports centre is now open, and yes, its only a stone's thrown from the mighty Penge. I decided to give the Olympic pool a try. It is very COLD!!! and quite scary having to swim 50m at a go but I managed to do 20 lengths which is still 1km, and 40 lengths in old money. Will be much harder to do 2000 lengths in that pool so might have to switch back to a smaller one!

Anyway scores on the doors:

420 lengths 

only 1580 to go....oh la la!

the swine...

...swine flu might be affecting adoption referrals from China! Rumour that they are not going to send any for 20 - 30 days, so not sure what impact this will have!

Hmmmm...

wahoo, I've done 400..

...obviously not in one day!

Another 30 added to the total today.  Also got a free swim due to the incompetency of the Palace website which stated wrong swim times so I had to go back after an hour, nice lady at reception then let me go in on a freebie.  Should probably have done a few more lengths but class of kids arrived for lesson and it all got a bit frantic.

Met up with Baby Golds afterwards who can verify that I did 30 lengths and smelt of chlorine...hmm at 3 months old she can probably only verify that I smelt strange.

total lengths: 400

one fifth of the way through ;-)

xx

wow...its a 50!

yep...did 50 lengths today even though lots of kids splashing about and creating waves which makes it harder to swim! honest...

Am definitely in the slow and steady category of swimmer as was overtaken by my fellow laners, one bloke showing off with butterfly stroke - come on, that is just ridiculous and quite frankly causes a lot of splash back for those in your wake...just selfish :-)

Week off so hoping to get a few more in.

Total lengths so far: 370

still to go: 1630 - gulp!

Current prediction for referral from China has lengthened to January 2015 but they keep saying there's going to be a speed up..........

xx

dutch lengths!

Returned from Holland on Monday where I racked a pathetic 20 lengths in a very small pool...so I think I can only count that as 10 real lengths!

Managed to get to the pool after work today and did another 30, despite it being freezing cold...thermostat broken in the pool - joy...

so that's another 40...yipppeeeee up to 320. Only another 1680 to go - crikey that sounds a lot.

here's a pic from the changing rooms!!!

xx

nearly sicked up in the pool!

Phew another 40 lengths to add to the total!

Thought I might only make it to 30 today, as the cheese on toast consumed the required hour before swimming didn't seem to enjoy it that much.

Was going to take a photo of my costume dripping in the changing room as evidence but there was another woman there, so didn't want to seem too odd ;-)  so you'll have to just believe I did it.

No sign of the speed up in China yet for my adoption process, only another 2 days of applications processed this month...that leaves 297 days until mine makes it to the top of the pile but with the current rate of 2 days a month that would be 148.5 months...oh la la...thats over 12 years!!!! surely it has to speed up....

Hoping to get to the pool in the week before heading to Holland for Easter weekend.

xx

...sunday swim...

Just back from the pool!

Managed another 50 lengths, was only planning 40 but at about 30 thought about the extra glitter and glue 10 lengths would get so, kicked on to the 50!

Total: 240 lengths

I realised it might not be clear about the whole sponsorship thing...basically it would be great if you were happy to sponsor me a few lengths - if everyone I know does that then hopefully by the end of the year I could reach the $2000 target.  At the moment, I don't have way to collect money but I'm working on it!! 

So maybe RSS feed this blog and then you will know as soon as I've sorted it out ;-)

oh yes and...

...i figure if I make this blog then I have to keep up with the swimming!

oh my...I seem to be blogging!

Hey there...I'm trying an experiment and doing two things that I don't like:

1) exercise

2) blogs

I'm doing this for a good cause though.  Decided to try and raise $2000 for the Half the Sky charity to fund a year of art supplies for a room in a chinese orphanage...anyway after several suggestions, such as shaving off my hair and eating broccoli, I decided to swim for China!  So I'm attempting to do 2000 lengths by the end of the year and hoping that people will sponsor me one length at a time...i.e. a dollar a length which is about 70p.

I started at the beginning of March and am currently on 190 lengths.

And this is day 1 of the blog...I have no idea how you do things on it but I will work it out. I'll even post up a photo of me in swim outfit.

I am happy for people to come and verify that I am doing the lengths! I generally swim at Crystal Palace 25m pool..next scheduled swim Friday 27 March and then Sunday 29 March.

Haven't yet worked out how you can sponsor me other than post up and say you will :-) but if I think I will actually raise some money then I can put it on justgiving.com but I'll need to get the Charity to register first as they are US based.

Anyway, enough for now.

x